Brian Burns, New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) walks of the field after training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, Aug 10,
Brian Burns, New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) walks of the field after training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, Aug 10,
The Giants spent premium money to build a pass rush, and through two weeks their edge rushers have combined for one sack. Their Week 3 opponent could not be scripted much better: a second-year quarterback who was dropped 55 times as a rookie and has looked lost to start the season. Cam Ward and the Titans visit MetLife Stadium at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, and the matchup fits New York’s front. The problem is Brian Burns’ ankle.
Burns did not practice all week and carries a questionable tag into Sunday, per the team’s Week 3 injury report. New York’s most productive rusher a year ago, when he recorded 16.5 sacks, could be limited or sidelined against exactly the kind of quarterback pass rushers feast on. The opening is there.
Whether the Giants are healthy enough to take it is the question that decides the game.
Brian Burns, NFL: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Ward Has Been Sackable, and Stuck
Ward opened the season with a 19-of-32, 140-yard line in a Week 1 home loss to the Jets, and most of it came late: he managed only 112 total yards through three quarters before a garbage-time touchdown. He was sacked three times in that game. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 draft threw for 3,169 yards with a 15-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio as a rookie, but he did it behind a line that surrendered a punishing 55 sacks.
Tennessee quarterback Cam Ward (1) has words with Philadelphia linebacker Jalyx Hunt (58) after his first quarter rushing
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Ward found firmer footing in Week 2, completing 65% of his passes for 183 yards with two rushing touchdowns. The tape still shows a quarterback who holds the ball and invites pressure, and the Giants have the personnel to punish that.
The Rush New York Is Still Waiting On
Abdul Carter recorded his first sack of the season last week, the fifth of his career. One sack from the edge group two games into a season is not what the Giants paid for, even as the talent on paper stays obvious.
Abdul Carter, NFL: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
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Edge rusher 2025 sacks Week 3 status
Brian Burns 16.5 Questionable (ankle, DNP all week)
Kayvon Thibodeaux 3.5 Active
Abdul Carter 4.0 Active (1 sack in 2026)
If Burns cannot go, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Carter carry the rush against a Titans line that struggled to protect Ward all of last season. Thibodeaux is playing on his fifth-year option, and a multi-sack afternoon against a reeling opponent would help his market. Carter is the group’s most disruptive rusher and finally got on the board last week, and Sunday is a chance to turn steady pressure into finished plays.
A Thin Secondary Raises the Stakes
Cornerback Deonte Banks (calf) and safety Tyler Nubin (calf) are both questionable, per the Week 3 report, and they join a group that already lost Paulson Adebo to injured reserve. The fewer healthy defensive backs New York dresses, the more the pass rush has to shorten Ward’s time to throw.
Deonte Banks, New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (2) looks on while training at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, Aug 10, 2026, East
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Jevón Holland set the template in the opener, when he became the second player since 2000 to post eight tackles with two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception in one game. Pressure created that chaos, and pressure is what keeps a banged-up secondary from getting exposed.
A Game the Defense Should Decide
The Giants scored six points in their last outing and now lean on a Jameis Winston-led offense that is still finding itself. That puts the weight on the defense, and the schedule handed it a soft landing spot in Ward and a Titans attack that has yet to find its rhythm. Burns’ status is the swing factor. If he plays, the Giants should get home early and often. If he sits, Sunday becomes a test of whether the rest of an expensive front can finally show up.