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10 things to watch in Giants vs. Saints

DABOLL-MOORE-10-THINGS

'HAVE THE SAME MINDSET EACH AND EVERY WEEK'

The Giants are looking to win consecutive games for the first time since late in the 2023 campaign when they take the field this weekend in New Orleans. Last week's victory over the Chargers had its highs and lows. The Giants became the first 0-3 team to beat a 3-0 team since 2008 as Jaxson Dart made his first career start. However, the team lost one of its best players for the season when wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a torn ACL.

But last week has now been put in the rearview mirror. The Saints come into this game having lost eight consecutive games, including the first four of this season. Regardless of how the season started, a win this week would leave the Giants 2-3 heading into next week's divisional matchup against the Eagles on Thursday Night Football.

"Just have the same mindset each and every week," Dart said Wednesday on turning last week's win into a two-game win streak. "We've got to be able to have the competitive mindset to expect to win and just try to create situations where maybe we face a little bit of adversity in practice and just go through that. But I think it's really just the habits you try to create each and every day to build that momentum and if you make a mistake, clean it up on the very next play and get things right."

ALL-TIME SERIES

The New York Giants (1-3) will travel to New Orleans to face the Saints (0-4) on Sunday, Oct. 5, at Caesars Superdome. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on CBS.

This will be the 34th regular-season meeting between the two teams, with the Giants leading the series 17-16.

The teams last met in Week 14 of the 2024 season at MetLife Stadium. The Giants' most recent victory over the Saints was on Oct. 3, 2021, when they defeated the Saints on the road in overtime, 27-21.

See the top photos from practice as the Giants prepare for their Week 5 matchup against the Saints.

INJURY REPORT

Giants

Doubtful: RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (Shoulder)

Questionable: DL Dexter Lawrence (Illness), ILB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (Hamstring), S Tyler Nubin (Groin)

Saints

Out: C/G Cesar Ruiz (Ankle), DE Chase Young (Calf), WR Trey Palmer (Ankle), CB Isaac Yiadom (Hamstring)

Questionable: TE Juwan Johnson (Ankle), T/G Trevor Penning (Ankle), OL Dillon Radunz (Toe), QB Taysom Hill(Knee), TE Foster Moreau (Knee), DT John Ridgeway III** (Shoulder)

** Designated to return to practice

HOW TO WATCH, LISTEN, & STREAM

TV

Channel: CBS | Paramount+

Announcers: Andrew Catalon (Play-By-Play),Charles Davis (Analyst), Jason McCourty (Analyst), and AJ Ross (Sideline)

Radio

Channel: WFAN 101.9PM

Announcers: Bob Papa (Play-by-Play), Carl Banks (Analyst), Howard Cross (Sideline)

Pre- and Postgame: John Schmeelk, Tiki Barber

Pregame: Giants Gameday begins at 11:00 AM, presented by Hackensack Meridian Health.

Postgame: Giants Extra Point

Stream

DART HITS THE ROAD

Jaxson Dart's first NFL start was nothing short of a success. The 22-year-old quarterback completed 11 of 20 passes (65.0 percent) for 111 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a passer rating of 96.0. He added an additional 54 yards on 10 carries as well as scoring a touchdown on the ground. Dart became the first rookie quarterback to beat a team 3-0 or better in his first career start since Phil Simms defeated the 5-0 Buccaneers in 1979.

On Dart's first drive as the starter, he led the offense 89 yards down the field, completing both of his pass attempts for 20 yards and rushing for another 28 yards, including his 15-yard touchdown run to get the Giants on the board. He became the first quarterback since Patrick Mahomes in 2017 to lead a touchdown drive of 80 or more yards on the first possession of his first career start.

While New Orleans has had some struggles slowing down opposing quarterbacks this season, especially on the ground, it's always a challenge to go into the Superdome and pick up a win as the road team.

"Offensively, we're going to have to do a good job of communicating," Daboll said. "From getting the play in, to Jaxson communicating to whatever snap counts we choose to use relative to how the sounds are there, which is usually loud. You simulate it and try to do the best you can here at practice, but it's definitely one of the keys in terms of being able to communicate and operate and stay on track and eliminate some of the pre-snap things that when you play in a dome stadium that's loud like this. So, we're going to work at it out here, blasting it as loud as we can, and just make sure we're on point with our communication."

FILLING IN FOR NABERS

You can't just replace Malik Nabers in the offense. The young wideout quickly established himself as one of the NFL's premier talents, and his loss is undoubtedly a tough blow to the Giants' passing game. With that said, the show must go on, and now the Giants must call upon the team's other pass-catchers to step up in Nabers' absence.

Wan'Dale Robinson exploded for eight receptions and a career-high 142 yards against the Cowboys in Week 2, showcasing his ability to line up both in the slot and on the outside. Veteran Darius Slayton has been the most consistent player in the team's aerial attack for years, while tight end Theo Johnson has shown flashes over the first 16 games of his young NFL career. Between those three players and the rest of the team's wide receiver corps, the Giants are going to need some guys to step up.

"(Wide receivers coach) Coach Groh does an awesome job of getting the guys prepared," assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said Thursday. "It's really just a next-man-up mentality, whether it's Beaux (Collins), Jalin (Hyatt). Again, the roster moves as we get moving, if there's a guy coming up or not. But I think those guys just step up into their roles, Wan'Dale, Slay, the leaders that they are, and continue to kind of carry the torch. Because I think we have some explosive guys in that room and the more the ball can get spread out to those guys, the better."

PASS RUSH GETS GOING

The Giants' pass rush showed just how disruptive it can be in last week's win over the Chargers. The defensive front took advantage of an injured Los Angeles offensive line as Abdul Carter (five), Brian Burns (four) and Kayvon Thibodaux (three) combined for 12 quarterback hits on Justin Herbert. The Chargers' quarterback was under duress for most of the game as the Giants got pressure on an impressive 47.7 percent of his drop-backs, led by 20 total pressures from the three outside linebackers alone. Herbert managed to complete just five of 19 passes for 80 yards, one touchdown and one interception on plays he was pressured.

Carter led the way with eight pressures, as the No. 3 overall pick now has 19 on the season, good for the ninth-most in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Burns and Thibodeaux each picked up a sack in last week's win, with Burns now up to five on the season. The 27-year-old is tied for the most sacks in the league through the first four weeks of the season, which does not come as much of a surprise to his head coach who saw him take his game to another level dating back to the spring.

"He's done it since OTAs," Daboll said about Burns' performance this year. "The effort that he's displayed out at practice, the leadership, not just the vocal leadership, but how he goes about his business. I'm not surprised with some of the things that he's done this year because he shows it out here every day, and he's done it since OTAs. He's had a really good camp. I just remember showing a bunch of clips with him over and over every day of this is the type of effort and the standard that we need to play with, and we're going to need to continue to get that from him. He gives everything he has every game he's out there. He's a talented player, and again, we need him to be that way for us."

PLAYER TO WATCH

WR Wan'Dale Robinson – The Giants won't be able to make up for Malik Nabers' absence with just one player alone. However, Robinson stepping up in the passing game would go a long way in helping the passing attack make up for at least some of Nabers' usual production. Through the first month of the season, Robinson's 18 receptions matched Nabers for the team-lead, while his 27 targets and 237 receiving yards ranked second. The fourth-year wideout could emerge as the team's new top option in the passing game, starting this weekend in New Orleans.

MATCHUP TO WATCH

CB Paulson Adebo vs. WR Chris Olave – Olave is the Saints' top wideout with 26 receptions on 43 targets this season. The talented receiver has gotten double-digit targets in three of four games with either 50+ receiving yards or a touchdown in every game thus far. Olave lines up both outside and in the slot, which means for at least some of the game, he is likely to match up against Adebo in coverage. The Giants' top cornerback is set to face his former team for the first time after spending his first four seasons in New Orleans. This should be one of the most entertaining matchups on Sunday.

SAINT TO WATCH

RB Alvin Kamara – Coach Brian Daboll told the media Wednesday that it will be "all hands on deck" to try to contain Kamara on Sunday. The talented, dual-threat running back has taken 65 rush attempts for 256 yards (3.9-yard average) and a touchdown this year while adding 13 receptions for 49 yards. While this might be less production than we're accustomed to seeing from the 30-year-old running back, make no mistake, he is still a dynamic threat that the Giants will have to keep a close eye on come Sunday.

View photos from the all-time series between the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.

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