New York Giants (2-4-0) vs. Denver Broncos (4-2-0):
The Giants were the only NFC East team to record a victory during Week 6, beating the Eagles 34-17 in a surprisingly lopsided division game. New York had dropped its previous eight division matchups, but despite missing top receivers in Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton, the Giants’ offense didn’t sputter.
The rookie duo of quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo drew praise from fans and pundits alike for their electric performances. The two combined for four touchdowns, three of which came from Skattebo. The Eagles struggled to stop Skattebo, who finished with 19 carries for 98 yards on the ground. He also notched two receptions for 12 yards against Philadelphia, which allowed an average of 5.1 yards per play.
Taking on the Denver Broncos’ No. 2-overall defense will be another difficult task. Although the game seemed to oscillate between punts, the Broncos ultimately held the Jets to just 82 total yards. Jets’ quarterback Justin Fields was sacked nine times by eight different Broncos for a loss of 55 total yards, causing Fields to finish with -10 net passing yards.
Denver leads the league with 30 sacks with Nik Bonitto leading the charge for the Broncos’ defense. He notched his league-leading eighth sack in London and is already being touted as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Bonitto has a 25% pass rush win rate to rank third in the league, and the Denver defensive line ranks No. 4 as a team for pass rush win rate (46%).
New York’s pass rush, led by nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, linebacker Brian Burns and edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has become stronger since the start of the season. Burns has seven sacks on the season, and Thibodeaux led the Giants’ defense with four total pressures and one tackle for loss against the Eagles. The Broncos’ , however, is one of the strongest in the league. Denver boasts the second-lowest sack rate in the NFL, allowing just six sacks through six games on quarterback Bo Nix.
Winning in the offensive trenches has set up a productive Broncos’ offense. Nix has options at running back with J.K. Dobbins, wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin as well as tight end Evan Engram. However, the Giants’ defense has looked stronger in recent weeks, holding the Chargers to 18 points and the Eagles to 17 points.
The real test for the Giants will be if they can continue to maintain the positive momentum. After New York’s unprecedented win over the Chargers in Week 4, they fell to the New Orleans Saints the next week in what remains the Saints’ only win of the season.