There's no denying that the New York Giants have changed the narrative of the first half of their season behind rookies Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo, but how long can it last? And can they be more consistent than they have been during their 2-4 start?
The Giants will have the chance to clear another hurdle in their climb up the mountain with Sunday's visit to the Denver Broncos, who own the NFL's top-ranked defense.
The Broncos (4-2) not only have stifled opponents - and suffered their only two losses on dramatic field goals - but they're on a historic pace with 30 sacks over the first six games of the season.
Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto leads the league with eight sacks following a season in which he finished with 13.5. But he's not the only problem since the unit is sporting 12 different players with at least a share of a sack this year.
"Obviously, the sacks stand out as the first thing and their ability to rush the passer on every down, not just third downs," Dart said. "First of all, they're just coached really well, and they play really well together. They play really hard.
"So, it's going to be a really good test for us, one that I think that we're all excited for just because, in my mind, I see them as one of the best defenses in the entire league. So, being able to just go out and compete, yeah, they do a lot of really good things and they're coached really well."
Head coach Brian Daboll realizes he'll have to keep his young quarterback in manageable situations and out of harm's way.
"They're impressive. They're impressive every game," Daboll said.
"They create a lot of negative plays. They have 30 sacks in six games. There were [at] nine last week [to beat the Jets], I think. They rotate guys. But Bonitto is an unbelievable pass rusher. You can't have a plan for all of them. They all can rush.
"We've got [to face] the reigning defensive player of the year, as a corner, [Broncos cornerback Pat] Surtain II, an Alabama guy. They're just really good. They play good coverage, complemented by the front. They disguise themselves well. They're as good as it gets right now."
Big Blue Breakdown Live host Paul Dottino discusses the upcoming battle and takes the fans' questions via the chat room, audio calls, and video calls.
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