Last week was not the best for the New York Giants. They moved to 0-5 on the season, on top of losing their top two wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr and Brandon Marshall. That has put the Giants in a huge hole, and one they are going to struggle to get out of for the rest of the season. The Denver Broncos arrive here fresh after their bye week, and with their defensive record against running backs being hugely impressive, there is every chance this game will be a blowout, with the Bovada NFL bookies having them as faves for this one.
The Broncos are 3-1 so far this season. Their only loss came in a sub-par performance against the Buffalo Bills. They have played ok offensively, but again for the third years running their defensive performances have been what has won games for them. With Eli Manning having very little to throw at, and the Broncos being an exception at stopping the run game, just where are New York going to get their points from in this one.
The highlight of the Broncos offensive play this season has been their new 1-2 running back pairing, CJ Anderson and Jamaal Charles. While Charles is not back where he was three years ago, he is offering a great second option, and allowing Anderson a rest which has made him a better player. Those two will look to pound the New York offensive line this week, carving out opportunities to score I am sure. When quarterback Trevor Siemian decides to throw the ball he has Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas waiting to pick up the pieces. If this Broncos offensive core ticks then I see no way that the Giants can keep up with them.
I expect to see the Giants run the ball more than they normally would now that they are thin on wide receivers and that should mean more carries for Orleans Darkwa. He scored a touchdown in the loss on Sunday to the Chargers and has generally impressed this season. However, the Giants may be expecting too much, he isn’t an elite running back, and certainly not one who can carry an offence like he will be asked to.
This is going to be such a tough task for the Giants on Sunday night and I really expect Denver to cruise to victory. The Giants have little in terms of offence and that could give us a blowout if the Giants defensive players cannot contain the Broncos.
