Jaguars vs. Giants: 5 Pressing Questions on Week 7 Tilt

The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4) are on a three-game skid, and things don't get any easier this week as the New York Giants (5-1) come into town as one of the NFL's most winningest teams.

To preview this week's big game, we spoke to Patricia Traina of Giants Country to get their insight on the team the Jaguars are faced to do battle with.

1) How has Brian Daboll helped the Giants flip the switch so quickly?

Patricia Traina: I think he’s done several things to help this team. First is that he’s been a man of his word. Everyone has truly gotten a clean slate and a chance to show they belong. When you look at guys like outside linebacker Oshane Ximines, for example, whom the last coaching staff gave up on, finding new life under this staff, or defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, initially thought of as a two-down player and who has blossomed into an every-down player, this staff has managed to bring out the best in each and every one of these guys.

Daboll also has limited expectations to what people can control. By that, I mean he expects his guys to come in and work their tails off. He’s not expecting running back Saquon Barkley to run for 1,000 rushing yards or quarterback Daniel Jones to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. Except for wins, numbers mean very little to Daboll and his staff, and with those expectations removed, the players can play a little faster and more freely, I think.

He's getting everyone involved in the game, or at least as many players as possible, every week. Whereas some coaches are allergic to playing rookies, Daboll has openly embraced that, and the rookies have responded in a big-time way.

And I think the most important thing is he truly cares about his players. I know all coaches say that they care, but some have a weird way of showing it in that they might push them hard in practice every day or quickly lose their tempers and let loose a verbal tirade. Daboll has his moments—he’s a fiery type—but he’s also smart enough to know when to back off pushing a player or asking a player to do something his skill set isn’t a fit for.

2) How dangerous is the Giants' defense in their blitz-happy scheme?

Patricia Traina: The creativity behind the blitzes and their design has made the Giants extra dangerous. For example, last week, we saw a creative use of the amoeba defense in which three guys were milling around, showing no signs of who was coming, who was staying home, and who was dropping into coverage.

We have also seen some creative stunts and twists up front aimed at getting pressure, and we’ve seen blitzes come from the secondary. So I guess you can say the creativity of the blitzes has been effective because the goal is to catch the offense off guard.

And I think the further beauty of what the Giants have been doing is that defensive coordinator Wink Martindale changes it every week, making it hard to get a read on what he might be planning next week.

3) If the Giants win or lose on Sunday, what is the main reason?

Patricia Traina: If the Giants win, I think it’s because they could take advantage of a Jaguars defensive secondary that last week had its share of struggles in coverage. That would also, of course, mean quarterback Daniel Jones is well protected against those two dangerous pass rushers (Josh Allen and Trayvon Walker, and he’s able to hit some of his receivers—Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, David Sills V, and Richie James—for some chunk plays.

If the Giants lose, I think it will be because of the running game on either side. The Giants' run defense has not been very good at all these past few weeks—they’ve been gashed on the ground, which may or may not be due to Leonard Williams being out with a knee injury (though I think the problem has resided more at the second level than anything). The Jaguars have a strong one-two punch of James Robinson and Travis Etienne, and those two have complementary styles that can wear down a defense in a hurry, especially if temperatures are summerlike on Sunday.

4) Which Giant is seen as a player the Jaguars must stop to win the game?

Patricia Traina: Saquon Barkley. The rookie version that dazzled the league is back with a vengeance, and his ability to run and serve as a receiver out of the backfield makes him a challenge to slow down. But from a running perspective, Barkley has been helped by the fact that Daniel Jones can also take off with the ball in his hands, so the Jaguars run defense better be well-rested and fueled to take on this challenge.

5) Score prediction?

Patricia Traina: This puts me in a bind because almost every time I’ve picked the Giants, they’ve lost, and vice versa. That said, I feel somewhat confident in picking them to win this week, but I think it’s going to be a knockdown, drag-out fight because the Jaguars, despite what has happened in recent weeks, are a very good team whose strengths just so happen to be going against the Giants’ weaknesses. But I’m going Giants 23, Jaguars 17.