Giants At Buccaneers: Storylines To Watch This Week

What are the storylines to watch this week as the 0-3 New York Giants get set to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Let’s take a look.

Odell Beckham Fallout

What will the next chapter in the Odell Beckham Jr. saga be? Beckham, as we know, wasn’t contrite after getting a 15-yard penalty for a disgusting celebration penalty Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now that we know co-owner John Mara is “very unhappy” with Beckham’s behavior, will Beckham show any remorse when he talks to the media this week? Will Ben McAdoo issue a stronger statement about it than he did earlier in the week? Will the NFL fine Beckham?

On a different Beckham topic, will Malcolm Jenkins earn a fine for the vicious and unnecessary clothesline hit on Beckham Sunday — on a play where Beckham didn’t even have the ball?

Status of Olivier Vernon

Vernon slogged his way through as long as he could Sunday after injuring his ankle, but wasn’t on the field late in the game as the Eagles came from behind and eventually beat the Giants.

Will he practice this week? Will he be able to play Sunday against the Buccaneers? The Giants’ defensive front isn’t the same without him.

Bobby Hart and B.J. Goodson

Will either of these injured Giants be able to return?

Hart, the right tackle, played two snaps against the Detroit Lions and missed the Week 3 game against the Eagles with his ankle issue. The Giants can use all the offensive line help they can get, and being able to get Justin Pugh back to left guard would be a big help.

As for Goodson, it’s hard to imagine the loss of a guy who has one professional start being a big blow to the Giants’ defense. Still, Goodson did have 18 tackles in that season-opening start. Also, he is the middle linebacker and defensive signal-caller. Could that be part of why the Giants are struggling against the run?

Staring History In The Face

No 0-3 team has made the playoffs since the Buffalo Bills did it in 1998. only five of 168 (2.9 percent) have done it since 1980. What will the Giants’ mood be? Will they be able to summon the will — not to mention play well enough — to climb out of that gargantuan hole?

“Our mindset is we have to get this win right here. Get our first win and go from there,” quarterback Eli Manning said on Tuesday. “So, we have a long football season left and anything is possible, but still the focus is on the next game no matter if we’re 3-0 or 1-2 or whatever. Next game is the most important one. That’s where we are right now.”