Giants-Jaguars 2022, Week 6: What to watch in Week 7

The 5-1 New York Giants head to Florida this week to take on the 2-4 Jacksonville Jaguars. Here are some of the things to watch this week.

What’s up with that line?

I’m talking about the betting line, of course. The 5-1 Giants opened the week as 2.5-point underdogs to the 2-4 Jaguars in Jacksonville, per DraftKings Sportsbook. As of Tuesday evening, that line is now 3 points.

Yes, Jacksonville is home. Yes, the Jaguars are capable of winning the game. I don’t, though, understand. The Giants are coming off victories over the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens. The Jaguars have lost three straight.

Mystifying. At least to me.

About that final roster spot

The Giants played the Ravens with two opening on their 53-man roster. They filled one on Tuesday with wide receiver Marcus Johnson being promoted from the practice squad to the main roster.

Could this be the week the add Landon Collins to the 53-man roster? Or, will the Giants play the ‘elevation game’ with Collins for a while?

The Giants have another week to decide whether to add Nick Gates to the 53-man roster or leave him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list for the season.

Hello, Evan!

Evan Engram, the often-disappointing tight end the Giants made their first-round pick in 2017, signed a one-year, $9 million contract with Jacksonville during the offseason. Engram is having a productive season with 24 receptions for 208 yards. He does not have a touchdown, though, and is averaging a career-low 8.7 yards per catch.

Because I know you are wondering, Engram has one drop in 32 targets. That’s a career-low 3.1 percent drop rate.

Daniel Bellinger is doing just fine at tight end for the Giants. The rookie has 15 receptions and three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing).

Are you still mad?

Yeah, if was one of the cool kids I might have written that sub-head in short-hand with an emoji. But, I’m old — and I was never a cool kid, anyway.

So, what am I asking? The question is, are you still made at Doug Pederson, now head coach of the Jaguars?

Pederson, of course, was head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020. You will recall that he drew the ire of Giants fans, and then-head coach Joe Judge, by playing third-string QB Nate Sudfeld and appearing to intentionally try to lose a Week 18 game against the Washington Football Team, which he accomplished. An Eagles victory would have put the Giants into the playoffs.

So, are you still mad?

Can the Giants handle success?

Nobody saw this 5-1 start by the Giants coming. It isn’t easy to explain, especially since many of the stats don’t line up with winning five of six games.

The Giants’ next four games are on the road against the 2-4 Jaguars, on the road against the 3-3 Seattle Seahawks, then home after the bye week against the 1-3-1 Houston Texans and 1-4 Detroit Lions.

It is easy to think that simply based on the records of their opponents the Giants could — or even should — emerge from that group of games 9-1.

It is also, though, easy to imagine the Giants falling back to earth at some point.

“It’s a humbling league,” head coach Brian Daboll said on Monday. “You’re one week from falling off a cliff.”

Can the Giants stay away from that cliff?