The New York Giants players in the first half What happens when a force that can be halted meets an object that can be moved?
This Sunday, the New York Giants, who have the worst offense in the NFL, will face the Carolina Panthers, who possess the weakest defense in the league, in Germany. Both teams have a 2-7 record, and the game’s outcome may hinge on which team can address its most significant weaknesses.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales stated on Friday that the defense has shown some improvement over the course of the season, helping them secure a 23-22 victory over the New Orleans Saints last week and snapping a five-game losing streak.
“I believe there are specific areas of our game that we’ve been focused on improving. We’ve faced challenges, but we’re seeing progress,” Canales said.
“Up until last week, our defense managed to stop teams in the red zone, forcing them to settle for field goals. While we scored touchdowns, they had to kick field goals. The game came down to the final drive, but that gave us the opportunity to win.”
The Giants have scored only 139 points in nine games, the lowest in the league, while the Panthers’ defense has allowed 293 points, the most in the NFL. Giants offensive coordinator Brian Daboll mentioned that the team has been working diligently to enhance its performance in the red zone.
“We need to improve down there. We haven’t been as effective as we’d like,” he said. “It’s something we focus on every day. We start working on it early in the week, and we need to execute better when we’re in the red zone.”
The Giants will be missing wide receiver Darius Slayton for Sunday’s game due to concussion protocol following last week’s 27-22 loss to the Washington Commanders. Coach Daboll mentioned that this creates “more opportunity” for rookie receiver Jalin Hyatt to step up.