The Giants are 0-3 and coming off a 38 point drubbing at the hands of the Carolina Panthers last week. To say this Sunday's game in Kansas City is a must-win for the Giants is a huge understatement. I'm sure you've already heard the statistics about how teams that start 0-3 rarely make the playoffs, but those numbers are even worse if you start out 0-4. Only one team has made the playoffs after starting 0-4 since the NFL went to a six team playoff, so needless to say the Giants need this game, and it won't be an easy one to win.
The Chiefs are 3-0 and have beaten two NFC East teams (the Cowboys and the Eagles) on their way to that unblemished record so far. This is coming off a year in which the Chiefs won only two games, but new coach Andy Reid and new quarterback Alex Smith have turned things around in a hurry. Based on the records, this seems like the type of game that Kansas City should run away with, but this could be a case where one team has been overachieving and the other underachieving so far. Here are a couple of keys to the game, and key matchups to watch if the Giants want to have a chance to win on Sunday.
Justin Pugh vs Justin Houston: The Giants' offensive line as a whole has been struggling this season. They haven't been able to open up holes for the running game, as they rank dead last in rushing offense, but last week the pass protection was the major issue. Carolina's front four dominated the Giants' offensive line last week with seven sacks, and things don't get easier for the Giants o-line this week. Justin Houston has 7.5 sacks through three games, and that includes a game with no sacks. He recorded three against the Jaguars, and 4.5 against the Eagles. The most important thing about those two games for Houston was that he was matched up against a rookie tackle, which will be the case this week. If the Giants are going to win, Pugh needs to step up and shut down Houston.
[caption id="attachment_197" align="alignnone" width="219" caption="Justin Houston has terrorized opposing offensive lines so far this season."]
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The rest of the offensive line: As mentioned previously the line hasn't performed very well so far, and this week they may be without two starters. Both David Baas and Chris Snee have not practiced yet this week, and the last thing a struggling offensive line needs is to have back-up linemen in the lineup. The Giants need to keep Eli Manning upright if they plan to win this game, and that depends greatly on the health of Baas and Snee. If either or both of them play, they need to step their game up, as they haven't been playing up to par recently.
Pressure the quarterback: When the Giants are at their very best on defense, they're pressuring the quarterback and picking up sacks. Lately though, the Giants have not been able to pick up many sacks, as they have only three so far this year. With big time pass rushers Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck, that number needs to increase. Pierre-Paul has one sack so far this year after coming off back surgery this offseason. If the Giants are going to turn this thing around, JPP might be the biggest key. He has the ability to be one of the best playmakers in the league, as evidenced by his 2011 season in which he had 16.5 sacks. If he ever becomes fully healthy this season, the Giants need to turn JPP loose and hope he wreaks havoc on the field for the rest of the season.
[caption id="attachment_198" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="If the Giants have any chance this season they need a healthy Jason Pierre-Paul."]
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Win the turnover battle: Turnover margin is arguably the most important stat to watch in a football game. Typically, the team that wins the turnover battle wins the game. The Chiefs and Giants are on complete opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to turnovers. The Giants have a -9 turnover differential through three games, with Manning leading the league with eight interceptions. The Chiefs, on the other hand, have not turned the ball over one time through their first three games, and have a +9 turnover margin. If the Giants are going to win this game, they need to force a couple of turnovers, something they were successful in doing last year against Alex Smith when he was with San Francisco. The Giants intercepted Smith three times in last seasons meeting, and they'll need a repeat performance from the defense if they want to pick up their first win of the season.
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