Another season, another team, but the daunting presence of DeSean Jackson still ready, willing and able to run past the Giants.
Jackson is a Giants nemesis, pure and simple. He shredded them when he played in the NFC East — first with the Eagles (his Miracle at the Meadowlands walk-off, punt-return touchdown in 2010 is an all-time Giants lowlight), then with Washington. Jackson also played for the Buccaneers, went back to the Eagles and now is in his first season with the Rams. At 34, he is not the player he once was, but he can still run, evidenced by his production this season: seven receptions for a ridiculous 215 yards, an average of 30.7 yards per catch.
Jackson and strong-armed quarterback Matthew Stafford are a match made in a defensive back’s nightmares.
“You saw me catching balls off the Jugs anticipating how deep some of these balls may go, just trying to track them in the air,’’ safety Logan Ryan said. “He adds a whole downfield passing game that they didn’t have, a little more spread that they didn’t do as much. They still have their boots and condensed offense, but they have an added game with [Stafford’s] arm strength. It keeps that safety a little deeper, keeps you a little more honest in the deep part of the field.’’
The Giants, at halftime, will honor their Super Bowl LXVI Super Bowl championship team, celebrating the 10-year anniversary with many of the players from the 2011 season in attendance.
There will be no repeat of the ugly scene that unfolded three weeks ago, when Giants co-owner John Mara was loudly and harshly booed when he stepped behind the microphone and announced the retirement of Eli Manning’s No. 10 jersey and Manning’s induction into the Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony in what turned into a loss to the Falcons.
Mara will not take part in the festivities. Bob Papa, the radio voice of the Giants, will serve as Master of Ceremonies for this event, handling the assignment from the radio booth in the press box. This was pre-planned and not in response to the negative reaction Mara received three weeks ago.
Left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot) was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable. He missed last week’s game at Dallas. If he cannot play, Nate Solder again would move from right to left tackle and Matt Peart would start at right tackle.
WRs Sterling Shepard will and Darius Slayton could make their returns after missing two games with strained hamstrings. Those additions are countered by the new injuries to WR Kenny Golladay (knee) and RB Saquon Barkley (ankle) that once again will leave the Giants without all their top offensive playmakers on the field together.
The Rams feature a two-pronged running attack of Darrell Henderson (60-294) and Sony Michel (45-163). WR Cooper Kupp entered Week 6 tied for second in the NFL in catches (37) and receiving touchdowns (5).
Rams head coach Sean McVay is not a believer in bringing his team east a day early to acclimate to the Eastern Time Zone. This is why the Rams did not travel to New Jersey until Saturday.
“Unless you can really go for an extended period of time, it doesn’t really get the benefits that maybe we used to think they did,’’ McVay said. “To be able to have the players sleep in their bed one more night, kind of keep them on as normal of a rhythm and routine as possible, we felt like was going to be the best thing.’’
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