New York Giants (vs Los Angeles Chargers)

The Giants are 0-4, but they should get things going this week. They're at home, and they are facing another 0-4 team that is even more troubled. New York at least has been starting to turn things around, with 6 TDs in its last five quarters of play ...

... (it scored only one touchdown in the first 11 quarters of the season). We're figuring it will score in the mid-20s, probably winning this game comfortably. ... If you're looking for a running back, Wayne Gallman could be your guy. He seems to be on the verge of taking the starting running back job. He might have taken it already. At Tampa Bay, he gave them their first good running they've got all year. In about a half, he carried 11 times for 42 yards, with 2 catches for 8 yards and a touchdown. Those aren't eye-popping stats, but Paul Perkins is averaging under 2 yards per carry. And Gallman ...

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... might be their only healthy back. Perkins has a rib injury. Orleans Darkwa was inactive last week with a back injury. And Shane Vereen (their third-down guy) has a calf injury. As luck would have it, the Giants this week are at home against maybe the worst run defense in the league. Los Angeles is allowing 164 rushing yards per game. While the Giants thus far have been comically bad running the ball, keep in mind that teams change. New York last year ranked last in rushing in the first half of the season. In the final eight games, with the same personnel, the Giants averaged 40 more rushing yards per game -- up at 18th in rushing, at 108 yards per game. At worst, Gallman is worth a roster spot to give him a look. More realistically, there are plenty of RB-desperate teams right now that probably should be starting him in a bye-weakened week. ... Eli Manning looked pretty much done in the first two and half games of the season. The offensive line isn't any good, and he's lost some physical ability. He wasn't able to move the offense, and he threw only one touchdown in the first 10 quarters of play. Pretty bleak. But he seems to be coming to life some. He passed for 251 yards and 3 TDs in the second half of the Philadelphia game, and he put up 310 combined yards in the loss at Tampa Bay, with another 3 combined touchdowns. Not that everything's perfect, but he's got a lot of talented pass catchers around him, and this is a pass-dominated offense (with the lesser run game). The Giants have scored 7 TDs, and he's had a hand in all of them. Last year New York scored 26 TD passes versus only 6 TD runs. When this offense scores 2-3 TDs, that means Manning is scoring 2-3 TDs. Job is to avoid getting caught holding him when the offense totally bogs down, but that shouldn't happen this week. Only slight concern is that the Chargers have been so bad against the run that this is a week where it's less likely that Manning will pass for 270-plus yards. Carson Wentz passed for only 242 yards against this defense last week. No other quarterback has passed for more than 230 against this defense -- they've been handing the ball off instead. So we're expecting about 250 yards and 2 TDs from Manning. ... It looks like a serviceable matchup for the pass catchers -- a little down for yards, but a little better than usual for touchdowns. Odell Beckham Jr. is capable of huge numbers and huge plays against anyone, but he's not 100 percent. At Tampa Bay, he tweaked the ankle he previously sprained in the preseason, and he also dislocated a finger. He'll play, but perhaps not quite as remarkable as usual. Evan Engram is playing plenty, and they're getting him the ball -- at least 44 yards in every game, with one touchdown. Sterling Shepard is averaging 64 yards, also with just one touchdown. Brandon Marshall has mostly struggled but has come on some recently, with 14 catches for 112 yards in his last two games. ... The Giants Defense grabbed 17 interceptions last year; this season, they're one of only four teams that doesn't have any. They have a chance to get that turned around this week; Philip Rivers has thrown 24 interceptions in his last 16 games. Sacks don't look as promising. The Chargers have played three teams with good pass rushes, yet Rivers has taken only 6 sacks (33 in his last 16 games). The Giants have only 8 sacks in four games. ... Aldrick Rosas hasn't made much of an impact yet -- just 18 points in four games, and he missed a big field goal at Tampa Bay. But this looks like a week where Rosas should be above average. The Giants are at home against an opponent that's probably even worse than themselves. The Chargers are 0-4, and their opponents have kicked 4 field goals in two of those games.