The Giants were shorthanded heading into their road game in Seattle in Week 5, but put together a complete performance in all three phases to come away with the 29-20 upset win.
They now host the 1-4 Bengals on Sunday night with a chance to get back to .500.
Here are the biggest stories to watch as the Giants look to keep the momentum going…
Can Tyrone Tracy and Darius Slayton repeat their Week 5 performances?
With Malik Nabers and Devin Singletary out, expectations were low for the Giants offense in Seattle. However, they unexpectedly racked up 420 yards of total offense.
Two of the main players to step up were Tracy and Slayton. The rookie Tracy saw more action after an early Eric Gray fumble, and he delivered — with 129 rushing yards. Slayton also had a big day, as he caught eight passes for 122 yards and a score.
Singletary might return this week, but Tracy has surely earned a bigger role no matter what. Nabers’ return is still up in the air, but Slayton will look to continue making a solid contribution — something he’s done whenever he’s been promoted into a starting role over the past few seasons.
Who will step up with Kayvon Thibodeaux out?
Thibodeaux will be out for a while due to a wrist injury that required surgery. He typically plays around 80 percent of the defensive snaps, so this is a significant loss.
In his absence, Azeez Ojulari looks set to step up into the starting lineup. Ojulari, who started seven games last season, had eight sacks as a rookie in 2021, but just nine sacks in three seasons since. This could be a big opportunity for him to reestablish his reputation.
Brian Burns is starting to step things up on the opposite edge, and the Giants should be hopeful that it will continue with Thibodeaux out. Burns had a sack and also deflected two passes last Sunday.
Will Daniel Jones keep improving?
Jones has gradually settled back into his role as the starting quarterback after last year’s serious knee injury. Last Sunday was his best game so far, as he passed for 257 yards and two scores and added another 38 on the ground.
After a rocky start in Week 1, Jones has thrown just one interception in the last four games and looks increasingly confident as a ball carrier.
He’s back in front of his home fans for this game, which might bring additional challenges. Giants fans have typically been impatient with slow starts in recent years.
Can New York slow down the Bengals’ high-powered offense?
Although Cincinnati has lost four of its five games this season, with their only win coming against the lowly Carolina Panthers, they will be no pushover. All four losses came in one-possession games and their offense is one of the best in the NFL, with only three other teams having scored more points.
Ja’Marr Chase has averaged 98.6 receiving yards per game this season and has scored five times. All five of those touchdowns were for more than 30 yards, so Giants cornerback Deonte Banks should be focused on denying any big plays.
Will Dexter Lawrence’s dominance continue?
Just five games into the season, Lawrence has six sacks, having registered three on Sunday. His career-high for an entire season is 7.5 and he could potentially surpass that this weekend.
The Bengals interior line has Ted Karras at center, with Cordell Volson and Alex Cappa at the guard positions, so they have solid players — but not necessarily elite talent. The trio have given up four sacks and three penalties between them in the first five games, so Lawrence will be hopeful that he can create some more disruption.
