Giants (1-3) Saints (0-4)
The Saints were big underdogs last Sunday in a matchup with the Buffalo Bills. They were trailing 14-10 at halftime, but couldn't add much more, ending up with a 31-19 loss to the Bills.
Not many figured the Giants would notch their first win of the season, playing against the unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers. The Giants scored first, kept at it, and gave their hometown fans maybe more than they expected, with a 21-18 win.

New Orleans Saints
The Saints finished last in the NFC South with a 5-12 record, and they brought in a new head coach. Kellen Moore got the job after working as the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl winning Philadelphia Eagles last year. Giants fans will remember him most for being the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys for a number of years before doing that for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023. The first thing Moore had to do was find a quarterback. Derek Carr decided to retire after 11 seasons in the league.
Spencer Rattler was a 2024 fifth-round pick for the Saints, and played in some games during his rookie year. The Saints selected Tyler Shough in the second round this year, and the Saints have gone with Rattler for the starting spot to start off the season. It's been tough going so far as the Saints have started the season off with four straight defeats. They are the only winless team in the NFC.

New Orleans Saints Offense
Surprised by Derek Carr's sudden retirement, the Saints were looking for a franchise quarterback, as were the Giants. Both teams had other needs as well. The Giants selected Abdul Carter with their first pick, hoping to get Jaxson Dart if he was later available. The Saints passed on Dart, and selected left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. ninth overall, and they picked up quarterback Tyler Shough later on. Both teams feel they did well with their picks.
Current quarterback starter Spencer Rattler was unimpressive in his rookie starts last season. This year he's done better. He's completed 67 percent of his passes, throwing for 765, with 5 five touchdowns and 1 interception. Rattler also gained 102 yards on the ground. The Saints are glad that they selected rookie Banks, who was solid with his preseason play, and they have asked a lot of him in the regular season. The offensive line has had its problems, with three of their players on injured reserve.
This week in addition, they will be without right guard Cesar Ruiz, and right guard Trevor Penning, and Dillon Radunz are listed as questionable. If things don't work in their favor, rookie Torricelli Simpkins might be in there at left guard playing next to Banks. None of that helps a quarterback with his passing game, and Rattler had been working without reliable tight end (quarterback, running back) Taysom Hill in the final four games last season, and all this season. Hill is recovering from offseason knee surgery, and they hope to have him back soon. Last week they tried to push the rushing attack, and running backs Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller came up with 135 yards and one touchdown. Rattler added another 49 with his 6 runs.

New Orleans Saints Defense
Last year the Saints were ranked 27th with their passing defense, and next to last against the run. They've improved impressively in both areas. When it comes to points per game though, last year it was 23.4 points allowed per game, and now it's 30.3, and only two teams have done worse. They're probably relieved to know that the Giants are averaging just 18.3 points a game, and that's with the help of the 37 points they came up with in one of their games.
That was against the Dallas Cowboys, who are the worst in the league giving up 33 points a game. They also are aware that the Giants will be without their two best players on the field. Wide receiver Malik Nabers is on injured reserve and running back Tyrone Tracy could still be out, recovering from his dislocated right shoulder. Defensive end Carl Granderson has 4.5 of the teams total 11 sacks, and Cameron Jordan, who's played 15 years with the Saints, has 2.5.

Giants Offense
The Giants got their first win of the season with rookie Jaxson Dart making his first start of the season. It helped that left tackle Andrew Thomas was back in the game for every snap. His efforts produced no sacks or quarterback pressures, but Dart still took six sacks. You can't have that happening, especially seeing how Dart is already dealing with a possible hamstring issue. Things might have gone easier for Dart if Malik Nabers was there for him for the entire game.
Nabers suffered a knee injury during the Giants second drive in the second quarter. Nabers had caught two of Dart's 3 passes for 20 yards before that, and was attempting to catch a deep one when the injury occurred. That hurt the passing attack, and the ground game was missing their top running back Tyrone Tracy from the start. Tracy suffered a dislocated right shoulder in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Giants scored an opening drive touchdown, but then struggled for the rest of the game to put up the total 21 points they needed to win. Dart completed 13 passes for 111 yards, and the Giants ran with the ball 42 times for 161 yards. Cam Skattebo, who had just 10 carries a week earlier for 60 yards, did it 25 times against the Chargers, but for only 79 yards. Dart helped that average with his 10 runs for 54 yards and one touchdown, but can he count on his leg holding up much more doing that?
The Giants will hope that Tracy can return soon, and they need to find a way to get a better passing game going working without Nabers. Darius Slayton was the lead receiver, catching 3 out of 4 passes for 44 yards, and tight end Theo Johnson was 3 of 5 for 17 yards, and had the only touchdown catch. For this game, the offensive line has to provide better protection, and play better in the redzone, where they had two penalties last week.

Giants Defense
The defense got their act together last week, and they needed every good play they could make to hold the the Los Angeles Chargers to just 18 points. They've been especially good rushing the passer, and they did that last week to quarterback Justin Herbert with 27 quarterback pressures and 12 quarterback hits. Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence and Abdul Carter are a tough group up front, and Lawrence, who draws the most attention, came up with an interception, getting his hands up to tip the passed ball and secure it enough to take off on a 37-yard run. Burns leads the Giants with 5 sacks, coming up with at least one sack in each of the first four games.
The defense should have opportunities putting pressure on quarterback Spencer Rattler, and the current offensive line he has trying to protect him. Rattler can take off and run with the ball, but the Giants have faced worse in the quarterbacks they've seen so far this season. Despite everything, the Saints are ranked 10th with their rushing attack, and the Giants are near the bottom with their rushing defense. Though they have improved on their tackling, when they mess up, they have given up some real big running plays.

Overall
In the Giants run this year they have showed they can do it, and that they can not do it. Russell Wilson could not put points up in their first game against Washington. Then he did it big time the following week against a Cowboys defense that some say couldn't stop a parked car.
Up against a noteworthy defense the following week against Kansas City, the Giants were held to a meager three field goals. Last week both of the Giants units put it together enough to get them their first win over the unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers. Was rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart the glue that helped them stick it down? Everyone wants to know, and this next game should provide some answers.

NFC East Games
Sunday at 1:00pm Giants (1-3) at Saints (0-4)
Sunday at 1:00pm Cowboys (1-2-1) at Jets (0-4)
Sunday at 1:00pm Commanders (2-2) at Chargers (3-1)
The Cowboys and Eagles are the only NFC East teams favored to win in these games. Check out.
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Next Games
Oct 9 Eagles at Giants
Oct 19 Giants at Broncos