What It Means:

Jimmy Garoppolo has been ruled out with a high-ankle sprain he suffered last game. Mullens completed 8-of-11 passes for 71 yards with an interception off the bench last week after Garoppolo got hurt. He made eight starts back in 2018 and averaged 284.6 yards per game with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Even in a plus matchup against the Giants, Mullens is a downgrade for an offense that already has multiple starters ruled out and George Kittle (knee) playing at less than 100 percent.

Mullens' average depth of target (6.7 yards) was third-lowest in the league in 2018 among 41 quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts that year. The Giants are 19th in pass defense, per numberFire's advanced analytics.