1. Good fortune in the Big Apple
Interim Head Coach Rich Bisaccia has consistently stated that playing against his hometown team won't be any different than any other game. Since 2013, when Bisaccia was the special teams coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, he had a 7-3 record against the Giants.
"Fortunately for me at this particular point in my career, personally, we've played them so many times that I've had an opportunity to treat it as another game," Bisaccia said Friday afternoon. "And so maybe that's fortunate for me, but I do love the Giants – as long as we're not playing them."
2. Like a Rhinestone Cowboy Pt. 1
When you get your opportunity to showcase your abilities at the highest level, you have to take advantage of it.
Undrafted rookie Dillon Stoner will try to make the most out of his opportunity on the active roster this Sunday, after he was signed off the practice squad. The undrafted rookie receiver had an impressive career as an Oklahoma State Cowboy. In his time there, he compiled over 2,300 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns. Thursday afternoon, offensive coordinator Greg Olson spoke about how pleased his staff has been with Stoner since signing him this offseason.
"We've liked Dillon Stoner from the minute that we signed him, and we evaluated him," said Olson. "Sometimes we talk about as a coaching staff this is the guy that the scouts brought to us, and he is who they said he was. So, we were excited to keep him on our team and to not lose him to be honest with you.
"He's had a good week this week, but he's looked good on the practice squad leading up to this elevation, and so it's an opportunity. Again, it's an opportunity for Dillon Stoner. He's put in a lot of hard work, and he's had a good week."
3. A former 'love affair'
Giants starting running back Saquon Barkley has been ruled out for Sunday's game, which means the Raiders will be tested by a running back that was playing in the Silver and Black just 10 months ago.
Devontae Booker is slated to start and get a majority of the carries for the Giants. Booker signed with New York this offseason after running for 423 yards and three touchdowns last season as a Raider. Booker and Bisaccia had a great working relationship in their one season together, with Booker coming through with some clutch carries behind Pro Bowler Josh Jacobs.
"We had a great love affair with him and not only was he a heck of a running back, he played on (special) teams and did a lot of things," Bisaccia said about Booker. "But if you look at the Kansas City game the other night, he had a tremendous game and whether he's running inside or whether he's running stretch for them and he's big in the passing game and big in the screen game.
4. Like a Rhinestone Cowboy Pt. 2
Going back to the 7-3 record Bisaccia holds against the New York Giants since 2013 – he accomplished it under Jason Garrett, the former Dallas Cowboys head coach. Now the two great friends have turned into opponents as Garrett is the offensive coordinator for the Giants. The game should be a great chess match, with Bisaccia saying Wednesday he knows Garrett well from their five years together.
"We are looking at the tape and he's kind of done a lot of things over the past five or six weeks that have been beneficial to what they are trying to do on offense with the personnel that they have," Bisaccia added. "We all know that they've had guys playing and they've lost guys. They've had offensive line guys get hurt and receivers in and out, so I think he's doing a great job with the personnel he has, trying to still put themselves in position to score points, to move the ball, move the chains."
5. Can't overlook anyone
Thursday afternoon I asked defensive coordinator Gus Bradley on what the mindset in the locker room is going into the Giants game with the stack of opposing team injuries. After the release of Friday's injury report, Barkley along with two receivers had been ruled out, with two more starting receivers listed as questionable. Bradley reiterated that the defense isn't letting the gas off the breaks because of New York's injuries, keeping in mind that they still have a very capable team.
"They had injuries in the Carolina week, and they won 25-3. ... I think that they do a really good job offensively," said Bradley. I mean, this is the first time really I had a chance to study the Giants in depth over the last two years since the new staff has been there and to see them and some of the things they are doing with the quarterback and with their team. They are definitely trying to utilize the skillset of everybody and trying to get everybody involved and that's in the run game and the pass game, multiple different things.
"It's not just a drop back team. I mean, they use movement passes, they use RPOs, they are doing a lot of different things that puts a lot of strain on the defense."
6. Way back when
The last time the Raiders played the Giants, they picked up the victory.
The Raiders defeated the New York Giants 24-17 in Oakland Coliseum in December of 2017. In the win, Derek Carr threw for 287 yards and a touchdown – with a 95.5 quarterback rating.
