4 causes for concern in Week 16

The New York Giants will take their nine-game losing streak on the road this Sunday as they face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16.

The Giants opened up as double-digit road underdogs earlier this week despite the Falcons coming off a performance where they struggled against a two-win Las Vegas Raiders team — the only team currently slated to pick ahead of the Giants in the 2025 NFL draft.

Meanwhile, the Giants are coming in losers of nine-straight games and have struggled mightily since the benching and eventual release of quarterback Daniel Jones.

Here are four causes for concern going into Week 16.

Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Falcons running game

Stopping the run has been a problem for the Giants all season long. They are the 31st-ranked team when it comes to opponents’ yards per rush and 26th in opponents’ rushes per game. The Falcons rank 7th in the league in rushes per game. With the Falcons turning to rookie Michael Penix on Sunday, expect a heavy dose of the Falcons running game led by Bijan Robinson.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Kyle Pitts

In recent years, the Giants have really struggled against opposing tight ends. This season, that has not really been an issue until recently. The Giants have given up a touchdown in two straight games and in three of their last five games to opposing tight ends. With the rookie getting his first start at quarterback, he may look for tight end Kyle Pitts early and often against the Giants.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Michael Penix gets his first start

The Giants had plenty of tape to prepare for Kirk Cousins going into Sunday. However, with the Falcons turning to rookie Michael Penix Jr., there isn’t much pro tape for the Giants to study to prepare for the Falcons rookie.

Penix may be out to prove that the Giants made a big mistake passing on him in the 2024 NFL draft. Many had speculated that Chicago Bears rookie Caleb Williams was coming into the league in the best position for a rookie quarterback given the weapons around him. However, the situation Penix enters in Week 16 for a team with an outside chance of making the playoffs is a strong one in itself, especially against the Giants defense.

Mike Carlson/Getty Images

Giants injury report

The Giants are down to the backups for the backups at many positions at this point in the season. With a laundry list of players on the injury report for Big Blue on top of those already on season-ending injured reserve, the Giants are thin at players at many of their positional units. That does not even mention the constant flipping of quarterback between Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito as the Giants turn back to Lock this week.