5 Giants players Bengals must cut down to size to win on Sunday Night Football

When the Cincinnati Bengals take on the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football, the men in stripes will have to contend with individual matchups that could wreak havoc on the offensive and defensive game plans. 

New York has a very talented roster. Some of the names you know. However, there are a couple you may not be acutely aware of. Here are five Giants the Bengals must contain to get their season back on track, including at least one relatively unfamiliar name.

Malik Nabers, Wide receiver

Cincinnati’s defense did not have an answer for Zay Flowers in Week 5. The Ravens wideout caught seven passes for 111 yards. Flowers also had one carry for nine yards on a jet sweep that the Bengals’ defense has consistently failed to cope with adequately. 

This week, the Bengals have the unenviable task of playing against Rookie of the Year candidate Malik Nabers. The sixth overall pick in April's draft is one of the five toughest rookies Cincinnati has to face in the 2024 season. If not for Jayden Daniels, Nabers would be the favorite to earn the Rookie of the Year award. He is having a fantastic rookie season.

Nabers did not play last week due to a concussion he suffered two weeks ago against the Cowboys. However, they didn't end up needing him, as they won 29-20. However, if Nabers is at full strength, he will have opportunities to harass Lou Anarumo’s struggling unit. 

Nabers is third in the NFL in receiving yards per game. He is one behind Ja’Marr Chase in that category. Nabers is second in targets. His 35 catches are the most in the NFL. Nabers has played one fewer game than everyone else in the top ten of that category. This rookie is for real.

Darius Slayton / Wan’Dale Robinson, Wide receiver(s)

If Nabers does not play, his teammates Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson will be there to pick up the slack. 

Against the Seahawks in Week 5, Slayton had eight receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown. He only had 15 total targets before the game against Seattle. He'll get fewer targets if Nabers plays, but if the rookie is out, expect quarterback Daniel Jones to target Slayton to repeat his performance against the Seahawks. 

Jones has targeted Robinson just as much as Nabers. Robinson is third in the league in receiving targets behind Nabers and Garrett Wilson. However, the slot receiver is only 44th in receiving yards. 

Robinson could be a nightmare for the Bengals’ defense with the ball in his hands. He is a quick twitch runner who is elusive in space and causes a lot of missed tackles. Robinson is tied for fourth in broken tackles after the catch with Ja’Marr Chase. They are second among wide receivers in that category.

Robinson leads the NFL in forced missed tackles. That is horrible news for a Cincinnati defense that has struggled with tackling and pursuit angles this season. 

So even if Nabers does not clear concussion protocol before Sunday, the Bengals’ defensive secondary has to be concerned about Robinson and Slayton.

Tyrone Tracy, Running back

Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy is the latest to show why NFL teams opt not to pay big money to running backs and elect to fill the position with cheaper and younger talent. 

The Giants took Tracy in the fifth round out of Purdue. According to the Giants' official depth chart, he is the third-string running back. That will look a lot different going forward. Against the Seahawks, Tracy ran 129 yards on 18 carries. 

Tracy had the opportunity to showcase his talents because Devin Singletary did not play last week. Even if Singletary returns, he may not be fully healthy. But even if Singletary plays, expect the Giants to give plenty of carries to Tracy. Hopefully, the Bengals’ defense can do a better job containing him than the Seahawks did. 

Nevertheless, the Bengals have given up over 100 yards to two running backs this season. Two more have gone over 90. Going all out to slow the Giants’ receivers could leave Cincinnati susceptible to a revived rushing attack featuring Tracy. 

Dexter Lawrence, Defensive tackle

Through five games, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has six sacks, 16 tackles, four tackles for loss, and ten QB hits. He is tied for second in the NFL in sacks. His six sacks are already the second-most of his career. Lawrence is well on his way to surpassing his 7.5 sacks in 2022, which landed him on the All-Pro team.  

Against the Seahawks, Lawrence had three sacks, two tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits. Against Cincinnati, he will spend much of his time lined up over center Ted Karras and guard Alex Cappa. However, New York will likely find ways to get him matched up one-on-one with Cordell Volson. 

Yes, Cincinnati must deal with dangerous edge defender Brian Burns. Nevertheless, the biggest threat is Lawrence. The defensive tackle is pivotal to the Giants’ rush and pass defense. The Bengals must have a way to identify and neutralize the destructive defensive tackle. If not, he could ruin the game on his own. 

The Bengals must rely on several individual players winning difficult one-on-one matchups this week. The offensive line won’t be able to double-team Lawrence and Burns every play. They can’t triple-team Lawrence all game, either. Shading coverage to Nabers means DJ Turner and whoever is in the slot must win their matchups with Slayton and Robinson, respectively.