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10 Things To Watch For

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10 things to watch in Giants vs. Raiders

SAQUON-JACOBS-10THINGS

DJ'S RETURN

Coach Brian Daboll announced late Monday morning that quarterback Daniel Jones has been cleared for contact, paving the way for the starting quarterback to return under center for this weekend's game. Jones received clearance during pregame warmups Sunday, with doctors giving the quarterback the full go-ahead to fully participate in practice beginning on Wednesday.

Jones has missed the last three games due to a neck injury suffered in the fourth quarter of the Week 5 game in Miami. Despite returning to practice as a limited participant the last two weeks, Jones was inactive while backup Tyrod Taylor started in his place. Jones was a full participant at practice Wednesday as the head coach said he is good to go.

"He's been out here throwing so he'll have his full workload this week," Daboll said. "Once he's cleared, he's cleared and ready to go."

"I'm excited," said the quarterback. "Excited to be back in the swing of things and going through the week preparing to play. So yeah, I'm excited to be back…

Jones' return comes at a good time, as backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor was knocked out of Sunday's game in the second quarter. The veteran quarterback ended up spending the night at Hackensack University Medical Center for further examination and testing, where it was determined he suffered an injury to his rib cage. He was released from HUMC early Monday afternoon. Taylor was placed on injured reserve Saturday afternoon.

Due to Taylor's injury, Tommy DeVito made his NFL debut against the Jets.

The Giants also added quarterback Matt Barkley to the practice squad Tuesday. Barkley was with the Bills from 2018-20 and played in eight regular-season games, including one start, while Daboll served as offensive coordinator. The veteran has played in 19 games in his career, but has not appeared in one in almost three years.

"Matt's had familiarity in what we do and understands our terminology," Daboll told the media. "Called a game, actually against the Jets I think, with Matt back in '18 or somewhere around there, pretty good result. But he's been around, he's been with us for a while, he knows our stuff."

ALL-TIME SERIES

The New York Giants take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 5. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX.

This is the 15th regular-season meeting between the teams, and the first time the Giants will visit the Raiders in Las Vegas. The last time the Giants faced the Raiders on the road was a 24-17 loss on Dec. 3, 2017, when they still played in Oakland.

The Raiders hold a two-game advantage in the series (8-6). The Giants have won four of their last five games against the Raiders from 2005 to 2021. Most recently, the teams faced off in MetLife Stadium on Nov. 7, 2021, with the Giants earning a 23-16 victory. The Giants rushed for 149 yards and S Xavier McKinney intercepted two passes, including one he returned 41 yards for a touchdown.

View photos of the Giants on the practice field ahead of the Week 9 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

INJURY REPORT

Giants

Out: K Graham Gano (knee), QB Tyrod Taylor (ribs), TE Darren Waller (hamstring)

Questionable: RB Jashaun Corbin (hamstring), OT Evan Neal (ankle), OT Andrew Thomas (hamstring)

Raiders

Out: LB Divine Deablo (ankle), FB Jakob Johnson (concussion), LB Luke Masterson (concussion), OT Thayer Munford (neck)

Questionable: LB Robert Spillane (Hand)

O-LINE GROWTH

Rookie center John Michael Schmitz made his return to the field this past Sunday after missing the previous three games with a shoulder injury. With Schmitz back in the starting lineup, the Giants used their seventh different starting offensive line combination of the season. The Giants did not attempt to throw the ball that much against the Jets, but on 26 pass block snaps, Schmitz surrendered just one pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.

"Honestly, I just saw the growth," Schmitz said about the difference between the line from when he last played. "Especially the couple of weeks I've been out, I saw the growth of the O-line and kind of just the camaraderie coming together, guys being way more focused and locked in. I would just say the intent to detail each and every week, coming in with the mindset that we can do it."

While continuity on the O-line is important, the Giants hope to use their eighth different starter combination this Sunday in Las Vegas, with the possible return of starting left tackle Andrew Thomas. The All-Pro tackle hasn't played since Week 1 because of a hamstring injury, but was able to practice every day last week, albeit as a limited participant. Thomas was back on the practice field this week, as was starting right tackle Evan Neal. Neal has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, but was listed as a limited participant in practice every day last week. The head coach said both tackles have a shot to play this weekend after both were limited participants in practice throughout the week.

"They've had good days," Daboll said Friday. "We'll see how they do today. I think they're making progress, getting close. We'll let them go out there and practice today and see where they're at.

"I'd say both of them are improving, so we'll see where they're at. They've taken some team reps, which is good. We'll give them a little bit more today, and we'll see where they're at after practice today."

Both Thomas and Neal are listed as questionable for Week 9.

DEFENSE STEPPING UP

The Giants defense held the Jets to 13 points, 251 total yards of offense, 58 rushing yards and just 12 first downs on Sunday. The unit limited Breece Hall to a mere 17 yards on 12 carries (1.4 avg.), although the second-year running back was a big contributor in the passing game. The defense's two takeaways marked the third time they've forced multiple turnovers in the last four games.

Wink Martindale's unit has undoubtedly turned a corner over the last few weeks. After allowing 24 or more points in four of the first five games of the season, the defense has allowed an average of 11.3 points over the last three contests while keeping each opponent to 14 points or less. They have also kept all three of those opponents, and four of the last five, to under 300 yards of total offense. Additionally, after registering zero turnovers in the first four weeks of the season, the defense has at least one in each of the last four and eight takeaways total.

DEXTER 'IS A FREAK OF NATURE'

Dexter Lawrence spent a large portion of Sunday's game in the Jets' backfield. The fifth-year lineman had a sack, one tackle for loss and five quarterback hits while totaling an eye-opening 15 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. This tied the record for the most pressures in a single game by an interior defensive lineman. Additionally, he finished with a pressure on an incredible 42.9 percent of his pass-rushing snaps.

After a slow start to the year that saw him register zero sacks, five quarterback hits and 21 total pressures through the first six weeks of the season, Lawrence has been on a roll over the last two games. During that span, the All-Pro lineman has picked up three sacks, nine quarterback hits and 23 total pressures. His 44 pressures on the year are tied with San Francisco's Nick Bosa for the third-most in the NFL. On top of that, Lawrence is the only interior defensive lineman among the league leaders in pressures, according to the analytics site.

"The guy really is, he's unbelievable," defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said. "A man that big shouldn't be that athletic. We can all say that when you watch him. He's playing at a high level, he's very confident in what he can do. Just like I said with Kayvon, every year, and every day that we spend with them, and Dre (Defensive Line Coach Andre Patterson) has worked his tail off with him as well. The assistants have done a great job defensively developing these younger guys. Look at (inside linebacker) Micah (McFadden) as an inside backer. It's not the same extreme as far as what you're talking about with Dex, but Dex, he's a freak. He's a freak of nature."

'NO CEILING' FOR HOW GOOD KAYVON CAN BE

Outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux was held without a sack heading into Week 3. Over the last six games, Thibodeaux has seen his sack total rise all the way to 8.5, matching Cleveland's Myles Garrett and Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt for the third-most in the NFL. Three of his sacks came this past Sunday against the Jets, as the 22-year-old was consistently in the face of quarterback Zach Wilson.

Wink Martindale has had a front row seat to Thibodeaux's growth over the last 18 months and couldn't be happier for the young pass rusher.

"It's a thing that he's been working his tail off," Martindale said. "We talked about pass rush a month ago and when you're developing pass rushers, it's not just a straight arrow. Usually, it's a rollercoaster ride in developing those guys, but with him and working with (Outside Linebackers Coach) Drew (Wilkins) and consistently studying everything, you're seeing the growth of him as a pass rusher. I'm really happy for the guy…

"You guys know how I feel about Kayvon. I stand up here and say it every day. I told him, hell, I feel like I'm his attorney sometimes standing up here. But I really do. I think he's a great person. He's becoming a leader of this defense as well. I think that his hard work is really paying off for him."

In his first season in the NFL, Thibodeaux recorded four sacks, six tackles for loss and 13 quarterback hits across 14 games. His performance earned him a fourth-place finish in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, helped in part by his late-season surge that saw him pick up three sacks in his final five regular-season games.

Just eight games into his sophomore season, Thibodeaux has already doubled his rookie season sack total in addition to eight tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits. The defensive coordinator told the media that the sky is the limit for the young edge rusher's potential.

"Kayvon, like I said, there is no ceiling on him and how good he can be," Martindale told reporters. "It's his personality. It's his work ethic. It's how he was raised. It's all those different things that go into it, and how much he likes to receive coaching. Like I said, he's a guy that I always want to be around, and that makes it fun to come to work."

LATEST ON OFFENSIVE PLAYMAKERS

In addition to quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the other Giant to go down with an injury on Sunday was tight end Darren Waller. The 31-year-old was on the injury report with a hamstring injury throughout the week, but was active for the Week 8 matchup. Waller caught one pass for four yards before leaving the game due to the hamstring injury.

The veteran tight end has started every game for the Giants so far this season and leads the team with 36 receptions for 384 yards. He put together his best game of the year against the Commanders in Week 7, catching seven passes for 98 yards and his first touchdown of the season.

Daboll told the media Thursday that Waller will miss this weekend's game in Las Vegas, and the tight end was placed on injured reserve Saturday afternoon. In a corresponding move, tight end Lawrence Cager was signed off the practice squad to the active roster.

Speaking of playmakers, Saquon Barkley is coming off his highest yardage total of the season. The sixth-year running back ran for 128 yards on a career-high 36 rush attempts. It was his first time topping the 100-yard rushing mark since Week 10 last year when he ran for 152 yards on 35 carries, which at the time was the highest carry total of his career.

Barkley's performance earned him a nomination for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week, and he now gets an opportunity for another strong outing this Sunday. The Raiders enter this matchup ranking 30th in rushing yards, 26th in yards per attempt and 28th in rushing touchdowns allowed this season. The Lions ran for 222 yards against the Raiders on Monday, marking the second consecutive week in which the defense allowed over 170 yards on the ground.

CHALLENGE OF FACING ADAMS

The Raiders have some very talented players on both sides of the ball. But when it comes to the offense, everything starts with Davante Adams. The three-time First-Team All-Pro wideout leads the Raiders with 47 receptions for 539 yards and three touchdowns. This comes despite Adams going through a stretch of four consecutive games being held under 60 receiving yards.

"I've said this before: he's one of the top two receivers in the league, and he's not number two," the defensive coordinator said. "I think that guy, you can have three people on him, and he'll still come up with the catch. He's a competitor. I think that it's going to be a great challenge for us this weekend."

Adams has been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the last six seasons while being named an All-Pro in the last three. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound wideout led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2020 (18) and 2022 (14) while topping 1,350 yards in four of the last five years. Despite the Raiders benching Jimmy Garoppolo for rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell, Martindale knows how challenging it will be to contain the talented receiver.

"The rookie quarterback is going to be a rookie quarterback," Martindale stated. "The quarterbacks in this league, they can either come out and be real hot, or quick games, I'm sure we'll see more screens than ever, especially on third down and things like that where they get the ball out of his hands quick. It's going to be a great challenge for us because the kid has talent. We know he's going to get the ball to 17 (wide receiver Davante Adams) and we know he's going to hand the ball off to No. 8 (running back Josh Jacobs). So, I think who's ever playing quarterback, they're going to get the ball to 17 and hand the ball off to No. 8. (Wide receiver) Jakobi (Meyers) does a nice job for them as well out there, and you can't just fall asleep on the other guys. They have talent offensively."

SCOUTING THE REST OF THE RAIDERS

The Raiders made a big change this week, relieving head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler of their duties as head coach and general manager, respectively. While Champ Kelly was named the interim general manager, someone very familiar to Giants fans was named the team's interim head coach - former linebacker and team captain Antonio Pierce. The former Giants linebacker and team captain will lead the team for the remainder of the season before the Raiders undergo "a comprehensive search for a head coach once the season is complete."

The Raiders offense has struggled this season, topping the 20-point mark just once in eight games (21 points vs. Patriots in Week 6). Coming off their 14-point, 157-yard performance against the Lions on Monday Night Football, the Raiders now rank 30th in points and 31st in yards this season. Additionally, Las Vegas' 16 turnovers are tied for the second-most in the league.

The changes carried over to the field, as well. Pierce announced Wednesday afternoon that rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell is the team's starting quarterback moving forward. In his only start this season, O'Connell completed 61.5 percent of his passes (24 of 39) for 238 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He did add a touchdown on the ground.

The top target in the passing game is Adams, as mentioned above. But Adams' running mate, Jakobi Meyers, is not far behind him with 38 receptions for 404 yards and a team-high five touchdowns. Meanwhile, running back Josh Jacobs led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards and 2,053 yards from scrimmage last season. While off to a slow start this year, Jacobs is coming off his most efficient outing of the season. The 25-year-old averaged more than 4.0 yards per carry for the first time in 2023, carrying the ball 15 times for 61 yards and a touchdown and adding two receptions for 27 yards.

The Raiders defense starts on the edge with the talented Maxx Crosby. The fifth-year defensive end leads the team with 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits, all of which are significantly more than anyone else on the Raiders defense. Crosby had 12.5 sacks and a league-high 22 tackles for loss in 2022 on his way to his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection.

Linebacker Robert Spillane has a team-high 65 tackles (34 solo) on the season along with two interceptions. Safety Tre'von Moehrig is tied with Spillane for the team-lead with two interceptions himself. Moehrig is also tied for the most passes defensed on the team with four, tying cornerback Marcus Peters. The veteran cornerback had the play of the game for the Raiders in Week 8 with his pick-six against the Lions.

View rare photos of the history between the Giants and Raiders ahead of their Week 9 matchup.

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