A.J. Brown did not win a national championship ring for Brian Daboll.
If the Giants require a reminder that the Eagles have more than one game-changing receiver, their head coach can display a clip of his most memorable play call as offensive coordinator. In his lone season at Alabama, Daboll called “four verticals” on a second-and-26 play, and DeVonta Smith caught a walk-off touchdown pass from 41 yards out to beat Georgia in overtime in the College Football Playoff.
Therefore, the Giants are mindful of the dilemma posed by a wide receiving corps led by Brown and Smith.
“It is always a struggle to face good receivers,” Daboll remarked. “With two of them, you can typically affect any area of the field you desire, whether it be deep, short, or outside the numbers on either side. Those guys are productive players that put burden on defenses.”
And the Giants will reply with two cornerbacks who were unemployed as of August 30. That day, the Bills released Nick McCloud before he was claimed off waivers, while Fabian Moreau was in the midst of his free agency after being dismissed by the Texans.
A.J. Brown, right, and Devonta smith.sAP
“[Brown] is playing at a phenomenal level,” said McCloud, who played all 85 defensive snaps last week. “Assurance is crucial in this league, therefore the most important thing will be to match his enthusiasm and confidence. It is going out there with the idea that I must compete and win.”
Adoree’ Jackson, who was Brown’s teammate for two seasons with the Titans, suffered a knee injury while returning punts last month, resulting in a mismatch on paper. Jackson’s absence was noticed last week against the Commanders, when Moreau was torched by Terry McLaurin (eight receptions for 105 yards), and it might loom much larger without his familiarity with Brown.
Brown (61 catches for 950 yards and nine touchdowns) is on track to break his career highs in his first season with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
“It’s a talented group, and truly they were last year, as well,” Jackson said of the Eagles’ receivers. “Add explosive wide receiver A.J. Brown. I believe he has always been this way. Just a few more televised games, and he will be able to demonstrate to everyone what he routinely does. Since he entered the league as a rookie, he’s been acting this way.”
In a best-on-best showdown, the Giants might elect to pair Moreau, who declined to comment on the matchups, with Brown. Alternately, they could attempt to have Moreau neutralize Smith and double-team Brown. Or they might place corners on opposing sides of the field regardless of the opponent.
Nick McCloud practiced with the Giants on Thursday.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
How do the Giants plan to handle Brown? Wink Martindale, the defensive coordinator for the Giants, is reflecting on the nearly 20-year-old Terrell Owens heyday with the Eagles.
“Whew, any thoughts?” Wink Martindale, the defensive coordinator, inquired rhetorically. “It’s as though they’ve brought T.O. back to play. He’s an issue. When we faced him in Tennessee, he was a large, physically imposing receiver against whom we had to compete on every play. I told [defensive backs coach] Jerome Henderson that if he were a defensive player, he would be an outside linebacker because of how physically he plays wide receiver.
One key distinction? The Eagles’ No. 2 target during the Owens era was a coin flip between running back Brian Westbrook and tight end L.J. Smith. The finest outside choices were Todd Pinkston and Greg Lewis. Neither offered the same threat as Smith, the first-round pick coveted by the Giants in 2021. That makes McCloud’s evolution crucial.
Fabian Moreau
Martindale stated, “He’s simply a football player, not the No. 2 corner.” “He is played everywhere. You can rely on him since he works hard, studies, and asks pertinent questions. I am quite enthusiastic about this kid’s future.”
No time is better than now. Brown had long desired the chance to be a member of an elite duo. This is why he attracted Julio Jones to the Titans, despite the fact that it did not pan out. If either Brown or Smith goes into the spot, Darnay Holmes will return after missing one game due to a shoulder injury.
“These are the types of games that make a DB excited,” Holmes added. “The acclaim they’ve received is a boon on their end, and I aspire to achieve the same. We do not place a great deal of importance on a person’s standing in the outer world. These are merely opinions. When we’re in the thick of things, we’ll see how things pan out.”
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