Giants (4-8) at Chargers (7-5)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California TV: Fox
Tipico Sportsbook line: Chargers by 10 ⁄2
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Giants’ keys to victory: New York has struggled to find offensive production, but there are ways that the team can exploit the Chargers, starting with RB Saquon Barkley. On the other side of the ball, the Giants’ defense does a fantastic job pre-snap disguising coverages and blitzes, which is one way of affecting QB Justin Herbert. Forcing him to speed up his processor could lead to erratic throws, a familiar scenario this season.
Chargers’ keys to victory: Los Angeles is coming off a 41-22 win over the Bengals in which Herbert let it loose for 317 passing yards (26 of 35). The Giants have been dealing with injuries in the secondary, which could be the perfect opportunity for veteran WRs Keenan Allen and Mike Williams to exploit some of the youth in the back end. RB Austin Ekeler can be due for a big game against a run defense that ranks in the bottom third of the league. On the other side of the ball, it starts with putting QB Jake Fromm, who is expected to get the start, under duress. In addition, the impact of Barkley needs to be minimized. Los Angeles has been up-and-down against the run.
Matchup to watch: Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham vs. Chargers’ Herbert. If New York wants a shot at winning, it will have to neutralize Herbert. Graham has been solid at containing quarterbacks throughout the season with his disguised coverages and blitz packages.
Who wins? After a big victory over the Bengals, the Chargers return home and beat up on an injured and inconsistent Giants team.
Chargers, 27-13