Giants news, 12/3: Odell Beckham visit, Saquon Barkley contract, more headlines

New York Giants headlines for Saturday

Good morning, New York Giants fans!

Can Giants’ season be a success without playoff berth? Yes … and no

The question that keeps coming up is this: Even though few expected the Giants to contend for a playoff berth this season, now that they are can the season be considered a success if they don’t finish the job and earn a playoff berth?

In Ed Valentine’s view, the answer is complicated. You can build a legitimate argument that it would be a failure. You can also build an equally compelling argument that the season has already been a success no matter what happens over the final six games.

From Big Blue View

• Giants-Commanders final injury report: 9 Giants listed as questionable
• ‘SB Nation Reacts’ poll: Giants fans — Andrew Thomas more important to future than Saquon Barkley
• Giants-Commanders, Week 13: What to expect when the Giants have the ball
• NFL Week 13 picks, predictions: Will Giants defeat Washington Commanders?
• 2023 NFL Draft: Kentucky QB Will Levis declares for the draft
• 2023 NFL Draft: Takeaways from Dane Brugler’s mock draft 1.0

Other Giant observations

Brian Daboll keeping mum on Giants’ Odell Beckham meetings | New York Post

The Giants’ two-day free-agent visit with Beckham kicked off Thursday night with a fancy dinner and continued into Friday. After undergoing a physical with team doctors, Beckham was scheduled to return to the team facility for more formal meetings, Daboll confirmed.

“We had a good visit,” the head coach said. “Other than that, I have nothing else to add. I’m focusing on [a game against] Washington.”

RB Saquon Barkley weighs in on what the addition of Odell Beckham Jr would have on the team

Giants had ‘pretty good’ contract discussions with Saquon Barkley | NJ.com

The Giants and Saquon Barkley’s representatives did have contract talks during the bye week but they tabled them until the offseason. From what I gathered they were pretty good discussions and gave a good starting point for where these conversations are going to be in the offseason. If he thinks he’s going to make Christian McCaffrey money upwards of $16 million a year it’s not going to get done. But if he wants to get north of where Dalvin Cook is in the 12-range, a little bit above that, then yeah I think a deal gets done.

Giants’ offensive line ready for battle with Commanders | New York Post

The cliché that games are won along the line of scrimmage certainly will apply to Sunday’s NFC East clash, which might as well be a six-face advertisement for the big boys developed in the SEC and Big Ten. What makes Washington’s front four such a challenge?

“They’re good at the run and the pass, that’s what,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “Having strong fronts — both defensive and offensive — is where you want to build your football team, and they certainly have done it. They don’t give up a lot of points.”

NY Giants vs. Washington: Who really won ‘Chase Young Bowl’ after all? | The Record

Because that player is left tackle Andrew Thomas, arguably the best offensive lineman in the NFC East now that he has emerged as the cornerstone within a Giants’ offense that has dealt with uncertainty in just about every other spot at one time or another this season.

How will Brian Daboll, Giants respond to the pressure of a tightening playoff race? | The Athletic

Jones has a 4-1 record in five career starts against Washington. Jones had a 4-16 record over a 20-game stretch early in his career, with all four of the wins coming against Washington. Jones has nine touchdown passes in the games against the Commanders, which is four more than his next highest total against any opponent.

Jones has been particularly effective against Washington with his legs. He had seven carries for 74 yards in a 20-19 win over Washington in the 2020 season and nine carries for 95 yards and a touchdown in a 30-29 loss to Washington last season.

Every current NFL playoff team’s biggest strength and weakness | PFF

6. NEW YORK GIANTS

Biggest Strength: The run game. The best-graded facet of play the Giants have is the run game. They rank fourth in yards before contact per carry (1.8) despite an offensive line that isn’t good, and Saquon Barkley looks as potent as he ever has in his career, averaging 2.8 yards per carry after contact.

Biggest Weakness: The offensive line. Andrew Thomas is playing at an All-Pro level at left tackle this season, but the rest of the line is a mess. The other four starters average 54.0 overall PFF grades, undermining everything the Giants want to do on offense.

Ranking NFL teams with most to prove in awesome Week 13 slate of games between contenders | CBSSports.com

1. New York Giants. The Giants are reeling. The once 6-1 club that was the talk of the NFL has lost three of four. Remember, the rousing start to the season was on the back of six victories in one-score games. Eventually those contests catch up to you. And they have for the Giants. Injuries have, too, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. They’re entering the tail end of a unique scheduling quirk that features four of five games at home before a finish with three of four on the road. And the Commanders, their Week 13 opponent, are surging. Quite easily, the Giants, with the season seemingly slipping away, have the most to prove of any contending team this week. They’d probably admit that, too.

Elf is the Christmas movie for this generation

This week’s opponent

Defensive line, quarterback play key to Washington playoff drive | PFF

Biggest Strength: The defensive line. Even with Chase Young yet to make his debut this season working back from injury, the Washington defensive front is still formidable. Montez Sweat and Jonathan Allen each have over 40 pressures on the season, and three of the four starters up front have at least 26 defensive stops.

Biggest Weakness: Inevitable quarterback regression. The only quarterback with a worse PFF passing grade than Taylor Heinicke this season is Zach Wilson, who just got benched. Heinicke has a turnover-worthy play rate (6.1%) almost double that of Carson Wentz, and his receivers have dropped only one of his passes. Every Heinicke number screams statistical regression, and if that happens, Washington stops winning games.

Ranking NFL teams with most to prove in awesome Week 13 slate of games between contenders | CBSSports.com

Trai Turner ruled out for Sunday vs. Giants | Commanders.com

Ron Rivera Presser: Chase Young had a good day | Hogs Haven

Around the league

Patrick Peterson denies ‘beef’ with Kyler Murray, has texted QB | ESPN.com

“What I meant by my comment was, when you’re a franchise quarterback you have to carry yourself a certain way. So, when you have bad body language, pouting and moping on the sideline, what type of energy do you think that feeds to your teammates?” Peterson said, “That’s what I meant by, ‘Kyler cares about himself.’ He’s not putting the team first. . . . I see a ton of talent in him. Those mannerisms are alarming. I’m just saying something most people may be afraid to tell him. It’s no secret. Everybody sees it.”

Aidan Hutchinson on being passed over by Jaguars | NFL.com

Hutchinson said Thursday he thought he would be playing in Jacksonville “for about three months, and then a week before the draft, something changed. I guess my arms were just not quite long enough, but that hit a week before the draft. I mean, we’ll see if that inch or couple inches was the difference.”

Matthew Stafford clears concussion protocol but is out with neck injury | ProFootballTalk

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