• TE Darren Waller, New York Giants: 50+ Receiving Yards — Waller will continue to be the Giants' most targeted receiver, and because of the vast difference in coverage ability between the Seahawks' outside corners and the guys covering the slot, the Giants should target their inside receivers early and often.
• WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks: Over 14.5 Longest Reception — JSN gets an excellent matchup from the slot against Adoree' Jackson, who is struggling to adjust to his new role as a slot corner.
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Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
GAME OVERVIEW
The last game of Week 4 features two teams with very little defensive prowess. Giants running back Saquon Barkley is listed as doubtful and in danger of missing a second week, and New York will definitely be without star left tackle Andrew Thomas, who is still nursing a hamstring injury. The good news is that offensive guard Ben Bredeson is returning after missing last week, providing reinforcement for the team's struggling offensive line.
Related: The New York Giants need to start game planning around a bad offensive line
Seattle got some great news this week, as safety Jamal Adams is ready to suit up for the first time in a year. Quandre Diggs is also expected to go after logging a couple of limited practices late in the week, and starting outside cornerback Tariq Woolen will return after missing Week 3.
The Hawks are struggling for depth, however, with cornerbacks Tre Brown, Coby Bryant, slot specialist Artie Burns and interior defender Dre’Mont Jones all expected to be missing.
TE Darren Waller, New York Giants: 50+ Receiving Yards (-107 Caesars)
The Seattle secondary has gotten healthier at the front end, with Tariq Woolen and Jamal Adams returning, but the unit lacks depth. Their slot corner situation is concerning, especially as the Giants have a lot of talented players who can frequent the slot.
We can expect Giants receiver Wan'Dale Robinson to take a bigger role in this offense after returning from an ACL injury last week, and Robinson and Parris Campbell will go up against the Seahawks' makeshift slot corner, whoever that may be.
But that's not all, as Darren Waller, the Giants' biggest offensive mismatch, will likely play in the slot just as much as he plays as an in-line tight end. Waller will likely be facing the returning Jamal Adams, who we can expect to be somewhat rusty after a 13-month injury. Even at full health, Adams has struggled in coverage in Seattle, earning 52.5 and 47.4 PFF coverage grades in the last two seasons.
Waller will continue to be the Giants' most targeted receiver, and because of the vast difference in coverage ability between the Seahawks' outside corners and the guys covering the slot, the Giants should target their inside receivers early and often if they are to have any success in this one.
The Giants pass at a higher rate when Saquon Barkley is not in the lineup, and given their own defensive struggles and the way the Seahawks have been scoring over the last two weeks, the need to pass should exist again.
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks: Over 14.5 Longest Reception (-114 FanDuel)
It is hard not to be disappointed with Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s output through three games. And what is more concerning is that Jake Bobo appears to be cutting into the 2023 first-rounder's role.
However, given the strengths and weaknesses of the Giants secondary and the expectation of how this game is supposed to be played, JSN gets an excellent matchup from the slot against Adoree' Jackson, who is struggling to adjust to his new role as a slot corner.
Through three games, Giants rookie outside corners Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins III have given up a combined 10 catches for 125 yards, whereas Jackson has given up more than 200 receiving yards on 13 catches. The veteran has also given up a team-high 2.18 yards per coverage snap, the 12th-highest mark among corners with 25 or more coverage snaps, and five 15-plus-yard receptions, a number only six corners in the league can top.
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