Preview, predict what to look for

On By Littum

A look at Sunday’s Giants-Buccaneers game at MetLife Stadium:

Marquee matchup

Buccaneers WR Mike Evans vs. Giants CB Deonte Banks

Mike Evans Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Photos

Evans is a remarkable player. There has never been a more consistent pass-catcher over the course of a decade.

He is the first player in NFL history to start a career with 10 seasons of 1,000 or more receiving yards.

Next on the list is Randy Moss with six such seasons.

Evans has missed the past three games with a hamstring strain, but is expected back to face the Giants. Despite missing that time, his six touchdown catches lead the team.

Banks had a bye week to consider his sophomore regression as his lack of concentration and effort marred his first 10 games of 2024.

Evans knows all the tricks of the trade, but Banks should be able to run with the 31-year-old, who is the main target for Baker Mayfield, with Chris Godwin on injured reserve and done for the season.

Deonte Banks Bill Kostroun / New York Post

Paul’s choice

Those are two teams on the downs, but the Buccaneers have a legitimate offense — they’ve averaged 25.3 points in their four-game losing streak.

The Giants have managed to score 25 points once in 10 games.

Can Tommy DeVito provide a spark in the first game of the post-Daniel Jones era? We’ll see.

The Bucs are vulnerable on defense, but as we’ve seen, the Giants can make any defense look like the ’85 Bears.

Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito will make his first start of the season on Sunday against the Buccaneers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Buccaneers 27, Giants 16

Four downs

Great returns: Kayvon Thibodeaux started the first five games of the season and the Giants allowed an average of 115.4 yards on the ground with him in the lineup.

Thibodeaux missed the past five games after wrist surgery, and the Giants allowed 178.8 rushing yards in that span.

His replacement, Azeez Ojulari, can pressure the quarterback, but he doesn’t edge the defense with the consistency Thibodeaux shows.

His return should help contain running backs Rachaad White and Bucky Irving.

“That’s one of the reasons I’m here,” Thibodeaux told The Post. “My teammates have done a great job so far and they’ve obviously tried to fix it. I’m certainly happy to be back and hopefully I’ve been able to clean up the things I had need to clean up the running game so I can contribute to some good football.”

Next time: Last Tyrone Tracy Jr. had his hands on the ball on one play, he failed to secure it after Panthers defensive tackle (and former tackle) A’Shawn Robinson reached to force a fumble.

The turnover came on the first snap of overtime and ensured the Giants would lose, 20-17.

Tyrone Tracy Reuters

It was a hugely impactful moment for the rookie running back, who in that game rushed for 103 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown.

Tracy leads all rookies with 545 rushing yards through 10 games.

“He wants to do the right thing every time,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. “Obviously he was hurt by it and he took it personally. You like to see that from a young player who takes ownership of it.”

Second time: He was a charismatic and popular local kid, but Tommy DeVito was also an undrafted rookie in 2023, and many of the fine points needed to play quarterback in the NFL simply weren’t there.

He took 34 sacks over seven games — six starts and one in which he played the majority of the snaps. Pocket awareness is a trait he needs to show in his second starting stint.

“It was the rookie year version of myself, someone who hadn’t been around the NFL at all,” DeVito said. “So, now I’ve got a year under my belt, I have a lot of high expectations for myself and continue to develop into the next level of player, what I need to be, as far as making the decisions, staying on the green, trying to push the offense down to score points and ultimately lead the team.”

Stretch run: Finally getting a break from his rookie season, Malik Nabers said he returned home to Louisiana during the bye week to “get my mind off football.”

In his first eight NFL games, he has the most receptions (61) of any rookie in the league along with three touchdowns, but his yards-per-catch average of 10.0 is disappointing.

“It doesn’t matter what the record is, it doesn’t matter how things go,” Nabers said. “We still need to finish strong for next year.”

Nabers resumes his first season with a new quarterback.

“As long as he can get me the ball, I should be able to make something happen with it,” Nabers said.