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Fact or Fiction: Week 10 predictions; NFC vs. AFC

FACT-OR-FICTION

The Giants.com crew is presented with four statements and must decide whether they are Fact or Fiction.

Rookie Dane Belton is the player you're most interested to see on Sunday

John Schmeelk: Fiction - It's Julian Love. There's no doubt he'll do just fine with the green dot and communicating to the rest of the defense, but what role/position will he play in the defense? He said when speaking to the media Wednesday that his role won't change, but he seems best suited to take over Xavier McKinney's single-high safety role than any other safety on the roster. If he is closer to the line of scrimmage, who plays centerfield, and does being on either the left or right side of the formation impact his ability to make pre-snaps adjustments?

Dan Salomone: Fact - THe fourth-round pick from Iowa recovered a fumble on the very first play of his career in Week 2, so the sky is the limit for him. Now he is in store for more with Xavier McKinney sidelined. "I think that he's a student of the game," defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said of Belton. "He takes it very serious as a profession. That's what jumps out at me. He's a really mature kid for being a rookie. I don't know if you all have had a chance to visit with him yet or not, but he's very quiet. You got to get him talking louder and things like that, but I just like how he approaches the game. The plays will come for him because he keeps doing the right thing. He's not an error repeater; he doesn't make the same mistake twice. I think as a rookie, he's ahead of the game."

Lance Medow: Fiction – Dane Belton is right up there, considering he'll be asked to help replace Xavier McKinney, but let's put Kenny Golladay ahead of Belton on the players to watch list. Golladay has missed the past four games with a knee injury and is returning to a receiving corps that could use a boost. How many snaps does Golladay get? How does he look coming off the injury? Will he make an immediate impact? Those are just some of the questions that will be answered Sunday.

Matt Citak: Fiction – Belton is set to take a larger role on defense now that Xavier McKinney is out for at least the next four games, but let's turn the spotlight on Wan'Dale Robinson. The rookie wide receiver played in three games following his knee injury that sidelined him for over a month. After catching three passes for 37 yards and a touchdown on just 15 snaps in Week 6, Robinson saw his playing time increase to 69 percent in the past two games. Following the bye, Robinson could be looking at even more playing time in an offense starved for pass-catchers. Robinson could easily lead the team in targets for the rest of the season, and it should start with Sunday's game.

Darius Slayton will lead the Giants in receiving yards for the third consecutive game

John Schmeelk: Fiction – Let's go back to the Wan'Dale Robinson bandwagon. The Texans play a lot of Cover-2, which should open up some shallow zones in the middle of the field. It might be difficult to get Slayton open down the field against two-high coverages. There might also be opportunities for Kenny Golladay to find some openings against the Texans' various zone on some deep in-cuts.

Dan Salomone: Fiction – The first half of the season was vintage Saquon Barkley on the ground, so what better way to start the second half than having one of those special games as a receiver?

Lance Medow: Fact – Darius Slayton has been by far the most consistent receiver in terms of production, especially over the last few weeks. That fact alone bodes well for him to pick up where he left off before the bye. On top of that, he's built great chemistry with Daniel Jones going back to their rookie year in 2019. Wan'Dale Robinson is another strong candidate but, at this point, take Slayton over the field.

Matt Citak: Fiction – See my previous answer above.

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