Giants.com gives three keys for the Giants to come away with a win on Sunday:
A look at the expected starters for the Buccaneers on Sunday
DT Gerald McCoyMcCoy has been selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls while racking up 42.5 sacks, third-most in franchise history.
WR DeSean JacksonJackson has led the NFL in receiving average three times (2010, 2014 and 2016).
QB Jameis WinstonThe former No. 1 overall draft pick and Heisman Trophy winner has thrown for 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons.
WR Mike EvansPart of the star-studded 2014 draft class, Evans is tied with Rob Gronkowski for fifth in touchdown catches (28) since he came into the league.
CB Brent GrimesThe four-time Pro Bowler led the league with 24 passes defensed in 2016. Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was second with 21.
Victory is in the details.
That was Ben McAdoo's message to his team this week as the Giants look for their first win of the season on Sunday against the 1-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Big Blue came up empty in its first three tries, including a last-second loss to a division rival a week ago. Now it's time to get back to basics.
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"We need to focus on ourselves, our football," the head coach said. "We need to quit learning the same lessons over and over again, and it's about the details right now. Focus on keeping the main thing the main thing and the details of our football."
Here are three of those details they need to clean up for a victory in Week 4:
1. WIN ON THIRD DOWN
The Giants are in the bottom third of the NFL on third down – both offensively and defensively. When they have the ball, they are converting just 32.4 percent of the time. When opponents have the ball, the chains are moving 45.5 percent of the time. That adds up to an average time of possession of 25:09, the lowest in the league.
2. TIGHTEN UP TACKLING, GAP CONTROL
One of the biggest headscratchers in the 0-3 start is the Giants' run defense, which is allowing a league-high 153.3 yards per game. This comes a year after the unit gave up 120 yards just once in 17 games, including postseason. So far, they have given up 129, 138 and 193 yards on the ground in their first three outings. The Giants will look to improve those numbers against a Buccaneers team that is ranked 26th in the NFL with 71.5 rushing yards per game.
3. CUT DOWN ON PENALTIES
Turnovers and penalties are two things teams cannot afford to do on the road. We saw that last week in Philadelphia, where Eli Manning threw two interceptions and the team committed 10 penalties that totaled 137 yards. The timing of them was particularly devastating to the comeback bid. The Giants were called for two penalties – an illegal shift and holding – on their final possession with less than a minute to go, allowing the Eagles to get the ball back and kick the game-winning field goal.
