What To Watch For Against Packers In London

As the New York Giants prepare to capitalize on their 3-1 start in a Sunday morning clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium vs. the Green Bay Packers, a number of variables beyond just the unfamiliar surroundings remain up in the air ahead of the clash.

For instance, who will be under center?

The quarterback picture has remained cloudy since both starter Daniel Jones and backup Tyrod Taylor were knocked out of the game last Sunday in New York’s 20-12 win over the Chicago Bears. New York didn’t have a third quarterback on the roster for that game, so running back Saquon Barkley ran a wildcat offense for much of the fourth quarter.

This week, the chances of that happening are far slimmer, as third-string quarterback Davis Webb, who’d spent three years in Buffalo with now-Giants head coach Brian Daboll during his time as an assistant with the Bills, stands ready to help if needed.

“It’s been great to lean on him because he certainly has a bunch of experience in (the offense) and how it has evolved over the years,” Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka told reporters Thursday. “He’s been a great resource and obviously when I was first learning it, to be able to talk to him about, ‘Hey, look at this, how did you guys see this?’ (Quarterbacks coach) Shea’s (Tierney) been a great resource as well. In that room, it’s surrounded between Dabs, Shea and Davis – those guys had a really good head start on everybody and got everyone caught up really fast. That was huge.”

The hope, of course, is that Webb won’t be needed. But Taylor, dealing with a concussion, did not practice at all Thursday. Jones did, though the Giants once again listed him as “limited” after an encouraging Wednesday practice.

“Yeah, felt good,” Jones told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. “Felt good out there. I’ve been working with the trainers, and I’ve made a lot of progress the last couple of days. I’ll continue to listen to them and continue to do what I can to be back out there.”

Of course, always take player self-diagnoses with a grain of salt. But the Giants said, at least on Thursday, that the plan is still to travel with both Taylor and Jones to London.

You can figure Webb will be along for the trip, too.

Other news and notes from New York’s preparation:

Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is under no illusions about how difficult it will be to stop Aaron Rodgers, no matter what continent he’s playing on.

“We’ve played him different about every time we’ve played him,” Martindale said Thursday. “The way to attack him changes from year-to-year of who he has with him. The thing that separates him is everybody knows that he’s a Hall of Fame quarterback, I think we’d all agree on that, and that’s from him throwing as many touchdowns as he has. So, everybody knows that, but what they don’t really appreciate, which I do, is just the great football mind that he has. He gets them in the right run game, he gets protections right, he knows the pressures are coming. He’s a great student of the game and I really admire how he goes about playing this game. It’s always fun, it’s a fun matchup.”

As for Barkley, who is having a career year through the season’s first quarter, he doesn’t sound like a player satisfied with his 463 yards already. And he is quick to credit the offensive line that, in a way that’s obvious to everyone, is playing more effectively than the unit has for the Giants in a very long time.

“The o-line has been incredible,” Barkley said. “Every single one of those guys. Just the way that they’re working all on the same page, that’s the beauty of the o-line. It takes five guys to be on the same page for one play. If one of them is just a little bit off – or especially me, if I’m not reading it right or my steps aren’t right, the whole play can be messed up. The o-linemen are doing a great job. I also want to give credit to the tight ends. The tight ends have been doing an amazing job. There’s one clip where they took the d-end and moved him five, 10 yards back and you see them celebrating. As a back, that gets you excited.”