The Giants were short on players heading into their road game in Seattle in Week 5, but turned in a complete performance in all three phases to earn the 29-20 victory.
They now host the 1-4 Bengals on Sunday night with a chance to get back to .500.
Here are the biggest stories to watch as the Giants try to keep the momentum going…
Can Tyrone Tracy and Darius Slayton repeat their Week 5 performances?
Of Malik Nabers And Devin Singletair Outside, expectations were low for the Giants offense in Seattle. However, they unexpectedly achieved a total attack of 420 yards.
Two of the main players who performed were Tracy and Slayton. The rookie Tracy saw more action after an early Erik Gray fumbled, and he delivered – with 129 rushing yards. Slayton also had a big day as he caught eight passes for 122 yards and a score.
Singletary may return this week, but either way, Tracy has certainly earned a bigger role. Nabers’ return is still up in the air, but Slayton will look to continue to be a solid contributor – something he has done whenever he has been promoted to a starting role in recent seasons.
Who will step up once Kayvon Thibodeaux is out?
Thibodeaux will be out for a while due to a wrist injury that required surgery. He typically plays about 80 percent of the defensive snaps, so this is a significant loss.
In his absence, Azeez Ojulari looks ready to appear in the starting lineup. Ojulari, who started seven games last season, had eight sacks as a rookie in 2021 but has had just nine sacks in three seasons since. This could be a great opportunity for him to restore his reputation.
Brian Brands is starting to ramp things up at the other end, and the Giants should be hopeful that will continue now that Thibodeaux is out. Burns had a sack and also deflected two passes last Sunday.
Shall Daniel Jones continue to improve?
Jones has gradually returned to his role as starting quarterback after last year’s serious knee injury. Last Sunday was his best game yet as he passed for 257 yards and two scores and added another 38 on the ground.
After a rough start in Week 1, Jones has thrown just one interception in the last four games and is looking increasingly confident as a ball carrier.
He will be back in front of his home fans for this match, which could present additional challenges. Giants fans have typically been impatient with slow starts in recent years.
Can New York slow down the Bengals’ high-powered offense?
Although Cincinnati has lost four of five games this season, with their only win coming against the lowly Carolina Panthers, they will be no slouch. All four losses came in one-possession games and their offense is one of the best in the NFL, with only three other teams having scored more points.
Ja’Marr Chase has averaged 98.6 receiving yards per game this season and scored five times. All five of those touchdowns went for more than 30 yards, so Giants cornerback Deonte Banks should be focused on denying big plays.
Will Dexter Lawrence’s dominance continue?
Just five games into the season, Lawrence has six sacks after recording three on Sunday. His career-high for a full season is 7.5 and he could potentially surpass that this weekend.
The Bengals interior line has Ted Karras in the middle, with Cordell Volson And Alex Kappa at the guard positions, so they have solid players, but not necessarily elite talent. The trio has given up four sacks and three penalties in their first five games, so Lawrence will be hopeful he can cause even more disruption.
