Game Review: New York Giants 24 – Houston Texans 16

 Posted by
Nov 152022
 
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (November 13, 2022)

Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

QUICK RECAP

The Houston Texans are the pinnacle example of just how fast things can change in the NFL. Head Coach Bill O’Brien took over the job for the Texans in 2014 after putting himself at the top of the next “Belichick Disciple” list that had not been working out very well despite coming from the most dominant franchise in the game. Houston was coming off a 2-14 season but once O’Brien took over, the team went 9-7 three straight years, made the playoffs twice, and even won a post-season game. There was something missing, however. Brock Osweiler, Brian Hoyer, and Ryan Fitzpatrick were the primary quarterbacks for those squads and the organization knew it would not get over the hump without a real player under center, a long-term solution. In the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Houston gave Cleveland a call and offered #25 overall in round one and their 2018 first rounder to move up to #12. Cleveland accepted and allowed O’Brien to get his quarterback, Deshaun Watson from Clemson. Watson tore his ACL halfway through his rookie year and the team went 4-12. But from there, HOU went on to win 22 games in two years including another post-season win, Watson made the Pro Bowl three straight seasons, and he led the NFL in passing in 2020 with just under 5,000 yards. They were on a steady ascent with one of the game’s young stars at quarterback. Fast forward a couple years and Watson forced his way out of town for multiple off-field reasons, HOU is on is third coach in three years, and they’ve won 8 games since the start of the 2021 season. Peaks and valleys.

NYG came into this game off their bye week with a 6-2 record ready to face off against the 1-7-1 Texans. The bye week is used for self-scouting, and it also allows injured players another week of recovery without missing game action. With this staff and the current NYG injury situation, that actually meant something. That showed on the first drives of the game as the NYG defense forced a three-and-out of HOU and the offense responded with a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown-scoring drive that ended in a short pass from Daniel Jones to Lawrence Cager. HOU went on to post two more three-and-outs as Wink Martindale seemed to put all his attention on stuffing HOU rookie running back Dameon Pierce. The first quarter ended at 7-0 and on HOU’s tenth offensive snap of the game, they finally got past the first down marker. That drive, their fourth of the game, ended in a 38-yard field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn as the game was into the second quarter in a hurry.

Both teams exchanged sloppy offensive drives from there until halftime. Poor snaps, penalties, broken plays, sacks. All of the above were on display between the two teams as both were showing their colors. They came into the game ranked in the bottom third of yards-per-play and points, respectively league-wide. It was discouraging to watch and Daboll was visibly angry with the performance of the offensive line.

The second half began, yet again, with a new form of NYG offense. For the fifth time this season, their opening possession of the third quarter put points on the board. It was a highlight-reel play on 3rd-and-9 where Jones had to fall back with multiple HOU pass rushers bearing down on him as he threw the ball to Darius Slayton just beyond the line of scrimmage. Slayton made safety Jalen Pitre miss and then he turned on the burners, out running most of the HOU secondary to the end zone with some blocking help from by tight end Tanner Hudson.

The HOU offense, as it did for the entire second half, easily moved the ball downfield. They put up seven points of their own on a pass from Davis Mills to Nico Collins for a 12-yard score.

NYG had a 14-10 lead, and the offense came back on the field and put together a beautiful drive. 12 plays, 74 yards, and two 3rd-and-7 conversions on passes led to a 2-yard Barkley touchdown run. After a ten-point first half by the two bottom-third offenses, the second half opened with 21 points in three possessions. HOU drove down the field and found themselves 1st-and-goal from the NYG 9-yard line. Leonard Williams, part of the two-headed monster along the inside of the defensive line, forced a Pierce fumble that was recovered by linebacker Jaylon Smith. The NYG offense did not capitalize, however, as they went three-and-out, but they were able to somewhat reverse the field position.

Once again, HOU was in the red zone with a first down after just two plays. Once again, HOU turned the ball over on a pass into the end zone. Dane Belton came down with it, ensured his feet were in bounds, and stepped out of the field of play in the end zone for a touchback. This time, the offense gained two first downs that helped the field position battle, and more importantly, took time off the clock. HOU was down 11 points with under five minutes remaining. Their offensive surge stayed alive and well, starting on their own 8-yard line and ending up in the red zone with a first down for the fourth time in four second-half possessions. With time running short and the need for two scores no matter what, HOU opted for a 34-yard field goal by Fairbairn.

NYG recovered the ensuing onsides kick. Barkley was stopped two yards shy of the first down marker and HOU used their remaining two timeouts to force NYG into a field goal attempt. Graham Gano nailed a 49-yarder to give them another 11-point lead. HOU, again for the fifth time, made their way back into the red zone and had a first down. Questionable clock management in a game where they absolutely needed to score a touchdown at some point helped NYG seal the deal. Fairbairn hit a 46-yarder to get the game within 8 points again but with just :07 left. Jones took the knee and NYG improved to 4-1 at home, the most wins at MetLife since 2016.

NYG wins, 24-16.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 13/17 – 197 yards / 2 TD – 0 INT / 153.3 RAT

Jones added 24 yards on the ground. Because the situation called for it, Jones was not needed much. Do not mistake this for a lack of ability. Do not mistake this for a lack of confidence from Daboll/Kafka. They were up against the 32nd-ranked HOU run defense (29th-ranked in yards per attempt). NYG had the early lead and never let it go. He is still working with a poor group of pass catchers. He is still playing behind a poor pass blocking offensive line. All these things add up to the reasoning behind Jones only throwing the ball 17 times. In addition, keep your attention on the 11+ yards per attempt and 153.3 QB rating. Both led the NFL in Week 10. Number one in the NFL. Beyond the stat sheet, Jones made good decisions and maneuvered well around pressure. The play he made on the Slayton touchdown was overlooked by some because of the fact Slayton ran a long way to the end zone. That play was more on the shoulders of Jones because of what he did in the pocket, no question.

RUNNING BACK

-Saquon Barkley: 35 att – 152 yards – 1 TD / 1 rec – 8 yards

As noted above, the situation called for a “lean on Barkley” kind of offensive approach. By lean on Barkley, I mean jump on to his back and ride him through the fire. His 35 attempts were a career-high, and those yards were tough-earned. The number one rusher in the NFL did something off the radar I was happy to see. Early in the game, in the red zone, he bounced a run outside that he shouldn’t have. It was the last time he made that mistake. One of the keys to Barkley’s ascent this season is how willing he is to take the two-to-three yard runs rather than sit behind the point-of-attack hoping to create something on his own. Sure, the offensive line has been better and so has the scheme, but Barkley’s aggressive downhill approach has made a huge difference. Lastly, his blocking was on point. He was a weapon against the HOU blitz-heavy attack with violent hits and sustained contact.

-Matt Breida added 20 yards on 6 carries.

WIDE RECEIVER

-The Bad News Bears got their poster boy back. Kenny Golladay returned to the field for the first time since October 2. He was targeted twice. He dropped both targets. The first one was a tough ball away from his body, but it was catchable. The second one was as bad of a drop as you will find in today’s NFL. Even his teammates and coaches cringed on the sideline. He was soon taken out after that and did not come back into the game.

-Darius Slayton is the group’s saving grace. He had 3 catches for 95 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown emanating from his speed, out-running angles of the HOU secondary. He and Wan’Dale Robinson (2 rec / 20 yards) are both dangerous in their own way. If this offense needs to go more pass happy at some point, they need to be the focal points moving forward.

-Isaiah Hodgins was signed off of the BUF practice squad, where he had previous experience with Daboll, and played a key role right away. He had 2 catches for 41 yards, both resulting in a first down. His separation is limited, but just like he did at Oregon State, he played the ball well in the air and understands the importance of body positioning. With the way Golladay played, I expect Hodgins to get his snaps in the coming weeks.

TIGHT END

-Tanner Hudson tied Slayton with the team lead 3 receptions. His went for a combined 24 yards. His biggest play of the day was a downfield block he made on the Slayton touchdown. He stuck to his man, and it also took out a second HOU defender who had a good shot at catching Slayton from behind.

-Hudson was third in snaps at the group, as he is the worst in-line blocker of the trio. Chris Myarick and Lawrence Cager saw more snaps, but both struggled at the point-of-attack. It did not impact the running game badly, but Myarick did allow 2 pressures and dropped a pass. Cager allowed a TFL and a pressure but caught a touchdown in the first quarter two plays after being penalized for an illegal formation. This is going to be an underwhelming group until Bellinger returns and expect to see the high number of extra linemen on the field to help combat that.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-From a macro perspective, the NYG offensive line got the job done. It took a few extra guys at times and their pass protection was below average. But when looking at what they had to do, they won the battle against the HOU front.

-Andrew Thomas graded out well above average, as he threw another shut out in pass protection. He did, however, allow 2 TFL. From a season full of elite grades, this was Thomas’ second-worst game of the year. The thing that made me smirk was that no other lineman on this team has graded as high as Thomas’ second-worst game this season. His high floor is as impressive as his high ceiling.

-The interior of this line was a major weak point when Jones threw the ball. Of the 23 drop backs, the combination of Joshua Ezeudu, John Feliciano, and Mark Glowinski allowed 5 pressures and 2 sacks. Glowinski was the weak point, as he was responsible for 2 of those pressures, a half-sack, and missed a block that ended up causing the TFL on the Robinson rush attempt that lost five yards. Feliciano also allowed 2 pressures but he was in on several key runs as a lead blocker. His athleticism to the outside was a big factor and he played sticky on linebackers. Ezeudu allowed 1.5 sacks but the one at the end of the game I did not count against him. That had more to do with Jones taking the sack on purpose to keep the clock running and it was far away from the point-of-attack. Ezeudu finished as the second-best lineman in the game as his speed and power to the second level factored in on Barkley’s big runs. He was also a key contributor to Barkley’s touchdown. I am encouraged by the fact his play appears to be on an upward track.

-Right tackle Tyre Phillips had a few bad looks. He allowed a sack, a TFL, and was flagged for a false start. His game looks very “all or nothing.” He has tremendous power and size, but if the accuracy is not there, he is an easy guy to beat.

-The extra three lineman that saw snaps were Jack Anderson, Nick Gates, and Matt Peart (just activated for the first time this season). Anderson made a bonehead mistake on a crucial 4th-and-1 that would have been converted. He was flagged for a false start, and it pushed NYG far enough back to force a punt. In a tight game, that could have been a huge mistake.

EDGE

-Kayvon Thibodeaux finished with 4 tackles and 2 pressures. He made a key 3rd-down stop with an aggressive, physical hit at the point-of-attack and started to break through late in the game. He was held twice (neither were called) late in the game. I’m not sure why he isn’t getting these flags. I never expect the refs to see everything, but these are pretty obvious and they’re right in front of the QB. It’s odd. This was a solid game for Thibodeaux even though he did not fill the stat sheet. More on his first 7 games below.

-Oshane Ximines had a tackle and a pressure along with a PD. He nearly had a sack-fumble, but the call was overturned, rightfully so. Jihad Ward had 1 tackle, 1 sack, and 1 pressure. Tomon Fox added an untouched pressure on his 13 snaps. I still think we are going to see him factor over the second half of the season.

DEFENSIVE LINE

-Just when we thought it couldn’t get better for Dexter Lawrence, he comes out and has arguably his most dominant game of the season. 5 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 6 pressures, 1 sack, 2 pass breaks ups. He also forced two holding penalties. This defense is performing at a high level but I’m not sure everyone realizes how much of it points back to him and Leonard Williams, who I will get to next. Lawrence is winning with sheer physical dominance. His hand placement, along with his lockout and lower body leg drive, is simply too much for a lone blocker to handle. It is a lot of fun to watch.

-Leonard Williams was right on par with Lawrence. He had 9 tackles, 4 pressures, a half-sack, and a forced fumble. Williams created big plays for the defense. Two of his pressures led to sacks and his forced fumble was recovered by NYG as HOU was approaching the end zone. Safe to say he is fully back. More on these two monsters down below.

-Henry Mondeaux was back on the field after missing time with a knee injury. He saw 22 snaps and added 1 tackle and a half-TFL on an impressive play on the first drive. Justin Ellis was on the field for 11 snaps and missed a tackle. The game looks a bit too fast for him.

LINEBACKER

-One casualty of the bye week, regarding playing time, was Tae Crowder. He played just two snaps. Jaylon Smith (41 snaps) and rookie Micah McFadden (36 snaps) were the main second level defenders. The veteran of the pair had 5 tackles and a pressure in addition to a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter. He also had 2 missed tackles. McFadden had just 2 tackles and struggled on runs to his outside shoulder. I would not count Crowder out yet based on how much this coaching staff will move guys in and out of roles, but I do think they trust Smith more.

CORNERBACK

-I liked what I saw out of Adoree’ Jackson and Darnay Holmes. Jackson has 2 pass break ups in addition to 6 tackles and Holmes finished with 3 tackles, and an outstanding TFL. He did allow a couple of big plays in the passing game, but I thought his coverage underneath was solid.

-Fabian Moreau got off to a nice start, breaking up a pass on third down but later he allowed a touchdown to Collins. I normally like and even prefer him in those match-ups against the bigger, more physical wideouts. He simply just lost that battle, nothing to be overly concerned about.

SAFETY

-Because of the unfortunate hand/finger injury to Xavier McKinney over the bye week, Julian Love and Dane Belton were expected to step up. They both played 100% of the snaps. But it was Jason Pinnock, a waiver claim from the Jets prior to the season, who saw the big tick up in playing time. He was on the field for 23 snaps (36%), the second-most of his career. He was one of the surprise big contributors to the game. 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a pressure. Huge opportunity for him and this is a guy who I know the Jets really did not want to lose.

-Belton did have a big interception in the fourth quarter, but overall it was a poor game for the rookie. He led the team with 3 missed tackles and was roasted in coverage. HOU went after him hard and had a lot of success with it. Curious to see if that is a trend we see in the coming weeks. Love added 5 tackles.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Graham Gano: 1/1 (Made 49)
-P Jamie Gillian: 6 Punts / 40.3 avg – 34.2 net

3 STUDS

-DT Dexter Lawrence, DT Leonard Williams, QB Daniel Jones

3 DUDS

-P Jamie Gillian, OG Mark Glowinski, WR Kenny Golladay

3 THOUGHTS ON HOU

The reason why I discussed the demise of the Houston franchise at the start of the review is simple. Building a winning franchise in the NFL is hard. HOU had what everyone wants. A young superstar quarterback. An elite left tackle. An elite wide receiver. A face of the franchise on defense who was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Imagine that. Elite players everywhere but they couldn’t even get to the AFC Championship Game. Suddenly the bottom falls out and all but one of those pieces are currently playing elsewhere. It is rare to have the personnel, coaching, and front office all on the same page. Every move is important. Every interaction is important. Every game is important. Whether you’re in it, or not.

Where does this HOU franchise go from here? I’ve seen enough of Davis Mills to know he won’t be the guy. I think he can be “good enough” with the ceiling of a Jimmy Garoppolo. But the HOU team has a long, long ways to go before they are in the same stratosphere as SF when it comes to a support system. Mills does not have athletic ability to make up for the average passing traits. They will be high enough (and with some extra capital) in the draft to take their next quarterback. It is a no brainer if you ask me. Get him in town, hire the right head coach (a spot I can see Sean Payton landing), and go from there.

Lovie Smith took away the captain tag from receiver Brandin Cooks because of how he acted after not getting traded. Cooks does not have a strong reputation in NFL circles. “Diva” may not be the right word, but to make it simple, he just isn’t a team-first guy. I never thought NYG was in the running for him in the trade market (mainly because of the money owed to him). I also don’t think he would have made the difference that some think he would have. Even though some of his numbers say otherwise, he is a number two at best. My opinion comes from watching his tape over the years. A very inconsistent player who is owed a lot of money and who does not have a strong reputation in the locker room? Pass.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I know there is some chatter circling around the #5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. He has 1 sack in 7 games. If that is all you look at, a strong case can be made for disappointment. I challenge you to look a little deeper, however. Thibodeaux is averaging 1 pressure every 11 pass-rush snaps. #1 overall pick Travon Walker? 1 every 13. #2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson? 1 every 11. Thibodeaux has a forced fumble. Walker? Zero. Hutchinson? Zero. Thibodeaux has hit the quarterback 3 times on 205 pass rushes. Walker has hit the quarterback 3 times on 299 pass rushes. Hutchinson 4 times on 298 pass rushes. I could go on with a few more but my point is, trust me on the fact that Thibodeaux is playing better than his sack number will lead you to believe and he is on par with other rookies at the position. He is actually off to a much better start than what we saw out of Azeez Ojulari last season when looking at the big picture beyond only sacks.

So, I did a little quick study on defensive tackle pairs in the NFL. Not only is the Lawrence/Williams combo the best in the league, I don’t think any are even close. Tennessee and Baltimore are the closest, but their coaches wouldn’t even take them over what NYG is playing with. This is a special pair. I’m not sure if they will stick here long term because of Williams’ contract, but be sure to keep appreciating what they’re doing for this defense. It is special.

Sticking with the defense for the trifecta. The parting thought will not be a positive one. Against one of the worst offenses in the NFL, the NYG defense allowed 18 first downs, 2-of-3 third-down conversions, 301 yards on 34 plays (8.6 per), and 13 points in the second half alone. Those numbers are better than the best offenses in the NFL when it comes to a per-half basis. While the unit came up big when it mattered, this was an alarming defensive performance from a macro perspective that can and should cause some concern. Something to keep an eye on as they have some productive offenses coming up (DET, DAL, PHI, MIN are all top half in league).

Preview: Houston Texans at New York Giants, November 13, 2022

 Posted by
Nov 112022
 
Kenny Golladay, New York Giants (September 26, 2022)

Kenny Golladay – © USA TODAY Sports

THE STORYLINE:
When the 2022 New York Giants schedule was first released in May, the November 13th game against the Houston Texans was one of the few games Giants fans pegged a possible win. Fast forward to November 11th, and the Giants are standing at 6-2 and are only one of five teams with a winning record in the NFC. As the first game in the post-bye sprint to the finish, this game has taken on far more importance than originally anticipated.

The upstart, overachieving Giants have three different post-bye paths:

  • They can completely collapse with the clock striking midnight and finish with a losing record.
  • They can continue to win the inevitably close games in the 4th quarter and finish with a surprisingly good post-bye winning record.
  • They can play near .500 football and finish with 10 or 11 wins.

In reading commentary from the fan base, I think most assume option #3 is the most likely scenario. Consciously or subconsciously, most NYG fans realize this team is playing over its head. As long as there isn’t a complete collapse, I think most will be happy with this season. After all, after three straight failures, the Giants finally found themselves a quality coaching staff.  The season didn’t end in October. We have something to look forward to in November, December, and early January. While the team has its warts, it’s fun to root for.

The short- and medium-term issues for the Giants are talent related. The bye came at the right time, but key players such as Evan Neal, Daniel Bellinger, and Azeez Ojulari are still out. Plus there is something in the water at the Meadowlands that causes Giants to do stupid things on break – see Plaxico Burress, Jason Pierre-Paul, and now Xavier McKinney. (Side note to current and future Giants, don’t go sky-diving during a bye week). My point here is an overachieving team can ill-afford to lose good players. McKinney will be missed as Neal, Bellinger, and Ojulari are being missed. We’re all thinking it… just get by the Texans and Detroit Lions and get these players back soon.

Don’t take the Texans (or any team) lightly. The Giants have been winning close games because they are making fewer mistakes than their opponents. Against Seattle, the Giants made the mistakes and we saw the outcome. Get back to the winning formula.

THE INJURY REPORT:

  • WR Kenny Golladay (knee – questionable)
  • WR Marcus Johnson (thumb – probable)
  • WR Richie James (concussion – probable)
  • TE Daniel Bellinger (eye – out)
  • RT Evan Neal (knee – out)
  • OLB Oshane Ximines (quad – questionable)
  • CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf – questionable)

NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
The same problem remains for the Giants: they are severely limited by arguably the worst receiving corps in the NFL. It’s so bad that the Giants are trying to upgrade with players signed off of practice squads or cut by other teams, Marcus Johnson and Isaiah Hodgins being the latest examples. This is a receiving corps that can’t get open, and when they do, they struggle to catch the ball. So it’s impossible to take any fan commentary seriously that suggests Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka are holding the team back because they “won’t open up the offense.”

The best the the offense has looked has been when Daniel Bellinger and Wan’Dale Robinson were on the field together. Combine them with Saquon Barkley and the Giants had just enough to at least present some problems for opposing defenses. We all learned against Seattle that losing the tight end made a huge difference in both the running and passing game. Bellinger will not play against the Texans so the problems remain. Someone else has to step up. The Giants can’t just “coach” themselves out of this mess.

The obvious guy to help here is Kenny Golladay, the $72 million man who astonishingly has yet to catch a touchdown in a Giants uniform. As a Detroit Lion, Golladay caught 183 passes for 3,068 yards and 21 touchdowns in four seasons. As a Giant, he has 39 catches for 543 yards and no touchdowns in two seasons. New York needs him more now than ever. They don’t even need the Pro Bowl version of him; they just need him to be an average NFL starter. Is that asking too much for $72 million?

The other guy who remains in the spotlight is Darius Slayton. He has three games this year where he has caught more than one pass. The Giants need more of that plus they need him to get into the end zone more than his one touchdown. Marcus Johnson was handed a golden opportunity to resurrect his career here and thus far he has failed miserably. Richie James has faded not only as a punt returner, but as a target. David Sills has started five games and only has 11 catches. That leaves Wan’Dale Robinson and newcomer Isaiah Hodgins. The hope (and prayer) is that Golladay and Slayton can provide just enough of an outside threat for Robinson and Barkley to do damage underneath. And perhaps Hodgins can get caught up to speed quickly to make Johnson, Sills, and James irrelevant. Can they do just enough until Bellinger gets back?  (Side note: unbelievably, the leading receiver on this team in terms of receptions at 28).

The other issue was the loss of Bellinger in the ground game. Tanner Hudson and Chris Myarick just are not point-of-attack, in-line blockers. They are easily controlled at the edge. That hurts the ground game. Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka are going to need to adjust again so plays don’t fail because of these two. That’s not easy since the Giants are not in position yet to spread things out and throw it. This is why some savvy fans recognized that tight end was just as much of a need as wide receiver before the trade deadline.

What about the Texans? Well coached with long-time defensive guru Lovie Smith at the helm as head coach. However, they are 30th in yards allowed; better in points allowed at 19th. The key stat? Dead last in defending the run, allowing over 180 yards per game (and over 5 yards per rushing attempt). You don’t need me to tell you what the game plan should be.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
We’re seeing a fascinating trend in the NFL this year. As NFL defenses became more sophisticated in their attempts to stop high-flying passing attacks, many teams have adjusted and are running the ball more. And they are doing so with great success. Don “Wink” Martindale’s defenses in Baltimore were always very strong against the run, including the injury-plagued defensive squad that finished 25th in 2021 (but 1st against the run). Surprisingly, even with Fabian Moreau and other waiver-wire pick ups playing significant time in the secondary, as well as the top NYG pass rushers missing significant time, it has been the Giants’ pass defense that has played better. The Giants are 16th against the pass (208 yards per game) and 25th against the run (137 yards per game).

Martindale came to New York with the reputation of not being a bend-but-don’t-break defensive coordinator, but that is exactly what his defense is doing. The Giants are giving up yards, but remain a top-10 defense in points allowed (currently 9th).

The immediate challenge is patching up a secondary that will now be without arguably its top player in Xavier McKinney for at least four games and possibly more. McKinney doesn’t have a lot of flashy plays this year, but his speed, range, and instincts will be missed. Expect more deep passing attempts and completions. The guys who will replace him are not as speedy or athletic in space. I would expect Julian Love to play more deep safety now with rookie Dane Belton and veterans Jason Pinnock and Landon Collins seeing more action near the line of scrimmage. What should help them is a pass rush that should get healthier in the second half with Leonard Williams and Kayvon Thibodeaux being near full strength. Oshane Ximines is set to return too. Now if the team could only get Azeez Ojulari on the field!

The other potential fly in the ointment is the under-the-radar, season-ending loss of reserve Nick Williams. The Giants are down to only three defensive linemen on the 53-man roster. Dexter Lawrence has been playing far too many snaps per game. Same with Leonard Williams when healthy. Henry Mondeaux and Ryder Anderson remain on the Practice Squad, and one or both will likely be called up, but the drop in quality is very noticeable. The Giants badly need to address DL depth this offseason.

This brings us to the Texans: 30th in yards, 28th in points. They are 26th in passing (Giants are 29th by the way) and 25th in rushing (Giants are 4th). However, rookie running back Dameon Pierce is in contention for “rookie of the year” honors. He has rushed for almost 700 yards and is averaging over 4.5 yards per carry. Pierce can run over you, around you, and break long runs (he has a 75 yarder this year). He is one of the NFL’s top backs in breaking tackles and is running behind an offensive line with some good talent. He has fumbled twice.

In addition, wide outs Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins can hurt you. Both can make plays down the field. 2021 3rd-round quarterback Davis Mills has been adept at getting the ball out quickly, but he has also thrown 18 interceptions in one and a half seasons. The Giants only have one pick this season. The law of averages favors New York.

Game plan is fairly obvious. Wink has to get his defensive unit to play the run better than it has. Control Pierce as much as possible and force Mills to beat you. Do not let Cooks or Collins beat you for the cheap score. Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams should present problems for Houston’s interior line.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
To be blunt, New York’s special teams lost them a game two weeks ago. Who returns the ball moving forward will be interesting to watch. Obviously ball security must be the #1 priority.

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH:
Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka on the Giants self-scouting over the bye week: “There was some good stuff that we looked at as a staff. Really took some good time and evaluated first, second down, third down, red zone. Just really went piece by piece on personnel groupings, the players, putting those guys in the spots – that they were in the right spots. I think we came out with some good information and stuff that we can apply moving forward… We’ve had some new players come in so we’re constantly evaluating how those guys play and what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are and then also tying that into what we see from a defensive standpoint. That’s been the key, that’s what we spend a ton of time on every single day.”

THE FINAL WORD:
McKinney being out on defense and Bellinger being out on offense makes this game dicer than I would like. But this is a game the Giants should win. Don’t expect it to be easy however. The 2022 New York Giants are not for the faint of heart. I suspect Corner Forum game threads to remain a mess.

Game Review: Seattle Seahawks 27 – New York Giants 13

 Posted by
Nov 012022
 
Richie James, New York Giants (October 30, 2022)

Richie James – © USA TODAY Sports

QUICK RECAP

The third road game in four weeks, including the second flight of 6+ hours, dropped the Giants in Seattle. The resurgent Seahawks came into the match-up with a 4-3 record, just months after a personnel move that screamed rebuild. Quarterback Russell Wilson was no longer calling the shots as QB1 for the first time since 2011, which was Pete Carroll’s second year with the club. Once Wilson took that job over as a 3rd-round rookie in 2012, the club had 9 straight winning seasons, 8 playoff appearances, 2 NFC Championship victories, and a Super Bowl win. 2021 saw their streak of .500+ ball come to an end and the Wilson + Carroll + Seahawk relationship was clearly fractured. Fast forward to the last game in October of the 2022 season and Carroll, the oldest coach in the NFL, quickly had his team back atop of the NFC West.

Since Week 3, SEA had averaged scoring 11 points in the first quarter. Their offensive game plan early in games was a key reason for their success. Despite dominating the time of possession by a 2:1 ratio, the NYG defense held them scoreless. The problem? NYG continued their offensive trend of getting off to a slow start by not only going scoreless through the first quarter but also going three-and-out on all three of their possessions. Saquon Barkley touched the ball just once over those first nine plays. Through 8 games, NYG has scored 23 points in the first quarter, an average of less than 3 points.

The second quarter began with SEA in the middle of a marathon drive that lasted 15 plays. It included two fourth-down conversions from inside the NYG 20-yard line as the team was not settling for three points. Geno Smith, a 2013 second-round pick (the year NYG took Justin Pugh in round 1), found D.K. Metcalf alone in the end zone for the three-yard score. On the third play of the next NYG drive and 12th offensive play for the team, the Giants finally picked up their first first down. It came after consecutive touches for Barkley, go figure. The drive was halted at midfield and punter Jamie Gillian masterfully pinned SEA inside their own five. The biggest play of the game to this point ensued.

Smith threw a short pass to Tyler Lockett, the smaller half, but to some the stronger half, of the dynamic SEA wide receiver duo. Adoree’ Jackson knocked the ball loose on the tackle and scooped it up himself. NYG now had the ball, first-and-goal, on the two-yard line. With help from extra linemen, including Nick Gates, Barkley scored his fifth touchdown of the year to tie the game up. NYG then kept ahold of the momentum with two sacks on the next SEA drive. They were about to get the ball back but a Richie James fumble on the punt return gave life back to SEA. The defense stopped the bleeding, holding SEA to a field goal.

NYG had the ball back with 1:31 left following the kickoff with all three timeouts at their disposal. With such low production over the course of the half (46 yards) and knowing they were going to start the second half with the ball, this was the opportunity to get their momentum back. Instead, they ran the ball twice and did not use their timeouts. On 3rd-and-2, they finally opted to pass the ball, but Jones was sacked. SEA called timeout to make NYG punt the ball. They did, and SEA took a knee to take the three-point lead into the locker room. Very odd ending to the half.

NYG opened the third quarter with their longest drive of the game. 14 plays, including a first-and-ten in the red zone. They totaled three yards on three plays from that point and the drive resulted in just three points via a 31-yard field goal. The tie at 10 did not last long, as Myers hit a 51-yard field goal for SEA on the next drive as the third quarter was coming to a close. NYG’s offense was starting to click but they continued to shoot themselves in the foot. On a 1st-and-10 from the SEA 29-yard line, Barkley took an eight-yard loss on a misdirection run. There were quite a few communication-based mistakes in this one. The Seattle crowd, also nationally known as the “12th Man,” did indeed have a major impact on the game.

They had to claw their way back into field goal range before Gano hit a 45-yarder to tie it back up. That would be it for NYG points. The first fourth-quarter possession for SEA needed just five plays. Smith hit Tyler Lockett for a 33-yard touchdown a drive after Lockett dropped a sure-thing touchdown. The eighth-year pro, known for never making mistakes, and that fact very much hiding his diminutive size shortcomings (take notes, Wan’Dale), was having one of the worst games of his career. A fumble that turned into points, a dropped touchdown that led to SEA settling on 3 points instead of 7. Lockett redeemed himself by giving his team a commanding seven-point margin. The NYG offense continued to struggle. Keep in mind they had just 13 points, more than half of which came largely because of the Lockett fumble inside the SEA five-yard line.

They responded to the SEA score with a three-and-out, but then so did SEA. NYG was getting the ball back with just over six minutes left. The scapegoat of the game, if one had to be chosen, Richie James, fumbled his second return of the afternoon. SEA recovered, scored another touchdown on the legs of rookie running back Kenneth Walker III. All of the sudden SEA had a 14-point lead. NYG’s next drive made it inside the SEA 30-yard line. From there, NYG went sack-incomplete-incomplete, giving SEA the ball back with just over two minutes left.

They did gain a first down but because NYG had all of their timeouts and the two-minute warning, they got the ball back one last time. Jones completed 1-of-4 passes and was sacked twice before the clock ran out.

NYG loses, 27-13.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 17/31 – 176 yards / 0 TD – 0 INT / 71.4 RAT

Jones also added 20 yards on the ground. This was the fourth time we have seen Jones finish with under 200 yards of total production in a game this season. The first half was torture for the offense overall (46 yards, just 2 yards per play). We can point to multiple factors when searching for why, and Jones is on the list. My key example there comes from their opening drive of the game. They ran a mesh-concept that every single offense uses in these 3rd-and-3-7 yards to go situations. Two crossers underneath and a third target that sits in the middle. The design worked, the routes were good, and tight end Tanner Hudson was wide open with nobody around him on the other side of the first down marker. Jones did not see it, threw to Marcus Johnson (who was covered tightly), and NYG came up a yard short, punt. Jones did not pull the trigger on that play and four others (I’m being conservative). He also overthrew two downfield passes where his guy had multiple steps ahead of the defender. We can keep repeating ourselves over and over about the lack of weapons Jones has. You know, I know, everyone knows it. But that does not excuse a game like this one. The good quarterbacks in this league raise the level of players around him, plain and simple. He did not get the job done in this one.

RUNNING BACK

-Saquon Barkley: 20 att – 53 yards – 1 TD / 3 rec – 9 yards

Week 8 brought us the lowest production from Barkley we have seen in a game all year. A big part of this was excellent scheming and execution by the SEA defense. Part of it was some poor blocking, and the other part of it was predictable play calling by NYG. They ran the similar power run with two pulling blockers from one side to the other that we saw them run over and over in Jacksonville. The results were very different, and it was obvious the NYG tight ends were going to keep getting blown up in the trenches. Looking back on it, I think Kafka would certainly re-think his approach on the play calls for Barkley. He also dropped a pass and lost his balance a couple times where there was some space available.

-Matt Breida added 5 yards on the ground and 10 yards in the passing game on 3 touches. He played just 14 snaps to Barkley’s 52.

WIDE RECEIVER

-Darius Slayton stepped up with a solid game. He had 66 yards on 5 catches, two of which were huge third-down conversions. They were both in the second half, they were both physical catches that required plus-ball skills, and they both led to scores. Six of their thirteen points came on these two drives where he came up big.

-Marcus Johnson had 1 catch on 6 targets for 3 yards. That catch came on the first drive of the game and that was all we heard from him. He added another drop. Rookie Wan’Dale Robinson 2 catches for 15 yards and David Sills had 1 catch for 5 yards. I’ll do the math for you. The NYG receivers totaled 9 catches for 89 yards. In week 8 alone, 13 individual receivers had more yards across the league. To those keeping score at home for the season: Tyreek Hill leads the NFL with 961 yards in receiving. All of the NYG receivers, combined, have 875 yards on the year.

TIGHT END

-The loss of Daniel Bellinger was expected to be felt at least a little bit. After re-watching, especially from the All-22, it was much more than a little bit. Tanner Hudson was the biggest liability on the team when it came to the running game’s struggles. He allowed 2 TFL and a pressure. Some may look at his receiving line (3 rec / 58 yards) and come away with the notion he had a solid game there. All three of Hudson’s catches came on the final two drives of the game with SEA up by fourteen and playing softer coverage. He also dropped a ball earlier on.

-Chris Myarick and Lawrence Cager both allowed 1 TFL each as well. A terrible game in the trenches for this group. All the talk about bringing in a wide receiver to help spur the passing game overall is warranted. I am confused why there is not more discussion about the tight ends when considering the economics and where this offense as a whole needs help. More on that below.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-The offensive line as a whole lost at the point-of-attack for the majority of the game. Their solid stretches in play brought the offense to another level. When they faltered, it compounded to the skill positions. Inconsistent game overall.

-Andrew Thomas, you guessed it, pitched another shutout. His pursuit of the coveted All-Pro label is not quite there yet, but he is getting close. It will come down to his ability to remain consistent at his current level. NYG could not be asking for better football from their left tackle.

-Tyre Phillips, the fill-in at right tackle for rookie Evan Neal, had a poor game, the lowest grade on the line. He was flagged for two false starts (common in Seattle when the crowd is in it) and he also allowed both a pressure and a sack. His gap-blocking in the running game was the one positive, but he struggled mightily on outside-zone runs. He appeared to be confused and slow to react.

-Inside, third stringer Joshua Ezeudu was good for most of the game. He was heading toward an above average grade, and he threw the best block of the group on Barkley’s touchdown run. However, he allowed 2 pressures and a sack late. His anchor isn’t ready yet for pure bull rushers and the stunt/twist game is moving a bit too fast for him. Right now, he is a one-dimensional blocker who does his best work as a pulling guard across the line.

-Mark Glowinski allowed a pressure and a sack while center Jon Feliciano allowed two pressures and was inconsistent in the running game. He wound up on the ground often, never a good sign for interior blockers.

-Nick Gates returned after nearly seeing his career end after a gruesome leg injury last season that requited multiple surgeries. When it comes to what I know about the human body and rehab, this will be just as much about how he responds to just a little bit of live action (five plays) days later as it was about seeing how effective he still is. From those five snaps, it certainly appears the baseline ability is still there. Now? The team will see how his leg and surrounding joints recover. If he checks multiple boxes, I think Gates is going to be a big part of this offense over the final third of the season. They need him and if he is just 90% of what he was pre-injury, getting him a starting spot is a no brainer. He looked good and brought some of the Gates-type attitude to the offense.

EDGE

-I start this group off with a rookie. No, not Kayvon Thibodeaux. Tomon Fox made a big impact on this game, and I did not fully appreciate the effort until I re-watched it. The undrafted free agent led the team with 8 tackles and 2 TFL while adding a pressure on his 27 snaps. He played less than half the snaps, plays an OLB/DE hybrid position, and finished with that much production. Maybe LT was onto something. Fox was the most physical player not named Dexter Lawrence in this game for NYG.

-Thibodeaux had a quiet game. He finished with 1 pressure and missed a tackle. I did not like some of the movement we saw out of him in space. Lateral stiffness and poor reaction. We know he runs in a straight line well and his get off is very good. I need to see more suddenness, though.

-Elerson Smith saw his first action of the year with 7 snaps on defense. His lone tackle on the day came on special teams. With Fox emerging and the expected return of Azeez Ojulari and Oshane Ximines, Smith may have a hard time getting on the field. He needs to flash, and soon.

-Jihad Ward continues to set a strong edge as a run defender and showed the versatility to line up inside again even more so after the Nick Williams injury. That is where he broke up a pass from. His limitations in space did hurt the defense a couple times.

DEFENSIVE LINE

-Because Nick Williams went down with a biceps injury early, we saw an uptick in playing time for both Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence. For the short term, it wasn’t a bad thing at all. Williams had 8 tackles, 5 pressures, a sack, and was the finisher to a TFL by Fox. He was so dominant in the first quarter that SEA adjusted their blocking scheme on him. He still broke through the line for most of the game. Lawrence finished with 4 tackles and 3 pressures. These two were the driving force behind stuffing the SEA run game, ranked #1 in the league in yards per attempt coming into Week 8, until late in the game. Admirable and dominant effort from these two.

-As noted above, Nick Williams went down early with a biceps injury. Him, D.J. Davidson, and Henry Mondeaux all being injured have left this interior line very thin. Justin Ellis is a two-gap run plug at this point, an average one, and won’t be anything more. This team needs to get more depth on this front. Williams and Lawrence cannot play that much week to week.

LINEBACKER

-This defensive coaching staff has made a routine of altering their personnel groupings and individual snaps for certain players week to week based on match-ups. So, this may not mean anything, but it may mean something. Tae Crowder was removed from the middle and Jaylon Smith was inserted. Then, rookie Micah McFadden saw five more snaps (27 to 22) than Crowder on the weak side. This is something to keep an eye on. Smith brings a higher level of decision-making and doesn’t miss tackles like Crowder (who missed another 2 in this game). McFadden is not the athlete Crowder is, but he excels at hand-fighting with blockers and has more ability downhill. The rookie finished with 4 tackles and sack, Smith finished with 7 tackles, and Crowder finished with 2. Lastly, I think it was Crowder who was guilty culprit on the blindside block that was flagged on the punt (Jason Pinnock was wrongfully called by the refs).

CORNERBACK

-Playing cornerback in this league is hard. It is the hardest position to play in football other than quarterback. Playing cornerback in the Wink Martindale scheme is hard because of how often they are left on an island. Adoree’ Jackson was having his best game of the season until the fourth quarter. He broke up a pass on 3rd down, he broke up a pass in the end zone, he forced and recovered a fumble that led NYG to their first and only touchdown of the day. SEA had just 13 points at the 10:00 mark in the fourth quarter and Jackson was one of the catalysts to the group’s effort. He was burned by Tyler Lockett for a near-touchdown but was bailed out by an out-of-character drop by the receiver. On the very next drive, Jackson was burned again for a touchdown that ultimately decided the game. It was not a bad game for Jackson, and it should not be labeled so even though he was on the wrong end of the highlight reel. Martindale is the Bruce Arians of defense. “No risk-it, no biscuit.” It can work often with the right guys, but the law of averages will see the guys lose like that from time to time.

-Fabian Moreau had an early pass break up on a pass intended for D.K. Metcalf. He spent a lot of time one-on-one against one of the biggest freaks and best deep threats in the NFL and fared well. He did this without safety help over the top for most of the game too. Nice game for him and he added 5 tackles.

-Nick McCloud and Darnay Holmes both saw about half of the defensive snaps. McCloud getting the nod at nickel was noteworthy. First, Holmes competed with safety Dane Belton for snaps but they played different positions. Now, we see McCloud getting the nod over Holmes. Interesting development here and he did play well. He had a pressure that caused a sack and Holmes was beat up a bit on short-to-intermediate throws.

SAFETY

-Julian Love had 7 tackles but allowed a touchdown in zone coverage early in the game to Metcalf. Xavier McKinney added 2 tackles and a sack but missed a tackle on the late Kenneth Walker touchdown. And Dane Belton played just 10 snaps. The safety group overall lacked impact in this one.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Graham Gano: 2/2 (Made 31, 45)
-P Jamie Gillian: 6 punts / 53.7 avg – 47.7 net

3 STUDS

-EDGE Tomon Fox, DT Leonard Williams, OT Andrew Thomas

3 DUDS

-WR Richie James, TE Tanner Hudson, OT Tyre Phillips

3 THOUGHTS ON SEA

1. Right up there with NYG is SEA when talking about the league’s biggest surprises. I projected them to go 5-12 and finish in last place in the NFC West. My main reasons for this incredibly wrong prediction were the perceived downgrades in the passing game on both sides of the ball. From Russell Wilson to Drew Lock (many believed he was the guy prior to camp) at QB, two rookies stepping in at OT, two rookies stepping in at corner, and unproven pass rushers led me to believe they would get smoked there. Man, was I wrong. Not only is this team playoff bound, I think they are going to win the NFC West if they stay healthy. And playing at that place in the postseason will be a TOUGH assignment.

2. Through the halfway point of the season, the SEA rookie class is the best in the NFL, and I don’t think anyone is close. Listen to the first 6 picks of this class. OTs Charles Cross (rd 1) and Abraham Lucas (rd 3), who are both among the top 4 rookie tackles in the NFL. Only Ikem Ekwonu (CAR) is ahead of them right now while Tyler Smith (DAL) can be debated. RB Kenneth Walker (rd 2) is among the NFL lead in yards over the last 3 weeks and the best eyes/minds I see in NFL analysis are raising him to be one of the top 10 backs in the NFL right now. All of them. CBs Coby Bryant (rd 4) and Tariq Woolen (rd 5) are their top two corners and the latter shares the league-lead in interceptions. There are strong rookie classes, and there is a class like this that if they keep it up, could go down as one of the most impactful ever in their inaugural season.

3. Love or hate Pete Carroll, and most do despise him (in and out of league), the dude can flat out coach. Perceived as a defensive guy, Carroll is very much involved and in control of the offense from a macro-perspective. There have been interesting situations with him and different play-callers over the years. He wants things his way and the second they go too pass-heavy, he fires them. Russell Wilson leaves town and he looks like a shell of his former self, his Seahawk self. Geno Smith gets a starting job for the first time since 2014 and is all of the sudden in the MVP discussion. That, the fact they are doing this with rookie contributions at major positions, and the fact their defense looked more prepared for the NYG offense than anyone we have seen so far brings me to the idea that Carroll is heading toward a Coach of the Year Award.

3 CLOSING THOUGHTS

1. This will be the final input I have on the trade deadline. At the point of this writing (late Monday night), no trade has been made. The rumors are circulating, and I do think there is validity behind NYG inquiring about wide receiver talent. If this was year three, or even year two of this regime I would lean strongly toward a deal being done. But when reflecting on how many times Joe Schoen has brought up the lack of salary cap health and the fact they are in year one leads me to believe they will not trade pick(s) for a receiver. If there is a trade to be made, I think it is more likely we see them trade a late day-three pick (or a late swap) for a defensive lineman or a tight end. The DLs I think fit the situation (scheme, contract, team) are Michael Brockers (DET), Roy Robertson-Harris (JAC), and Bilal Nichols (LV). The TEs I think fit the situation (scheme, contract, team) are Ian Thomas (CAR) and Eric Saubert (DEN). I still think they will lean no trade but could make a play for Odell Beckham in free agency soon (however I think he wants to be with a more credible SB contender).

2. The bye week is coming at a good time. I mean, mid-year is always a good time. But I like how a few of the key players who are out (Ojulari, Neal, Ximines, Lemieux, Bellinger), but are expected back at some point, will simply miss one less game with the bye coming right now. This has been an eventful first 8 games to the season with a lot of drama and emotion (on and off the field). Regroup, heal up, and come back hungry.

3. What is the one thing I want this coaching staff to spend the most time on as they self-scout this week? The answer is simple. Improve their first-half offense. They are 30th in first-half points. They are 30th in first-half time of possession. Early-game offense is often scripted, especially in the first quarter. Their script (and execution) has been poor. Next up I want to see more pass rush. Despite being the most blitz-heavy team in the league, they rank in the bottom half of every noteworthy pass rush metric. And this is the result even though DT Dexter Lawrence is in the discussion for a spot on the All-Pro team. Looking at you, edge defenders. Let’s see the arrow point up. And lastly, find a new punt returner. That is all.

Enjoy the week off everyone – it has been a fun season so far. Thanks for letting me be a part of it.

Preview: New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks, October 30, 2022

 Posted by
Oct 282022
 
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (October 23, 2022)

Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

THE STORYLINE:
We’re nearing the midway point of the regular and the well-placed bye week for the New York Football Giants. And I suspect most fans of the team have the same thought in their head: let’s squeak out one more win, heal up during the bye, and get some reinforcements back for post-bye sprint to the finish.

This is turning out to be a completely unexpected and entertaining campaign. The Giants have been tied or behind their opponent in the 4th quarter in five of their six wins (and behind in four of them). Their six wins have been decided by 27 points. The oddsmakers have had them favored to lose almost every game this year. How are they 6-1? They are extremely well-coached. They are keeping games within two scores, and they are out-playing their opponents in the 4th quarter. Their resiliency and competitive endurance is off the charts. Thus far, there has been no emotional letdown despite the fact that every game was been an emotionally-draining nail-biter.

The NFC is not terribly impressive this year. There are only five teams in the conference who currently have a winning record. Unfortunately for New York, the NFC East has three of those five teams. And until proven otherwise in head-to-head match-ups, the Giants are still only the third-best team in their own division. The Eagles clearly appear to be the cream of the crop in the NFC. The Cowboys already beat the Giants once and get them at home again on Thanksgiving. The Giants will play five division games in their last seven contests. That’s where their fate will be determined.

One of the five teams in the NFC with a winning record is the also-surprising Seattle Seahawks, who are leading the disappointing NFC West with a 4-3 record. Seattle was supposed to be bringing up the rear in that division. Nevertheless, the other three teams all have three wins and things can change quickly. It’s quite possible that the Giants and Seahawks may be vying with each other for a final Wild Card playoff spot, making Sunday’s game much more important than it seemed when the schedule was first released.

THE INJURY REPORT:

  • WR Kenny Golladay (knee – out)
  • TE Daniel Bellinger (eye – out)
  • RT Evan Neal (knee – out – out)
  • LG Ben Bredeson (knee – out)
  • DL Leonard Williams (elbow – questionable)
  • OL Tyre Phillips (toe – questionable)
  • OLB Oshane Ximines (quad – out)
  • CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf – out)
  • S Jason Pinnock (foot – questionable)

NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
Before the Giants became a hopeless, ongoing joke from 2017-2021, long-time readers of this site should remember my tediously predictable approach to this team: it’s never as good as it seems when you’re winning; it’s never as bad as it seems when you are losing. I’ll charitably call it me playing Devil’s advocate. Get ready for a bit of Debbie-downerism.

The Giants are largely succeeding offensively with smoke and mirrors. A poster in The Forum pointed out this week that the Giants don’t have a player on their roster who has more than 200 yards receiving. I immediately thought that can’t be correct. Well it is. Richie James, who hasn’t caught more than 18 yards in a game in the last four contests, is leading the team with 191 receiving yards. The top pass-catcher is Saquon Barkley with 25 receptions. It’s 2022. Not 1940. These are historically-bad figures for a 6-1 team. And barring a trade that may be unwise for a still-rebuilding club, these numbers are not likely to get much better in the final 10 regular-season games unless Kenny Golladay has a massive turnaround.

In last week’s game preview, I wrote that it was not a coincidence that Daniel Jones threw his first 2-touchdown game since the opener in a contest where both Wan’Dale Robinson and Daniel Bellinger played together. The problem is the team just lost Bellinger for an unknown length of time. One can legitimately argue that the only healthy targets on this team who likely to be on the team next year are Robinson and Barkley. To be blunt, the New York Giants’ offense is not terribly difficult to defend at this point. No one is worrying about Darius Slayton, Richie James, David Sills, Marcus Johnson, Chris Myarick, and Tanner Hudson. They just aren’t. Hell, these guys sometimes “defend” themselves because they can’t catch the football.

So the Giants’ coaches are going to have to continue to desperately out-coach their opponents who are going to be completely focused on Barkley, and to a lesser extent Robinson. That’s a tough task. Remember, the Giants lost two starters on the offensive line last week as well. The early returns are that while Joshua Ezeudu may be an asset in the running game, he still has a lot to learn in pass protection. Tyre Phillips did a nice job at right tackle, but he is not Evan Neal.

Why am I being negative here? I’m just trying to prep the fanbase for the inevitable game where the offense can’t do just enough to pull out the victory. A thin team just got a lot thinner by losing Bellinger and two starters on the OL. Teams in the NFL can’t just play six or seven offensive linemen and just pound the football. That may work at the end of game when the other team has been worn down, but it won’t work for a full game. Plus, at some point, other teams are simply not going to keep falling for bootlegs by Daniel Jones.

Keep things in perspective. Recognize that despite the team’s superb record, it is still a weak roster that needs a big infusion of talent on the offensive side of the ball. Other teams have good players and excellent coaches. When adversity strikes, as it will, don’t start yelling and screaming that the coaches screwed up or ALL of the players suck. As JonC smartly posted this week, the Giants are playing with house money. Enjoy the season but be realistic about it.

The good news? Seattle is 29th in defense in terms of yards allowed (23rd in pass defense, 30th in run defense). They are 29th in scoring defense. If there was a team the Giants may be able to line up against and pound the football with some success, this is one of them. The weather also may be a factor with rain in the forecast. The Seahawks are also very young on that side of the ball, so misdirection and trickery may work. The Seahawks are bad on third down. They also give up big plays. When Seattle does blitz, their secondary has problems.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
Let’s start with the negative again and get that out of the way. I think most fans have picked up that I love Don Martindale. Heck, a few years back I wanted him to be our head coach. I think he’s done an excellent job with a unit that had a major question mark at one corner spot, has talent issues at inside linebacker, and has been hit hard by injuries (Azeez Ojulari, Leonard Williams, Aaron Robinson). However, I’m a bit shocked that the Giants have remained weak in run defense. It’s a weekly problem now and the Giants are currently 28th in run defense. Why this is so strange is that Wink’s defenses in Baltimore were always top tier against the run, even in his last year with the team. Other than the Dallas game, this hasn’t cost the Giants yet. But it will if they don’t get it fixed. They are also coming off a game where the defense gave up 450 yards of offense and had no sacks or tackles for losses.

Enter a Seattle team that is performing remarkably well on offense, 12th overall in yards and 5th overall in points. Pete Carroll was mocked when the team named Geno Smith the starter. Well Smith (107.8 rating) is vastly out-performing Russell Wilson (83.4 rating) who was traded to Denver. Smith, who was presumed to be merely back-up material, has thrown for 1,712 yards (7th in the NFL) and 11 touchdowns (tied for 6th in the NFL). He’s also thrown only three interceptions (though he has gotten a bit lucky in this department with some dropped picks).

Helping Smith is the fact that Seattle is also 10th in the NFL in rushing. The revelation has been rookie Kenneth Walker, who filled in when Rashaad Penny was lost for the year and is averaging over six yards per carry. In a limited number of carries (67), he has already broken off a number of big runs. The threat of the Seahawk running game allows Smith to use play-action effectively on first down. They have also done a good job of scoring early in games, putting teams in a hole early. Getting Seattle off of the field has been a problem on 3rd down as well.

Surprisingly, Seattle is having all of this offensive success despite two rookie tackles. Giants fans will note that Charles Cross, who was in play for the team in 1st round, is Seattle’s starting left tackle. Aside from the presence of a strong running game, Smith has benefitted from dangerous targets. Wideout D.K. Metcalf will likely miss this game due to a knee injury, but Tyler Lockett (41 catches, 468 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Marquise Goodwin (2 touchdowns against the Chargers last weekend) can get the job done. Both are fast. Seattle’s three tight ends have 56 catches and five touchdowns, with Will Dissly leading the way with three TDs.

The game plan here is obvious. Stop the run and make Geno Smith beat you with his arm. However, the Giants must remain disciplined on first down and not allow Seattle’s play-action game to lead to big chunks of yardage. The linebackers in particular will be on the spot, both in run defense and not being overly aggressive with the play-action. This is a game where the Giants need Tae Crowder and Jaylon Smith to play well. Wink also has to find a better solution to the team’s woes in run defense, or they will lose.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
As I mentioned last week, the Giants’ special teams units are starting to find their rhythm and now are making plays to help the team win. Last week’s contribution was a blocked extra point. For a team that plays a style that keeps every contest close, these types of special teams contributions are invaluable.

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH:
Don “Wink” Martindale on his defense giving up a lot yards: “I just know that we’re sixth in points and we play real well in the redzone. That’s the name of the game defensively is to try to keep them out of the endzone. We’ve done a good job doing that. I think each game, you look at it differently, so I’m not really worried about where we’re at statistically with that. I just want to know how many wins we have and how many losses we have.”

THE FINAL WORD:
In some ways, the win against the Jaguars was as impressive as the upset wins against the Titans, Packers, and Ravens. The Jaguars are a much better team than their record. They are well-coached. And they were desperate. The officials also put their hand on the scales of that game. It didn’t matter. The Giants still found a way to win.

I keep expecting reality to set in and the team to lose. The odds say they can’t keep this up. However, this Seattle team is probably not as good as its record. This is a game the Giants can win if they can somehow pull out another close game. Find a way to get to 7-1, got into the bye on a positive note, and get some reinforcements back.

Game Review: New York Giants 23 – Jacksonville Jaguars 17

 Posted by
Oct 252022
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (October 23, 2022)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

QUICK RECAP

Rewind to Week 17 of 2020 with me. NYG was on the brink of a potential playoff spot despite a 6-10 finish. The only thing that stood in their way was the Washington Football Team that went into a Sunday night matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles with a 6-9 record. Because of tie-breakers, NYG would have gone to the postseason had PHI taken care of business. PHI tanked the game for the sake of a better draft position. There is some debate on whose call that actually was, but Pedersen took the heat. Washington won, went to the playoffs, Pedersen was fired, and NYG was on the outside looking in. Had they made it, would Joe Judge have had an extra year to prove his worth in 2022? As angry as NYG nation was back then, it was a move that could have prevented NYG from working under Brian Daboll today.

NYG has not been a productive first-drive team. In fact, the last time they opened the game with a touchdown-scoring drive was November 7, 2021 at home against the Raiders. They later went on to win that contest, one of their four on the year. So, for the first time in 14 games, Jones led the NYG offense to a game-opening touchdown on a pass to Darius Slayton. The lead did not last long, however. The Jaguars, led by second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence and former Eagles Super Bowl-winning Head Coach Doug Pederson, marched right back down the field. Six Plays (3 run / 3 pass), and 70 yards ended with Travis Etienne crossing the goal line. They opted to go for two points rather than tie it up after NYG was flagged for an illegal formation on the PAT try. Etienne easily ran that one is as well to give the home team an early one-point lead.

NYG punted on their next drive, but after left guard Ben Bredeson went down with a knee injury. JAC showed no issues in continuing their early offensive momentum, again getting into the red zone and putting up points. This drive ended with a 27-yard field goal by Riley Patterson. Former Giants’ first round pick Evan Engram had the longest play of the drive, a 28-yarder. The 28-year old is currently playing with the lowest drop rate of his career (2.6%), well below the league average. He is on pace to set a career high in catches and yards.

NYG was able to put up three points of their own on a 33-yard field goal by Graham Gano. But this came after Evan Neal, the second starting lineman of the game, limped off the field injured. He, along with Bredeson, did not return. At the time of this writing, both will likely be out for at least a couple of weeks. Even though NYG got the game within one, the outlook was bleak. A rookie who has already seen his share of struggles was in at left guard and a third-year vet who was waived in August by Baltimore was in at right tackle as NYG was taking on a very physical defensive front from JAC.

For the third time in as many tries, JAC found themselves in the red zone. It seemed everything they were trying on offense was working. Runs, passes, play-action, counters…etc. JAC was moving the ball at will and someone on the defense needed to make a play. Safety Xavier McKinney, who was having a poor game up until this point, stepped up. He forced an Etienne-fumble as he reached the NYG 5-yard line. Julian Love recovered in the end zone and walked out of bounds for the touchback. It was an enormous turn of events. Instead of it being JAC ball, 1st-and-goal from inside the five, it was NYG ball on their own 25. This turned into three more points for NYG after Gano hit a 33-yard field goal. The half was over after JAC threw a desperation Hail Mary and NYG had the 2-point lead.

The opening play of the first half was a 49-yard run by Etienne. At this point, he had 92 yards on just 7 carries. Etienne got them down to the NYG 1-yard line after two more carries before Trevor Lawrence took two straight QB sneaks up the middle, the second one crossing the goal line. NYG has made a living this year on scoring early in the second half, but they were the ones that allowed the early score after halftime. JAC was up 17-13, as Nick McCloud blocked the extra point. NYG drove down the field themselves and had an interception by Jones taken off the board thanks to a roughing-the-passer penalty, the second turnover of the game NYG escaped due to a flag. They had 2nd-and-3 from the JAC 3-yard line. Barkley was stuffed at the line on second down. Jones nearly threw an interception on third down. And Marcus Johnson dropped a pass on fourth down that would have at least resulted in a first down conversion and could have ended up in the end zone. The frustration level was at its highest.

Three straight scoreless possessions followed. The second stop of JAC was the result of more aggressive decision-making by Pederson. On 4th-and-1 from the NYG-20 yard line (and a 4-point lead), he kept the offense on the field. They tried yet another QB sneak and this time the NYG front stuffed it. Turnover on downs. Instead of going for the 7-point lead (Patterson is 7/8 lifetime on attempts 30-39 yards), it was NYG ball, down four. After a quiet running game in the first half, NYG was controlling the point-of-attack (with 2 backup OL remember). All 69 yards gained on their own were via the running game. Add in another 10 yards and 3 JAC penalties. Jones, who was having arguably the most impressive performance of his career, crossed the goal line on a 1-yard carry. NYG was up 20-17.

The NYG defense forced a three-and-out on the next drive, and with just under 4:30 left in the game, the offense had the ball back and their dominance on the ground continued. NYG brought extra linemen on the field and simply ran power after power after power. They gained 61 yards and forced JAC to use all 3 timeouts. The black eye here was the fact that Barkley ran out of bounds, stopping the clock, three times. Not once, not twice, but three times. Football has a way of balancing things out over time. A week after Barkley made the unselfish and brilliant decision to fall on the ground in front of the end zone to keep the clock running, he made three bonehead mistakes (in a row) that kept the game alive for JAC. Gano hit a 34-yarder to make the NYG lead six.

JAC and the referees made things interesting. Three penalties were called on NYG. One of them nullified an interception by Fabian Moreau. One of them added 15 yards to a 28-yard gain with under :20 left. Lawrence and the JAC offense had three shots at the end zone from inside the NYG-20 yard line. The first two fell incomplete. The third connected with Christian Kirk right in front of the end zone. It took a trio of NYG defenders to wrestle the 200-pound slot receiver to the ground just a couple feet shy of the end zone as the clock expired.

NYG wins 23-17.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 19/30 – 202 yards / 1 TD – 0 INT / 94.0 RAT

The most important stat from Jones came on the ground. He ran for 107 yards on 11 carries and added another touchdown. It was his first ever 100+ yard performance and he is third to only Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields in rushing by a quarterback this season. Jones has 1,343 yards on the ground so far in his career. Eli Manning had under 600 over his career. The contrast in offensive style and possibilities with an athlete like this under center should not be overlooked when evaluating his play. Jones put this team on his shoulder and delivered. He had multiple passes dropped, including a touchdown. Game ball for a guy who stepped up the most when his team needed him the most. If you are looking for a negative, he did have two turnovers cancelled by JAC penalties that did not exactly impact the original result of the play.

RUNNING BACK

-Saquon Barkley: 24 att – 110 yards / 4 rec – 25 yards

Barkley has been a different player in the second half of games this season. Week 7 was no different. He had 9 carries for 18 yards in the first half, 15 carries for 92 yards in the second. This is the ideal way to go about a power-run game; be at your best as the defense grows tired. The fact he did this behind a makeshift offensive line means something for both him and the coaching. I do believe they were limiting his snaps early, as the shoulder is a minor issue that they need to prevent turning into a big one. But with the game on the line late, it was time to feed him over and over. He delivered. That said, the constant lack of awareness that saw him go out of bounds three times was such a head scratcher. Had they lost, Barkley would have been one of the biggest scapegoats and rightfully so.

-Matt Breida had 19 yards on 4 carries and gained 14 yards on a catch. Solid performance in a game that saw him tie a season-high 18 snaps.

WIDE RECEIVER

-Poor game by the group overall. NYG is 6-1, but one needs to ask how much longer they can try to contend with these guys running routes. Darius Slayton caught 3 passes for 58 yards including a 32-yard touchdown. That was a double catch, and he dropped a ball later on. His ball skills and overall feel for the position is maddening.

-Wan’Dale Robinson was a huge part of the offense early on. He finished with 50 yards on 6 catches. Not the most impressive stat line, but keep in mind ALL of that production was in the first half. He suffered a minor injury in the second half and even though he came back in, he did not see the ball (or any targets) after halftime. I’m not too into fantasy football but I have a strong feeling he is going to be THE feature receiver on this team from here on out. No other player was targeted more and his adjustments to the ball in the air were amazing.

-Marcus Johnson is a polarizing player. I noted how many transactions he has been a part of in the past (including 2 trades). We saw some of the good the last two weeks, but we saw the ugly this week. He was targeted three times and he had 2 drops, one of which came at a vital point in the game. He was also flagged for an illegal downfield block.

-David Sills had a catch for 19 yards and Richie James added 1 catch for 2 yards.

TIGHT END

-Rookie Daniel Bellinger suffered one of the worst injuries I have seen in quite some time. While it sounds like it won’t be in the season-ending tier, the pain he obviously felt made my stomach knot up. He took a finger-led punch to the eye which caused fractures and will require surgery. He had 1 catch for 13 yards before exiting.

-Chris Myarick and Tanner Hudson will likely fill in for him moving forward. Myarick had 2 catches for 21 yards and allowed a TFL. I will touch on this below, but an argument can be made that tight end is now a bigger need on this team than receiver.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-I will start off with the injuries. Ben Bredeson and Evan Neal both missed most of the game with knee injuries. Initially this was perceived to be a major blow. When considering the law of averages, when a team loses multiple linemen in the same game, it usually gets ugly. Here? One could make the argument the NYG offense only got stronger from that point. No, not a knock on Neal and Bredeson. It is a compliment to the situation, players and coaches combined. Tyre Phillips played 58 snaps at tackle and Joshua Ezeudu played 61 snaps at left guard. How did they fare? Phillips looked better than the rookie. He allowed 2 pressures and a half-TFL, but was often left alone on an island and won more of those match-ups than I expected him to. Because Neal is still growing as a player, I don’t expect much of a drop off with Phillips in there. Ezeudu allowed 3 pressures and was flagged for illegally going downfield on a passing play. Overall, it was a poor game for him, but his best football was played late in the game when NYG absolutely took over with the running game.

-Mark Glowinski allowed a pressure and a TFL. More of the same from him. Solid football with a limited ceiling. You know when you hear the line “high floor / low ceiling” in pre-draft talk? That is Glowinski.

-Jon Feliciano had his best game as a Giant and Andrew Thomas was near-perfect again. The latter did allow a pressure, and some will credit a sack against him but that is why I like tracking my own stats. That sack was not on Thomas. These two and Glowinski need to be rock-solid as this offensive line is about to shift around a bit.

EDGE

-Last week I discussed rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux playing on a steady incline ever since missing the first two games of the year. That description is still in play. He had 3 tackles and a team-high 3 pressures. He constantly won with his first step and played well under the pads of the JAC tackles while turning a tight corner. His effort and speed are making an impact away from the ball, always a good sign. The big issue that continues to arise? He is not doing a good job setting the edge. He has been slow to recognize and lacks the power to make up for it. That hurt NYG against the run multiple times.

-Jihard Ward is the epitome of what an edge setter is in the NFL. He excelled in that role and has done so all year. He finished with only 2 tackles, but did a lot of the dirty work that helped this defense come up big late.

-With Oshane Ximines and Azeez Ojulari out, the door was opened for Tomon Fox and Quincy Roche. Roche was on the field just 2 snaps and he finished with a tackle. Fox was on the field for 34 snaps and did not appear on the stat sheet. He made one physical hit on an incomplete pass toward the end of the first half but beyond that, he was shut out. NYG had a few pass rush issues for the first 50-65% of the game. Fox was one of the culprits there.

DEFENSIVE LINE

-Dexter Lawrence was flagged twice for roughing the passer. The first was complete garbage. The second, I did not agree with, but that kind of roughing gets called weekly around the league. Hate the rule there, not the ref. Otherwise, he finished with 2 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 pressure. He had a sack nullified by a defensive holding call in the secondary.

-Leonard Williams and Nick Williams both had 1 tackle and 1 pressure. The former broke up a pass at the line as well. Overall, a quiet game from these two who had a hard time against the run.

-Ryder Anderson and Justin Ellis both rotated in and finished with a tackle.

LINEBACKER

-Tae Crowder had 6 tackles and missed one. He also broke up a pass. The issue with his overall game showed up in an ugly way in this game. He is late to react off the ball and gets caught out of position. He struggles to get off those blocks and now there is a wide-open running lane for the opposition. Jaylon Smith has similar issues but does show more post-snap when it comes to making reads. He added 4 tackles and showed good coverage downfield multiple times.

-Welcome back #21, Landon Collins. He saw 23 snaps at linebacker and most of them were on third down / passing situations. He had 1 tackle on an impressive play where he fought off the block in space and dragged down the ball carrier near the end zone.

CORNERBACK

-Adoree’ Jackson is the one force in this cornerback group that can be relied on play to play, week to week. He had 6 tackles and 2 pass break ups. His coverage down the stretch was money. Undoubtedly one of the most important players on this defense because of what is, or isn’t, behind him.

-Fabian Moreau finished with 7 tackles and a pass break up. He too came up big on the final drive. His interception was cancelled by a penalty by Dane Belton (a horrific call). And he was part of the crew that kept Kirk out of the end zone on the final play. He fits the bend-don’t-break stigma of this defense very well.

-Darnay Holmes had a penalty cancelled by a different defensive penalty. Otherwise, it was more of the same from him. Physical run support and tackling, good-not-great coverage, and a lot of versatility.

-Nick McCloud blocked an extra point. All things considered that ended up being a big play in the game.

SAFETY

-Xavier McKinney came up with a huge forced fumble that was desperately needed at the time. JAC was moving the ball with ease early on and it appeared they were about to score another touchdown. Getting that ball out of Etienne’s grasp was both timely and potentially game-changing. That somewhat hides his poor angles in run support that gave JAC extra yards (and points).

-Julian Love led the team with 9 tackles and a fumble recovery. The fumble recovery may not have even been the biggest play of the game. He made initial contact with Kirk on that final play of the game that ended up 1 yard short of JAC winning the game. McKinney and Moreau made bigger impact hits, but it was Love’s contact that slowed down Kirk’s momentum. Had Love not done this, Kirk may have reached the end zone for the score. He was flagged for a personal foul earlier in the game that I thought was another poor call by the refs.

-Dane Belton played 23 snaps, as he and Holmes appear to be going back and forth with respect to playing time. He finished with 2 tackles and was hosed on a penalty on the last drive that cancelled the Moreau interception. Another poor call by the refs.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Graham Gano: 3/3 (Made 33, 33, 34)
-P Jamie Gillian: 2 punts / 40.0 avg – 30.0 net

3 STUDS

-QB Daniel Jones, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, CB Adoree’ Jackson

3 DUDS

-WR Marcus Johnson, LB Tae Crowder, OG Joshua Ezeudu

3 THOUGHTS ON JAC

1. Yet another example (there are multiple cases every year) of not crowning anyone after 3 weeks. JAC started of 2-1 with wins against IND and LAC that combined for 62 points of margin over those opponents. They were up 8-1 in the turnover margin. They were up 70-51 in first down margin. Fast forward to Week 7, and they still have only 2 wins. Losers of 4 straight, JAC’s turnover margin is back to even and they’ve averaged under 18 points per game since their fast start. They are not contenders yet even though the AFC South can make a case for being the worst in football again.

2. Just how good is Trevor Lawrence? The 2021 #1 overall pick was destined for that tag since his freshman season at Clemson. He went on to have a stellar career there, but as we all know, life in the NFL is different. I’ve seen him four times this season and the traits are obviously there. But one inconsistency I see week to week revolves around ball placement issues when he has a lot of action close to him. This happens often. Kids from college come into the league and long-gone are the days of having 5 yards of space around you in all directions for 3-4-5 seconds every drop back. Lawrence missed on several throws in this game, and I saw the same against both HOU and PHI (albeit that one in the rain). Every young quarterback has a three-year grace period in my eyes as long as they do not bottom out. He is only in year two and is currently playing under his third play-caller. But for someone who I graded as high as I did, I was expecting better play than what he is showing in year two. He was the second-best quarterback on the field in this game and to be blunt, it wasn’t close.

3. What does JAC need to be a credible contender? Obviously, we know Lawrence needs to ascend, that can go without saying. When I look at this roster, I see quality players on both sides of the ball. Ownership has spent more free agency money than anyone in the league since 2012. I trust the coach. Travis Etienne has All-Pro potential, and he is starting to flash. Their defense has a young star in Josh Allen and another future star in Travon Walker. Linebacker Devin Lloyd is playing some of the best football in the league among rookies. But they have not escaped the cellar. What gives? I see two major issues. Their receivers can’t make anything happen after the catch and they are not deep threats. That is a danger zone to be in. Defensively they don’t have the cover-guys at the top and lack pro-caliber depth when guys go down. Thus, they are incredibly vulnerable to losing both passing battles week to week. Until that changes, they’ll remain where they’re at.

3 CLOSING THOUGHTS

1. 6-1. Credible playoff contention now and opportunities like this should not be assumed by a front office. Does the urgency for a trade (or signing) at receiver pick up with each win? Yes, I think so. Especially when it is coupled with the fact these receivers either can’t stay healthy or simply cannot be relied upon. Let’s be sure to not lower the standard for what a winning receiver does for a team. We have seen Slayton flash. We have seen Johnson flash. We have even seen Sills do a few good things. But do not mistake them for more than what they are: replacement-level players. I don’t want General Manager Joe Schoen to go down the path of selling future premium picks. But I think the urgency is a little higher now on an Odell Beckham reunion. But don’t overlook the need for a tight end. They are less expensive regarding both the cap and the trade market. Bellinger is the future at the position, but replacing his value and production CAN be done with a simple trade of a day-three pick to a team that is out of contention.

2. In episode 6 of “NYG Coaches Are Among the Best in the League”…I bring you to the final 19 offensive plays of the game. 17 of them were runs and they totaled 130 yards. 2 of them were passes, both fell incomplete. NYG doubled down on what they knew would work. Their bread and butter. And this was behind a banged up offensive line. So, what did they do? Bring on extra linemen as blocking tight ends (Devery Hamilton and Jack Anderson). They essentially ran the same play over and over and then threw in the little curve ball once JAC over-committed off the snap with a Jones naked bootleg. This staff has such a strong grasp how to move the ball on offense and that has more value than fancy personnel that other teams may have. It just keeps getting better.

3. A game in Seattle before NYG gets a week off. While 6-1 looks nice on paper, 7-1 will make things so much more comfortable than 6-2 moving forward. Because of their rookie tackles, I have seen all the Seattle games this year. They are right up there with NYG as the most surprising team in the NFL this season. My biggest concern is their ability to pound the run. They are first in the NFL in yards per carry and their rookie Kenneth Walker looks big time. NYG ranks dead last in the NFL in yards per carry allowed. This is an obvious mismatch, and I am curious to see what Martindale schemes up to prevent this being an issue.

Preview: New York Giants at Jacksonville Jaguars, October 23, 2022

 Posted by
Oct 212022
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (October 16, 2022)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

THE STORYLINE:
In last week’s preview, I wrote that if the New York Giants could upset the Baltimore Ravens that things will start to get really interesting. Well here we are. One upset win over a heavily-favored opponent might be a fluke. Two possibly. But three? More than half of the team’s five wins are against playoff-caliber teams they were supposed to lose to, including the Tennessee Titans (on the road), Green Bay Packers (in London), and the Ravens (MetLife hasn’t exactly been kind to the Giants in recent years). How good has it gotten? Watch this:

Objectively speaking, I am not even sure that it is in the best long-term interest of the Giants to be 5-1 in Year One of the latest rebuilding effort. But after years of simply horrific football, I’m setting all of that aside and just enjoying the ride at this point. Sundays are fun again and it’s been a long time since Giants fans could say that. Put it this way: the Giants have already surpassed their win total from 2021. And they will be playing meaningful football in November.

Enter the 2-4 Jacksonville Jaguars. Based on the commentary I’ve seen this week, knowledgeable Giants fans smartly have a healthy respect for the Jaguars and the risk this game poses. The Jaguars are not as bad as their record on the surface suggests. After a close loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 1, they clobbered the Indianapolis Colts 24-0 in Week 2 (at home), shocked the Los Angeles Chargers 38-10 in Week 3 (at home), lost a close game 29-21 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4 (on the road), before losing two close, but disappointing contests to the Houston Texans and Colts. In the first year of their own latest rebuilding effort, they are playing competitive football in every game and buying into the new program under ex-Eagles Head Coach and Giants tormentor Doug Pederson. Ironically, before the shocking 5-1 start by Daboll’s Giants, this is what many of us at best had hoped for in terms of our own team.

The Jaguars have a good defense and a franchise quarterback. They are also playing at home and are desperate. If that’s not enough for you, the Giants started off the week as 2.5 underdogs and the line has moved more in favor of Jacksonville.

My point? This is a different situation for Brian Daboll, his coaching staff, and the players. Winning has increased expectations. It has also increased confidence. But far better teams under coaches such as Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin have fallen victim to the “letdown” or “trap” games. This contest falls squarely into that category. The 2022 New York Giants are a very young team. Do they have the maturity to understand the opportunities and risks this particular game poses? The Giants have never won in Jacksonville. And if the players don’t take this game seriously, they can get badly embarrassed just like the Chargers did.

THE INJURY REPORT:

  • RB Saquon Barkley (shoulder – probable)
  • WR Kenny Golladay (knee – out)
  • WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring – out)
  • OT Andrew Thomas (elbow – probable)
  • OC Jon Feliciano (groin – questionable)
  • OLB Azeez Ojulari (calf – out)
  • OLB Oshane Ximines (quad – out)
  • CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf – out)
  • S Jason Pinnock (ankle – questionable)

NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
You may hate it. You may love it. But the Daniel Jones 2022 redemption tour continues. For those who haven’t noticed, Jones has FOUR game-winning, 4th-quarter drives in six games this year. Three of those games have been 4th-quarter comebacks. And he’s doing this behind an offensive line that has been shaky in pass protection (under duress in 40 percent of his passing attempts) and a wide receiver corps that no one outside of the diehard fan base could even name. Plus, he’s still playing on a bum ankle. In the latest game, it wasn’t Jones who melted down in the 4th quarter, it was former League MVP Lamar Jackson who threw a stupid interception and fumbled the ball upon being touched. I said it last week and I’ll say it again, since the opener, Jones hasn’t turned the ball over (the one pick against Dallas came when David Sills fell down).

Aside from Saquon Barkley and the question about his future contract status, there are only two targets on this team who I am sure will be here in 2023 and they are Daniel Bellinger and Wan’Dale Robinson. I don’t think it is a coincidence that Jones started throwing touchdowns again last Sunday given the return of Robinson and the continued development of Bellinger. Robinson only played 15 snaps, but he had a big impact in the game with one touchdown and two big 3rd-down conversions. Bellinger has improved not only as a blocker, but he’s becoming a play-maker, something he wasn’t in college. If these two and Barkley (who has a worrisome shoulder issue) can stay healthy, the offense should remain somewhat respectable. This is especially true as the offensive line continues to gain experience, cohesion, and chemistry.

What’s lacking from the New York offense right now is the deep passing game. Perhaps Darius Slayton can rekindle some of his past success at some point, but none of the Giants targets are threatening teams deep. This is impacting the rest of the offense as opposing teams can be more aggressive against defending Barkley as a runner and receiver. I’m not sure this issue can really be fixed until the offseason.

The Jaguars are not a great match-up for the New York offense. This is yet another tough defense as Jacksonville is ranked 11th overall in yards allowed (better than the 14th-ranked Giants) and 9th overall in points allowed (just a tick behind the Giants). Most notably, the Jaguars are third in run defense, allowing only 89 yards per game. That does not bode well for a New York offense that is largely dependent on the ground game, especially given that Jones’ ankle is probably still an issue (he only ran the ball three times for 10 yards against Baltimore, not counting kneel downs).

The strength of Jacksonville’s defense is their linebacking corps. Edge rusher Josh Allen is a player the Giants reportedly coveted in the 2019 NFL Draft. He leads the Jaguars with three sacks and 10 quarterback hits. Through six games, inside linebackers Devin Lloyd and Foye Oluokun have accumulated an incredible 114 tackles between them. Lloyd is also making his presence felt as a pass rusher and in coverage. He’s playing at an All-Pro level. The other edge rusher? Travon Walker was the first player taken overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s an incredible athlete who can play the run, rush the passer, and even drop into coverage despite his background as a collegiate defensive lineman. These guys are really hard to run against.

Passing against the Jaguars is easier, as they rank 20th against the pass. But the Giants are 31st in the NFL in passing yards, averaging only 154 yards per contest. They will probably have to up that this week in order to win. So we’re looking at a strength-on-strength, weakness-on-weakness type of situation. The good news for the Giants is that while the Jaguars have the potential to be a very good pass-rushing team, they have not been getting home, with only 10 sacks on the year. On the flip side, Jacksonville is tied for fifth in interceptions with seven.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
The New York Giants finished the 2021 season 21st in yards allowed and 23rd in points allowed. It’s not surprising that Wink Martindale has improved this unit to 14th in yards allowed and 8th in points allowed. What is shocking is his defense, which perennially a top-5 run defense in Baltimore, is currently ranked 28th, allowing almost 145 yards per game. Just as surprising, especially when you consider the Giants have rolled out guys with the names Fabian Moreau, Justin Layne, and Nick McCloud at corner, is that the team is 8th in pass defense, allowing only 195 yards per game.

I’ve got to think that the run defense number is gnawing at Wink. If so, this would be a good week for the Giants to start improving their run defense because the Jaguars are no slouches running the ball, and like to do so early and often in order to keep down-and-distance situations manageable. Travis Ettienne and James Robinson form a two-headed backfield, who together have rushed for 641 yards between them. Robinson is averaging 4.2 yards per carry while Ettienne is averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Both can keep the chains moving, but both can also break the big run.

Why has the New York run defense been so bad? My guess is there have been a variety of factors ranging from scheming (heavy use of defensive backs in some games) to personnel issues (injuries plus subpar run defense by specific players) to learning curve (this is a really complicated defense and Wink has admitted that his players are still learning on the job). Regardless of the factors, this is going to catch up to the Giants unless they dramatically improve their run defense. It did against the Cowboys and almost did against the Ravens.

The good news is that Leonard Williams is back. Dexter Lawrence is playing at a Pro Bowl level. Kayvon Thibodeaux should improve with experience. Jihad Ward may be the most underrated signing in the NFL. However, Azeez Ojulari will miss yet another game and surprising contributor Oshane Ximines will also be out this week. The Giants also need more consistency out of Tae Crowder and Jaylon Smith. Wink has also pointed out that the run defense of the defensive backs has been up-and-down.

Stating the obvious, when the Jaguars can run the ball, it makes life easier for franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Like the Giants, the Jaguars like to employ the short-to-intermediate passing game. That helps to prevent the pass rush from reaching Lawrence behind an offensive line that hasn’t been great protecting the passer. Sound familiar? The Jaguars do have some cornerstones up front, most notably right guard Brandon Scherff and tackles Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor. Again, sounds familiar. Pederson and Lawrence know that Wink will be blitzing a lot, so expect them to continue to try to get the ball out quickly, combined with a heavy emphasis on the run.

There are four players on the Jaguars with 30 catches or more: WR Christian Kirk (44 catches, 362 yards, 4 touchdowns), WR Zay Jones (37 catches, 227 yards, 1 touchdown), TE Evan Engram (32 catches, 208 yards), and WR Marvin Jones (30 catches, 208 yards, 1 touchdown). Slot receiver Kirk is the key. When the Jaguars were playing better, they got the ball to Kirk more. The match-up with Darnay Holmes here could be very significant.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
The Giants special teams are starting to find their rhythm and contribute to wins. A week after I knocked Gary Brightwell’s kick returning ability, he broke off his best return. In a game that is likely to be yet another closely-fought defensive struggle, special teams could prove decisive.

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH:
Head Coach Brian Daboll on QB Trevor Lawrence: “I think he’s doing a great job in Coach Pederson’s offense. He’s big. He can throw it accurately. He can move. They run him on some quarterback, not just keepers, but also quarterback designed runs, too. So, athletic, smart. He’s a really good person, too. He’s going to be a good player in this league for a long time.”

THE FINAL WORD:
I don’t think I would call this a “trap” game, but it could have the earmarks of a “letdown” game. The Giants have been expending a lot of emotional energy in recent weeks. That usually catches up with a team. This is a different type of test for Daboll and his players. Expectations are higher, most likely unreasonably so. We know the 2022 New York Giants can pull of the big upset. Can they win the games many now expect them to? The oddsmakers are predicting this team can’t keep it up. We shall see.

The one big thing the Giants have going for them right now is they never believe they are out of a game and they don’t quit. They are beginning to expect to win and that’s a tremendous advantage. The Jaguars don’t have that characteristic yet.

Game Review: New York Giants 24 – Baltimore Ravens 20

 Posted by
Oct 182022
 
Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants (October 16, 2022)

Wan’Dale Robinson – © USA TODAY Sports

QUICK RECAP

The 2018 NFL Draft was one for the books. If you can recall, NYG picked #2 overall and were approaching the end of Eli Manning’s career. Multiple quarterbacks graded out high enough to be considered for that spot. Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, and Josh Allen were all in the discussion, but only the latter three were available when NYG came on the clock. We all know they went on to choose Saquon Barkley (the 2018 Rookie of the Year and current NFL leader in yards from scrimmage). One of the most oft-forgotten facts about that draft class was what Baltimore did within the back half of the first round. They were sitting at #16 overall and then traded their way back to #25. They selected South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst. Right as the first round was about to wrap up, BAL made a trade up with PHI. That is where they took a quarterback out of Louisville named Lamar Jackson. Getting him in the first round, even at the very end of it, created an eventual economic advantage (the 5th year option which he is playing under right now). Fast forward to the present where the streaky Jackson, the 2019 MVP, led the 3-2 Ravens into MetLife Stadium. They were coming off two straight games where they finished with under 21 points scored after seeing that same exact thing occur in 6 of 9 games down the stretch in 2021 that ultimately led to their demise.

It was a sloppy start to the game for both teams. There were four false starts within the first 25 snaps and neither team scored any points in the first quarter. The Giants defense continued a bend-but-don’t-break approach, as BAL crossed midfield on both of their drives. The second one ended in a Justin Tucker missed field goal attempt of 56 yards, his first 50+ miss in 11 attempts. The game’s first score occurred on BAL’s opening drive of the second quarter. Kenyan Drake, who was cut by the Raiders in August, entered the game with 65 yards on 21 carries. He burst through the right side of the line for a 30 yard-score.

Gary Brightwell, an unsung hero to the hot start of NYG’s surprise season, took the ensuing kickoff to midfield. When a team wins games the way the Giants have been winning so far, these little things go a long way. Daniel Jones then led the offense to a 10-play, 53-yard drive that ended on a touchdown pass to rookie Wan’Dale Robinson, who had not been on the field since the first quarter of week one in Tennessee. The drive included third down conversions of 14 and 12 yards, respectively. It was a big-time clutch performance in a moment where the team needed it coming from an offense that came into the league ranked in the bottom third on 3rd down.

BAL scored on the next drive via a 34-yard field goal by Tucker. Drake had another 30-yard run as he matched his season total in rushing yards on less than a handful of carries. NYG went three and out, giving BAL one more shot with over a minute left before halftime. A sack by Dexter Lawrence, who continues his All-Pro caliber play, moved the chains back enough to eventually lead to their own three and out. NYG did get the ball back at midfield thanks to an Unnecessary Roughness penalty on A.J. Klein on the punt, but it did not lead to any points as Jones was sacked and lost a fumble as time expired.

BAL outgained NYG 256 to 90 in the first half. They won the time of possession battle. They led in the sack battle. They led in the turnover battle. Usually, those margins lead to bigger deficits, but NYG, an excellent second half team, was right where they wanted to be and right where they are comfortable. BAL lengthened their lead to 13-7 following their first drive of the second half despite getting to the NYG 5-yard line with a 1st and goal. Jackson threw three straight incomplete passes (including a drop by Mark Andrews) and Tucker had to come on for a 23-yard field goal. NYG stayed in it with a 34-yard field goal following a 14 play, 59-yard drive. The scoring drive was heavily aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by Jayson Oweh following a third-down stop.

BAL kept ahold of the momentum with a touchdown scoring drive. Jackson hit Andrews, the other All-Pro the team drafted in 2018, for a 12-yard score. The fourth quarter was under way and NYG was down by 10, the biggest deficit of the game. They did not crumble; they did not panic. Seven runs, five passes, and two more third-down conversions brought them all the way to the BAL 8-yard line. Jones hit rookie Daniel Bellinger for the touchdown to get the game back within one score. It was the third scoring drive that consisted of double-digit plays.

There is an ongoing debate whether or not Jackson is worth the next big quarterback contract. Many assume he will breach the $50 million-annual mark but BAL has not coughed it up yet. There is no denying how rare of a talent he is and how hard he can be to defend. But what transpired over the next two drives in combination with the contrast in regular season to postseason performance (1-3 record / 3 TD-5 INT) is what can credibly cause one to hesitate to spend 25+% of cap allocation on him. A terrible interception brought in by Julian Love after an errant shotgun snap gave NYG the ball back on the BAL 13-yard line. NYG scored on a 1-yard run by Barkley the play after Marcus Peters was flagged for pass interference in the end zone, a play he intercepted the ball.

NYG, for the first time, had a 24-20 lead. Jackson, with just under 2 minutes and all three timeouts under his belt, carelessly held the ball as NYG brought pressure. Rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux came up with his biggest play of his young career, batting that ball hanging out in the open and knocking it loose. Leonard Williams fell on it and NYG had the ball back, up four on the BAL 13-yard line, with 1:30 left. BAL did have all their timeouts so when looking at the math, NYG would either have to get a first down, score, or turn the ball over. They couldn’t bleed the clock to death. On 2nd-and-5, Barkley bounced a run to the outside and had a clear shot at the end zone. He channeled his inner Ahmad Bradshaw and slid to the ground in between the first down marker and the end zone. Fantasy mManagers must have been upset but this was the way to guarantee victory.

NYG wins 24-20.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 19/27 – 173 yards / 2 TD – 0 INT / 112.1 RAT

Jones added 10 yards on the ground not including his kneel downs. He lost a fumble on the last play of the first half which had no impact on the game. It was a clean performance by Jones that included a couple of big-time throws, some of which were on 3rd down. The overall comfort I see with him while making decisions and navigating the pocket continues to grow by the week. Having the rookie Wan’Dale Robinson back on the field did not look like a lot on paper, but when considering the lack of talent he has been working with at the receiver position, it brought Jones to a higher level. The quick maturation of the rookie tight end is bringing Jones to a higher level. Saquon Barkley staying on the field and playing the best we have seen him is bringing Jones to a higher level. All of that added up and his skill position talent is still bottom third in the league. What kind of level does Jones get to with another high-end receiver or two? It is all projection at this point, but we now have some more information on what happens here when this situation around him trends north.

RUNNING BACK

-Saquon Barkley: 22 att – 83 yards – 1 TD / 3 rec – 12 yards

73 of Barkley’s 95 yards came after halftime. The running game had a bit more juice and even though he did not have explosive plays (20+ yards), as his biggest run on the day was a gain of 8, Barkley came up big when it mattered. A few of these runs that resulted in 2-3 yard gains were losses a year ago. It does not look like a lot on paper, but the margin from 1–2 yard loss to a 2-3 yard gain adds up. His slide at the end of the game was an incredible move. It was a move that CLE running back Nick Chubb did not do Week 2 against the Jets, and it ultimately led to a loss. One concern I have with Barkley is the shoulder. It has not caused him to miss a ton of snaps, but it is contact-induced and he plays such a violent position. Something to keep an eye on.

-Matt Breida had 3 carries the resulted in -6 yards but did add 17 yards on 2 catches and provided a couple of key blocks in pass protection. Gary Brightwell’s 47-yard kick return that set up NYG’s first touchdown is another feather in the cap of the second-year 7th rounder who continues to make important contributions to the 5-win Giants.

WIDE RECEIVER

-Good to see rookie Wan’Dale Robinson back on the field after suffering a knee injury Week 1. He played just a pitch count-based 15 snaps (23%) but he made a huge impact on the game. 3 catches for 37 yards and a touchdown, the first of his career. The other 2 catches both went for first downs. The one red flag here centers on the ball skills. Robinson dropped a pass and double caught/bobbled two others. I lean toward this being a result of him being a bit rusty more than forecasting it being an issue.

-Marcus Johnson caught 2 passes for 25 yards, both of which went for a first down, but he also dropped a touchdown. Johnson’s tools continue to impress. Richie James caught both of his targets for 18 yards and David Sills caught 1 ball for 8 yards.

-Darius Slayton caught a pass for 18 yards but dropped one and was also flagged for offensive pass interference. Jones gave him an opportunity for a touchdown (he had Barkley WIDE open for a touchdown on the play) but Slayton could not come down with the contested catch. I want to see him attack the ball with both hands and play stronger against contact.

TIGHT END

-Daniel Bellinger: 5 rec – 38 yards – 1 TD

The rookie continues to surge as he played a season high 61 snaps and led the team in catches and yards, and scored one of the two passing game touchdowns. I want to spend the time talking about the improvements he has made as a blocker. It was a red flag I discussed over summer and most rookies struggle in this department in their first year. Bellinger’s improvement from August to now in the trenches, on the move, and at the second level is one of the biggest wins of the season when looking at player development. His hands and ability to stay attached are so solid and it is helping the running game immensely. His ball skills are all about his hands. His routes look sudden. NYG has themselves a tight end, folks. Amazing how fast this happened.

-Tanner Hudson and Chris Myarick both played under half the snaps. Neither made much of an impact on the game, good or bad.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-Andrew Thomas fought through a minor ankle injury (the one that has hampered him for multiple years) and pitched yet another shut out. I did see him get stood up at the point-of-attack in the running game a couple times, as it looked like he could not get the movement we have seen in recent weeks. That said, he cleared the lane for Barkley’s 1-yard touchdown run on a down block. Evan Neal had his best game of the season. He allowed 1 pressure and did allow a sack on a weird play. He fell to the ground as he chased Justin Madubuike inside, a play the resulted in just a 1-yard loss. Neal showed better footwork overall and allowed his mass to win the battles. I know Neal was atop the Bruce Feldman “Freak List” in 2021 and he does some impressive things in workouts, but his game is all about size and power. When he stays within himself and avoids over-setting, he is a very tough guy to move. He needs to continue to lean into that the way he did against BAL.

-Inside we saw a few more issues again, especially in the first half. Mark Glowinski allowed 2 pressures early but played better from the second quarter-on. Jon Feliciano continues to grade out well below average, finishing with 2 allowed sacks, 1 TFL, and 1 pressure. He went down with a groin injury in the second half but did come back on the field. Ben Bredeson (1 pressure allowed) moved to center for a few snaps, a position I am starting to think he may need to shift to, while rookie Joshua Ezeudu got on the field for 4 snaps.

EDGE

-All three of the main contributors made plays behind the line of scrimmage. Jihad Ward had 2 TFL on the opening drive of the game, the second one knocking BAL out of field goal range and forcing a punt. Oshane Ximines had a TFL. And rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux played a career high 83% of the snaps, finishing with 3 tackles, 1 pressure, and a sack-fumble that sealed the win. Last week I said don’t even think about being alarmed by a lack of sacks. His play, his movement, and his reaction times were getting better and better and the big plays would come. The sack-fumble came at the best possible time and now we will see the confidence morph into production, watch.

DEFENSIVE LINE

-Dexter Lawrence is the best defender on this team and one could make the argument he is the overall team MVP over 6 weeks. He finished with 1 tackle, 1 sack, 2 pressures, and a pass break up. The volume of impact may not have been there, but he was a key to stopping BAL when they needed to be stopped. His performance was a microcosm of the defense’s overall performance. Make the plays when they’re needed the most despite overall numbers looking more bad than good.

-Leonard Williams was back on the field after missing 3 games. I thought he would be on a strict pitch count but he was on the field for 92% of the snaps. He finished with 2 tackles, 1 pressure, and the game-sealing fumble recovery. He didn’t look like he lost a step at all but there were 2 plays where he got completely washed out of a running lane. BAL does a great job up front on combo blocks and that is where Williams has struggled in the past.

-Justin Ellis and Nick Williams were beat up a bit in the running game. Neither show a lot of range in pursuit against the athletic BAL rushing attack that gained most of its yards from the B-gap outward.

LINEBACKER

-If there was one position group that I had to point to when looking at BAL’s 8.8 yards per carry, it was this one. Tae Crowder and Jaylon Smith both had 3 tackles and avoided the negative plays on the score sheet, but neither were stout against the run. Crowder did not get off blocks and Smith was late and slow to react. They simply gave the BAL running game too much space to operate.

CORNERBACK

-Glad to see Adoree’ Jackson on the field after a knee injury knocked him out early last week. He had 4 tackles and a pass break up. His deep coverage against BAL speedster Devin Duvernay was a key factor in the game many won’t see unless they watch the All-22. His one negative on the score sheet was blowing outside contain two times on running plays.

-Fabian Moreau finished with 8 tackles, the second highest of his career. While high-tackle numbers can be an alarm for a corner, Moreau did not play a bad game. He did get beat for a touchdown and he did drop an interception off a deflection, but he tackled well after the catch and after BAL ball carriers broke through the second level.

-Darnay Holmes played just 10 snaps (17%). This was interesting to me, but I believe it had more to do with Dane Belton providing better match-ups against the run/tight end-dominant BAL attack.

SAFETY

-Dane Belton seems to be rotating in and out of playing time based on match-ups, not performance. In 5 games he has played 46, 11, 46, 21, 42 snaps. Although I see a few ups and downs, he is turning into a quality asset on this defense. He had 6 tackles, 1 pressure, and a pass break up in the end zone. He missed 1 tackle. His deep coverage against tight ends factored in their success against the pass as well. He is playing fast and physical and seeing some snaps at linebacker. I did not love seeing him in that spot, however. He got trounced a couple times there.

-Xavier McKinney led the team with 9 tackles and was a reliable last line of defense. He broke up a pass and was the one who pressured Jackson on the 4th-quarter interception. He is a fast decision-maker with great burst, 2 major traits for safety.

-Julian Love gets the game ball if you’re asking me. He had 5 tackles, a pass break up in the end zone which was a high level play, and a huge interception in the 4th quarter that was the most influential play of the game. Overlooked on that interception was the 27-yard return that brought the ball to the BAL 13-yard line. NYG getting a 4-point lead rather than tying it up at 20 was enormous and it was very much a result of his impressive vision, burst, and footwork to pick up those yards.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Graham Gano: 1/1 (Made 34)
-P Jamie Gillian: 4 punts / 46.3 avg – 43.3 net

3 STUDS

-S Julian Love, DT Dexter Lawrence, QB Daniel Jones

3 DUDS

-OC Jon Feliciano, LB Jaylon Smith, WR Darius Slayton

3 THOUGHTS ON BAL

1. Three time this year BAL has blown a double-digit lead in the second half. All three have resulted in their three losses on the year. They also blew games against the Dolphins and Bills. The one common thread I have seen in those losses has been the lack of ability to get to the passer on defense. They don’t have the closer anymore, and even though new Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald is an aggressive shot caller, he’s no Wink Martindale. David Ojabo was drafted in April, but he will miss the year as he rehabs the Achilles’ injury he suffered at his Pro Day last March. 2021 first rounder Odafe Oweh has flashed but lacks consistency and a power game. Tyrus Bowser is hurt. Justin Houston and Calais Campbell are both near the end. I don’t think BAL realized what they were losing when they let Matt Judon walk after 2020. He currently sits 2nd in the NFL in sacks.

2. The Lamar Jackson contract situation is a fascinating one on multiple levels. He does not have an agent. His mother (with some help from the NFLPA) has been doing the negotiating with the club. And BAL has passed on extending him multiple times now. As I said above, Jackson is a rare talent, and he can keep opposing defensive coaches up at night. But is he a winner? And by winner, I mean postseason wins. The kind of wins where he puts the team on his back, makes other players better, and beats a high-quality defense with his arm. There is no denying he is one of the best 10 quarterbacks in the game, but the question will be, should he be paid like one that is top 3? If BAL thought so, it would have happened already. I do think there is a more-than 40% chance he is playing elsewhere in 2023.

3. How far will this BAL team go? As I said earlier, they lack a true difference-maker along their defensive front. They have minimal talent at receiver. They have a hard time creating explosive plays in the passing game. Their schedule will do them some favors down the stretch (CAR, JAC, PIT 2x, ATL, CLE over the final 8 weeks), but at this point it almost seems we know what they are: a roller coaster that is an extension of the quarterback and defense. They will look dominant at times and a non-contender the next week. They are in a weird spot, and I think 10 wins will be right around where they end up. But they lack key components to win in the postseason.

3 CLOSING THOUGHTS

1. I want to give Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale a standing ovation. This match-up could have gone multiple ways. Sure, Wink knows Lamar as much as any defensive mind in the game, but the offensive staff (and Lamar) know Wink as much as anyone in the league. While I don’t think the Giants took the game over by any means, they repeatedly came up big in key moments. The turnovers in the fourth quarter are the obvious bullet points under that statement, but the little victories like pushing them out of field goal range on 3rd down on the first drive of the game, the tackle for loss by Ximines on 2nd-and-15 on the second drive, and holding them to field goals twice after having a 1st down in the red zone. These are the moments that often decide games and in these moments, Martindale beat Lamar. His exotic looks and constant state of confusion he created made a huge impact.

2. The Giants have been one of the more injured teams in the league. It can be tough to objectively measure “team health” (a few guys try but there are loopholes), but I peg them somewhere between the 8th and 12th most injured team. Some have it worse, most have had it better. That isn’t the point. My point is this team is sitting 5-1 and they have some guys on the brink of coming back. Look at Leonard Williams and Wan’Dale Robinson. They come back and both made vital plays to the winning effort. Kayvon Thibodeaux misses two games and has been on a steady ascent since coming back Week 3. NYG will get the likes of Azeez Ojulari and Kadarius Toney back at some point. Say what you want about them, but there is no denying the fact these guys are personnel upgrades over what is being marched out there right now. Just another positive to look forward to.

3. What is the best offensive line configuration? NYG is going to need to decide soon when it comes to the interior. Fortunately, their outside spots are locked in. Mark Glowiniski won’t be going anywhere from RG. So, there are, in my eyes, three decisions that need to be made. Who starts at center? Does that change who starts at LG? And who are the top two backups who can rotate and back these spots up? The availability of Nick Gates and Shane Lemieux will determine a lot. Those are the two biggest questions. Where I do not have any questions is at center. NYG needs to make a change there. After 6 games and the preseason and looking back on Feliciano’s career, it is time to make him a backup. Move Bredeson to center or warm the spot up for Gates when he is fully back. This can make left guard a wide-open competition between Lemieux (who will likely win the job if he stays healthy), Gates, and the rookie Ezeudu. Another option for that spot it to investigate the trade market for teams that are clearly out of the 2022 postseason race. OL talent is a hard spot to acquire via trade because it is such a rare commodity that everyone wants, but Jonah Jackson (DET) and A.J. Cann (HOU) are two names worth inquiring about based on them as players and the situations they currently are in.

Preview: Baltimore Ravens at New York Giants, October 16, 2022

 Posted by
Oct 142022
 
Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants (October 9, 2022)

Daniel Bellinger – © USA TODAY Sports

THE STORYLINE:
While it is usually unwise to make too much of a victory or defeat, certain games can change the arc of an NFL season. Without the advantage of future hindsight, at this particular moment in time, the upset win over the Green Bay Packers in London appears to have changed the multiple narratives and expected outcomes for the New York Football Giants. The Giants may be rebuilding, but through five games, they are very much in the playoff hunt. And some offseason personnel decisions – starting at quarterback – just got a little more cloudy.

In last week’s game preview, I talked about expectations when the 2022 NYG schedule was released. The clearly rebuilding Giants were supposed to lose to the defending #1 seed in the AFC Tennessee Titans. The Giants were supposed to lose to the defending #1 seed in the NFC Green Bay Packers. By the end of Week 5, the best the Giants could hope for was a 2-3 record. Yet here we are at 4-1, one game out of first place in the reinvigorated NFC East.

Just as significantly, there has been nothing fluky about the four wins. There haven’t been strange plays or timely turnovers that have pundits and fans claiming a clearly outplayed Giants team was “lucky” to win. Quite the contrary, the Giants are winning DESPITE a lack of a clear advantage in turnovers. They are winning despite being undermanned with a plethora of injuries to some of their best players. They are winning despite trailing their opponents in the second half in three of their four wins. They are not giving up; they are a resilient bunch.

Of course, all of this can change in a heartbeat. All glory is fleeting. Two or three losses and we’re back to the old expectations and narratives. Given the state of the roster, the margin for error is small. Every game has been close and most have been nail-biters. Can they keep this up? Enter the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens, another team the Giants were supposed to lose to when the schedule was released. Can New York do it again? If they can, then things start to get REALLY interesting.

THE INJURY REPORT:

  • QB Tyrod Taylor (concussion – probable)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (shoulder – probable)
  • WR Kenny Golladay (knee – out)
  • WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee – questionable)
  • WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring – out)
  • TE/FB Chris Myarick (ankle – probable)
  • TE Tanner Hudson (illness – questionable)
  • DL Leonard Williams (knee – questionable)
  • OLB Azeez Ojulari (calf – doubtful)
  • CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee/neck – probable)
  • CB Darnay Holmes (quad – probable)
  • CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf – out)
  • S Tony Jefferson (foot – out)
  • S Jason Pinnock (ankle – out)

NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
In a recent radio interview, I was asked what has been the #1 discussion on the website. I replied that for months, it has been the endless debate over Daniel Jones. I also said that most fans appeared to have dug their heels in and already made up their minds one way or the other, which in itself put Jones in a tough spot from PR perspective.

Let’s try to look at this as objectively as possible. Entering the 2022 NFL season, Jones was a 12-25 quarterback through three seasons. This year, he is 4-1. In other words, he’s already reached his seasonal victory average. He only has three turnovers (two interceptions and one fumble). Two were legit (the interception and the fumble in the season opener). The other interception came against the Cowboys when his receiver fell down at the end of the game. In other words, since the opener, he hasn’t been turning the ball over. On the flip side, passing touchdowns since his rookie season (24) remain elusive. He has only thrown three, and none since Week 2.

In New York’s signature win thus far, Jones did not throw or run for a score. He did throw for a season-high 217 yards, but that number is pedestrian at best. HOWEVER, Jones did two big things in this game: (1) he started to win over some hearts and minds with his gritty toughness, and (2) with no margin for error, he made key throws and runs on the game-tying, 91-yard drive that required eight first downs. As Sy’56 pointed out, he raised the play of those around him. One game does not make a trend, but this is the type of performance Jones needs if he is to remain a New York Giant.

Why am I spending so much time on Jones in a preview that should be focusing on the Giants-Ravens match-ups? Because the outstanding, major questions for the Giants are bigger than individual games. We all feel it. The Green Bay game is the first real indication that Jones may return in 2023 and beyond. That could be bad. Or it could be great. The bad is obvious. What if Mara, Schoen, and Daboll decide they can win with Jones moving forward, re-sign him to a huge, multi-year contract, and then he massively disappoints in 2023 and 2024? On the other hand, what if the Giants DO have their franchise quarterback already on the roster? What if Daboll and staff were able resurrect Jones from the dead? The timeline of the “rebuild” instantly changes for the better. As I’ve stated previously, that also directly impacts the fate of Saquon Barkley since Barkley’s next few years would not be “wasted” on a newly-drafted quarterback. This what I mean by multiple narratives possibly changing. Things are much more in flux now.

Now to complicate this further, as Go Terps correctly pointed out in The Forum this week, we really do not know what Daboll wants to do at quarterback. The strength of this coaching staff has been its ability to adjust and work with what it has. But despite winning with Jones, Daboll simply may want to upgrade the position so he be more of a pass-first team like he was in Buffalo. The argument here is Jones simply isn’t a difference-maker at the position in the passing game and he is injury-prone.

Enter the Baltimore Ravens. Defensively, they are having an extremely odd season. They are currently 28th in defense (12th against the run, 32nd against the pass, 18th in scoring defense). What’s so strange is that cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey are legit Pro Bowlers. The Ravens imploded in a 28-point meltdown against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. But they also did a nice job in a 23-20 loss to the explosive Buffalo Bills two weeks ago and a 19-17 win over the defending AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday night. Significantly, they are tied for an NFL high 11 takeaways with eight interceptions and three fumble recoveries. The Ravens can also rush the passer. Recently signed, ex-Giant Jason Pierre-Paul was causing problems for the Bengals. Odafe Oweh leads the team with 17 quarterback pressures despite only one sack.

So on the surface, it would appear the weakness of the Ravens is their dead-last pass defense, provided you can avoid throwing interceptions. See where I’m going with this? Despite their 28th-ranked defense, the Ravens are playing better in recent weeks and have enough talent to make life difficult for a Giants’ offense that is 31st in passing, averaging a paltry 154 yards per game. Now that’s not all on Jones. The pass protection has been too up-and-down. The Giants have the worst wide receiving corps in the NFL. But there are glimpses of hope. Daniel Bellinger is becoming a factor. Darius Slayton arose from the dead for at least one week. Wan’Dale Robinson returns. The Ravens are going to concentrate on Barkley. Why wouldn’t they? Jones is going to be on the spot. Can he move this team with his arm, while at the same time avoiding the turnover? To me, that’s the offensive storyline of this game. But it’s also bigger than that. Can Jones make another argument to keep him on this roster? Stay tuned.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
This is an interesting match-up because of Wink Martindale’s long relationship with the Harbaugh family, including his 10-year stay in Baltimore with the Ravens. He knows their strength and weaknesses. But Harbaugh also knows Wink. The chess match will be fascinating to watch.

The bad news is the Giants can’t seem to get all of their defensive toys on the field at the same time. Injury issues at all three levels of the defense have been a problem all season, including the team’s best defensive players. Despite that, this defense keeps plugging along when it should be getting torched. The good news is that the Giants should be getting back arguably their best defensive player, Leonard Williams. That’s exciting to contemplate when you consider how well Dexter Lawrence is playing. The two of them, combined with edge rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and possibly Azeez Ojulari (who will likely miss this game), should start to become a real problem for opposing offenses. Xavier McKinney and Julian Love are one of the best safety duos in the league. The Giants just have to pray that Adoree’ Jackson (knee/neck) can hold up and continue his strong season. They also need the no-name, cast-off corners to continue to hold down the opposite outside spot. Which version of Darnay Holmes we get is a bit nerve-wracking too. Thus far, the Tae Crowder-Jaylon Smith combo at inside linebacker appears to be an improvement. Let’s see if that continues.

So what are the challenges this week? The Ravens are 14th in offense (7th in rushing, 22nd in passing). But they are 4th in scoring, averaging almost four touchdowns per game. Much depends on which version of Lamar Jackson you get. At times, he is very much the MVP candidate on his resume, making incredible throws and brilliant runs. He’s a son-of-a-bitch to tackle. At other times, he can’t hit the broad side of a barn. Jackson has thrown 12 touchdowns (four times as many as the Giants) and five interceptions. He’s completing 64 percent of his passes and has rushed for 374 yards (7.6 yards per run).

The strategy is obvious, but difficult to implement. When you rush Jackson, you have to maintain disciplined rush lanes. You can’t freelance. This makes it easier for pass blockers because they understand what the rushers need to do, but it’s critical because if you give Jackson a lane, he will beat you with his feet. On top of that, just because you reach Jackson, it doesn’t mean the play is over. You have to bring him down. He’s one of those guys where you say, “Yeah, we got him! Oh (crap), get him!”

If you look at Baltimore’s team stats, you come away with the impression that Jackson is their running game since he leads the team by a wide margin. That’s not exactly true. The Ravens run out of a ton of different formations, using a number of different players, to generate the league’s 7th-ranked rushing attack. It’s almost like watching a college team that confuses its opponent with multiple looks and motion. On Sunday night, they attacked the edges of Cincinnati’s defense with great success, using jet sweeps by wideout Devin Duvernay. They have a trio of running backs tote the rock, including J.K. Dobbins, Justice Hill (not expected to play), and Kenyan Drake.

Smartly, when Baltimore does pass, they use play-action as teams are so geared up to defend the run. And like most strong running teams, they usually score touchdowns when they get into the red zone. They have only three rushing touchdowns, but their strong running game sets up the play-action and helps explain the 12 passing touchdowns. In addition, oddly, Jackson has been really good when blitzed this year.

Jackson’s favorite target is tight end Mark Andrews, who by far is leading the team in targets (46) and receptions (32). He also has a team-leading four touchdowns. The most dangerous target is Duvernay. While he only has 17 receptions, Duvernay averages 22 yards per catch. The good news for the Giants is Rashod Bateman will likely miss another game due to a foot injury.

This is where “smart, tough, and dependable” will be really tested on defense. The Giants are going to have diagnose the complicated running schemes, stand tough at the point-of-attack, and make sure tackles. The entire basis of the Baltimore attack is based on their ground game, including the success of the passing game. You can’t totally shut down their running game, but you have to limit the damage. Get Jackson into 3rd-and-long situations where he is very uncomfortable. The Giants are long overdue for some interceptions.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
Unlike the 2020-2021 Giants, the Ravens hired a former special teams coach who actually improved their special teams. This is going to be a tough match-up for New York. Duvernay has only returned five kickoffs, but one of those was for 103 yards. He’a also averaging over 13 yards per punt return. He’s extremely dangerous. The Ravens also have one of the game’s best kickers in Justin Tucker, who has been perfect on the year, with half of his field goals being 50+ yards including a 58-yarder. On the flip side, while Gary Brightwell has been a nice role player for the Giants on offense and in special teams coverage, he’s not getting it done as a kick returner.

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH:
Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka on the Baltimore Ravens’ defense: “They have really good players in the backend, really good players in the front seven as well. They generate pressure, they create pressure up front, and they have ball hawks in the back end that do a good job of tackling the football, stripping and punching at the ball. Those are points of emphasis for us this week.”

THE FINAL WORD:
If the Giants lose this game, it’s not the end of the world. The outcome of the Green Bay game gave them some wiggle room. However, if they can somehow pull off their third big upset in six games, the arc of this season really begins to take a different shape. I don’t expect them to win, but I’m not counting this team out against any team remaining on their schedule. They aren’t in the same class as Buffalo and Kansas City, but so what? The best news coming out of this season is the team clearly has arguably one of the best coaching staffs in the League.

I will just throw this out there. Jackson and Jones are 22nd and 23rd in pass attempts in the NFL this season. Both of these teams prefer not to throw the football all that much. The Ravens have 11 interceptions on defense. The Giants have none. Avoiding the turnover will be huge for the Giants in this game. On the other hand, an aggressive NYG defense is long overdue for some picks.

Game Review: New York Giants 27 – Green Bay Packers 22

 Posted by
Oct 112022
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (October 9, 2022)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

QUICK RECAP

On October 28, 2007 – the first Super Bowl-winning season of the Eli Manning era, the NFL played their inaugural game in London with the Giants taking on the Miami Dolphins. They won a 13-10 defensive battle in wet conditions as Manning passed for 59 yards, the second lowest of his career. Fast forward nearly 15 years and the League is now playing multiple games overseas, branching into multiple countries spread out over multiple weeks. NYG last played overseas in 2016, a 17-10 win over the Los Angeles Rams thanks to a four-interception day by Case Keenum. Their 2022 contest was, for a third time, considered a road game, against Aaron Rodgers and the 3-1 Green Bay Packers.

The Giants roster has been one of the more injured in the league. They were without multiple receivers (Golladay, Toney, Shepard, Robinson), multiple cornerbacks (Robinson, Flott, Williams), multiple outside linebackers (Ojulari, Smith), their top defensive lineman (Leonard Williams), and their starting left guard (Lemieux). Matching up against a Rodgers-led team, the 2021 MVP, with such a bare cabinet was yet another tall task for this new regime to take on. The Packers had already beaten CHI, TB, and NE in consecutive weeks while allowing 17 points or less to all three of those offenses respectively (NE scored a defensive touchdown in their match-up).

Rodgers led GB to three points on the opening drive via the foot of Mason Crosby. His rookie season was in 2007, the year NYG first played in London. The first two NYG drives, on the other hand, resulted in a couple of three-and-outs, four yards gained, and five yards of penalty (net -1 yards). GB’s third possession was very-much aided by a 33-yard pass interference penalty called on safety Xavier McKinney. Two plays later a quick-strike throw, the offensive theme for GB in the first half, resulted in a four-yard touchdown to Allen Lazard. GB had a quick 10-0 lead, and the game was heading in the direction many thought it would.

NYG responded with 42 yards on three plays, including a 26-yard strike from Daniel Jones to Darius Slayton. The drive stalled out, but it was productive enough to warrant a 48-yard field goal attempt by Graham Gano, which he nailed. GB responded with their second-straight touchdown-scoring drive, this one a two-yard pass from Rodgers to Marcedes Lewis, a tight end drafted five spots ahead of defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka in 2006. He is the last active player from the class.

NYG continued to show the “this feels different” mantra I have had in my head the entire season to this point while watching this club. How so? They responded with yet another positive drive of their own. Eleven plays, a forty-yard gain by Saquon Barkley, and two third-down conversions (one of 13 yards, one of 9) brought NYG inside the five-yard line. They scored on a trick play of sorts, a double reverse that was designed to end in a pass by tight end Daniel Bellinger but instead had him taking the ball into the end zone as a runner. (Brian Daboll hinted to him it would be there). NYG got the score to 17-10 with over a minute remaining for Rodgers with three timeouts at his disposal. For him, time-wise, that might as well equal an entire half of football to work.

Rodgers and the GB offense gained 45 yards, economically used all three timeouts, and set up Crosby for another field goal attempt with a running clock. Crosby nailed the 48-yarder as time expired to make it three-straight scoring possessions by GB to give them a 20-10 lead at the half.

NYG came out of the half keeping the game’s scoring streak alive. A couple of third down offensive line gaffes (false start by Ben Bredeson and a missed block by Evan Neal) stalled the drive at the 19-yard line where Gano hit a 37-yard field goal to make it a one-score game. The momentum took a turn on the following drive. After three straight scores by the GB offense, NYG forced a punt after GB was once again in NYG territory. A third-down sack by Dexter Lawrence, one of the top defensive tackles in the game, was the nail in the coffin for the GB scoring streak as it knocked them out of field goal range. NYG had the ball, with momentum, down one score, as the fourth quarter got under way.

Barkley went down with a shoulder injury after a one-yard loss on the next drive. In the past, this would have resulted in the wind disappearing in the sails. Instead, NYG responded with what I consider to be their best drive of the season, partially because they accomplished it without #26 on the field. 15 plays, 8 first downs, 8 players who touched the ball, and a two-yard touchdown by Gary Brightwell (the first of his career) tied the game up at 20. NYG then forced another GB punt after a three-and-out and the game was fully in their control.

Barkley was back on the field, and he let everyone know right away. He took the second play of the next drive 41 yards after a short pass. He was then the one who crossed the goal line on a two-yard run out of the wildcat following an unnecessary roughness penalty by Rasul Douglas that gave NYG an automatic first down.

Rodgers, an eventual first-ballot Hall of Famer coming fresh off a MVP award, took the GB offense all the way inside the NYG 10-yard line. 3rd-and-1 and 4th-and-1 from the six-yard line did not result in a single run despite the fact the GB backfield was averaging well over 5 yards per carry. The team opted for two passes, both of which were batted at the line, giving NYG the ball back as they kneeled the ball inside the five-yard line to get rid of the GB timeouts. Punter Jamie Gillian ran out of the end zone with the ball rather than exposing the team to a Matt Dodge situation. This ended up giving GB the ball back, down five, and without any timeouts at their own 41-yard line. After a false start, Rodgers dropped back and tried to escape pressure so he could throw a Hail Mary for the win, but he was sacked by Oshane Ximines.

NYG wins 27-22.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 21/27 – 217 yards / 0 TD – 0 INT / 100.2 RAT

Jones also added 41 rushing yards (not including the three kneel downs) just days after nobody knew if he would miss the game because of an ankle injury suffered last week. Mid-week, we were wondering if NYG would sign Brian Lewerke or Jake Fromm to backup Davis Webb. Now we look back and I think this was Jones’ top performance of the season considering the circumstances. We may see better statistical games from him, but he made multiple big time throws, took some of the biggest hits we have seen this year, and still made a huge difference on the ground. Prior to this game, I wrote down a list of things to look for. At the top? “How does Jones impact the game on a bad wheel?” Athletic quarterbacks are all the craze in the League now, everyone wants one. But what happens when they are nicked up? What happens when they age and lose some of their movement capability? Jones rose to the occasion and what he did post-Barkley injury on the touchdown scoring drive cannot go overlooked. 6/7 – 56 yards including two 3rd-down conversions and 25 yards rushing. What he did with what he had is exactly what good quarterbacks do: create more than the sum of parts. Big-time performance for Jones.

RUNNING BACK

-Saquon Barkley: 13 att – 70 yards / 1 TD / 3 rec – 36 yards

Barkley went past 100 total yards for the third straight week and for the fourth time in five games. He missed what ended up being just 14 plays with a minor shoulder injury. He had two big plays, one in the running game and one in the passing game. A 40-yard run and a 41-yard reception were the two biggest plays of the day, and both of those drives respectively ended in touchdowns. These big gains do more than just accrue points for your fantasy team. When a drive has zero 15+ yard gains, 4.3% reach the red zone, 5.9% score points, 2.2% score touchdowns. When a drive has one 15+ yard play, 40.8% reach the red zone, 51% score points, 28.8% score touchdowns (information taken from Sharp Football). Explosive plays mean the world to an offense that is trying to score points. Barkley, in his current state in this current system, is absolutely vital to this team’s success.

-Matt Breida saw a season-high 18 snaps and gained a season-high 27 yards on 6 touches. He also threw a key block on Barkley’s 40-yard run. Gary Brightwell scored his first career touchdown on one of his two carries and also threw a key block on Barkley’s touchdown. It is great to see the depth chart contribute with subtle, but key components to game-changing plays.

WIDE RECEIVER


-Darius Slayton: 6 rec – 79 yards

Perhaps the most-overlooked player on this roster by everyone as we headed into this game. Slayton is, by far, the most-talented pass catcher on this team. A team that is without (arguably) their top 4 receivers. A team that has been signing guys off the street and playing multiple players without a full season of starts on their resume. Let’s not forget that Slayton has had success (2019 rookie season that saw a 48/740/8 season long stat line). There have been countless lows and very few highs since that year, but he stepped up in a big way here. 5 of his 6 catches went for a first down and a quality route forced a defensive holding (also resulting in a first down on a play that was originally a sack). Two of Slayton’s first downs came via yards after the catch + yards after contact. He showed grit and strength, and both ended up being huge plays when looking back. This is the best game we have seen out of him since Week 5 of 2020. Let’s see if this will turn into something because this could be THE opportunity of a lifetime that will undoubtedly set up his future in the league.

-Marcus Johnson, David Sills, and Richie James all caught every single one of their targets. Jones was accurate and these guys did their job. Johnson is tools-rich and many around the League know it. While he has never quite capitalized on opportunities consistently, Johnson has been a part of over 24 transactions since 2016 including two trades. Everyone sees the upside, but he just hasn’t had consistent looks and has had some injury misfortune. I liked his routes when looking at the All-22 and I like how he attacked the ball. He, like Slayton, is playing for his career right now.

-I also need to give credit to Sills for multiple big-time blocks on multiple plays that were game-changing. “Smart, tough, dependable”.

TIGHT END

-Daniel Bellinger caught two passes for 22 yards and scored a touchdown on the ground. I credit Daboll and Kafka for the play design (both have used this play at previous stops) and I credit Bellinger for instilling the confidence in the staff to put this kind of trust in him. Remember, this was a designed pass for him, but Daboll hinted the run would be there. It was, and Bellinger used the power and momentum he had to take it on himself to score. He is a rookie playing like a third-year vet when it comes to nuances. His transition to the league has been stunning. He was flagged for a hold and graded below average as a blocker, a work in progress who does show positive flashes there every week, especially on the move.

-Chris Myarick and Tanner Hudson played nearly half of the snaps. NYG went with a lot of heavy personnel and while these two did not impact the game much as receivers (Myarick had 1 catch for 4 yards), they both were solid as blockers both in the run and pass game respectively.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-Andrew Thomas and Ben Bredeson both had sacks nullified by defensive holding in the GB secondary. Thomas, besides that, threw another shut out. The potential All-Pro continues to shine and his run blocking in this one was a key difference maker as well. Bredeson was flagged for a false start and allowed 1 pressure. His overall performance was average, which all things considered, ends up just fine for who he is and what he has been doing. He struggled to get a push against the powerful interior GB defensive line, but he did stay sticky to his guy, which is the minimum I look for.

-The right side was up and down. Guard Mark Glowinski allowed a pressure and was beat for a few tackles in the running game, but finished out average. Rookie Evan Neal’s struggles in pass protection continued. He allowed a sack and a pressure as we are seeing the footwork issues arise week to week. He did get movement off the ball in the running game but his gaffe on a 3rd-down run by Jones up the middle was a key miss. We have seen worse out of Neal, and this was a tough matchup for him, but I want to see the outside shoulder and speed up the edge improve. We are seeing too many of the same losses week to week.

-Center Jon Feliciano plays the game hard and he brings some plus quickness and attitude. But he is, as many NYG centers have been since Sean O’Hara, a major weak point. He allowed a pressure and a TFL. But even more than that, he was constantly giving up ground to the likes of Kenny Clark (a very good player) and T.J. Slaton, a sizeable-second year pro. This is an issue for the running game that needs to be fixed. Nick Gates is knocking on the door.

EDGE

-With each week that passes, we see more out of rookie and #5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. Even within this contest, he took his game to a higher level in the second half. He finished with 2 pressures, 0.5 TFL, 3 tackles, and 2 pass breaks ups, including one on the final drive that prevented GB from tying it up. A productive game for a kid who, in my opinion, still isn’t reacting. He is thinking too much and not moving naturally which is common for young edge players. He looks stiff. With all the time missed in the preseason, Thibodeaux is right where he should be and I suspect the sacks are coming, just wait. Maybe the refs will actually call a hold or three next week on the tackle trying to block him.

-Oshane Ximines had 2 tackles, 1 sack, and (technically) a forced fumble. The sack was at the end of the game on the Hail Mary attempt, but he has now hit the quarterback in every game and 6 times on the year. He hit the quarterback 5 times in the previous two seasons combined (14 games). Tomon Fox added 2 tackles in a backup role.

-Jihad Ward had 1 tackle, 0.5 TFL, and a pressure which came from the defensive tackle position on third down. An unsung hero of the strong defensive performances. It stems from his unique skill set that credibly belongs at multiple spots of the front.

DEFENSIVE LINE

-Dexter Lawrence came up with a key sack right as NYG was turning this game around. I think it was one of the biggest plays of the game and possibly the biggest one on defense. He also added a pressure and 5 tackles showing great range and push. He is changing how offenses approach the middle in a big way.

-In a game like this, it is easy to discuss unsung hero Nick Williams. When a team wins, you want to bring in all the components to the win but in a game a team loses, it is common to overlook a solid performance from a guy that who on the bubble in August. He played just over half the snaps and finished with 3 tackles and 2 pressures. He and Justin Ellis were stout inside and while the run defense still could have been a hair better, these guys got the job done.

-D.J. Davidson left the game on a cart. A lower body injury to him that forces any missed time makes yet another position group on this team thin, especially if Leonard Williams is out any longer.

LINEBACKER

-Jaylon Smith, signed just weeks ago, made multiple highlight-reel hits on the move. While we need to be careful in using splash plays on tackles beyond the line of scrimmage as an influential barometer in player evaluation, Smith’s presence needs to be discussed. There is an attitude that comes with a Wink Martindale defense. Smith embodies that and it brings energy to the defense. He had 6 tackles and there was one he essentially ran laterally step for step with GB rookie receiver Christian Watson, a credible sub-4.4 receiver. Smith’s hit was direct and sure, and Watson got up awkwardly afterward.

-Tae Crowder added 3 tackles and a TFL, filling the inside running lanes in a hurry. Micah McFadden was beat to the outside multiple times against both the run and pass. He did add 2 tackles, though. I just worry about how an offense can expose him in space right now.

CORNERBACK

-Adoree’ Jackson missed the second half with a knee injury but finished with a productive game. He had 6 tackles and a TFL. I am pleasantly surprised by how aggressive he has been when filling on the outside. It hasn’t always been a strong point to his game, but then again, his durability has been an issue in the past. A lengthy injury to him would be a major blow to the defense.

-Nickel Darnay Holmes had 3 tackles and a pass break up in the end zone. He also added a pressure and a quick tackle that does not show up in the box score. Minimizing yards after catch is such a huge part of defending today’s plethora of short passing concepts. Holmes did a nice job playing to that strength.

-With Aaron Robinson, Cor’Dale Flott, and Rodarius Williams already out, NYG had to give substantial playing time to Fabian Moreau and Nick McCloud. Even Justin Layne saw 17 snaps. All three of these guys were added after training camp after being by cut by their original 2022 teams. Moreau and McCloud both had a pass break up, but both had two negative plays as well. Layne contributed a breakup via a physical hit that jarred the ball loose from Lazard. An entire game with those three seeing significant snaps would worry me.

SAFETY

-The safety duo of Julian Love and Xavier McKinney were the glue on the back end that kept things together. Love led the team with 6 tackles and a TFL while McKinney added 3 tackles and pass break up on 4th-and-goal to essentially seal the game. He was flagged for a 33-yard pass interference on a GB touchdown scoring drive, however. Did you notice BOTH of them knew exactly where Rodgers was going to throw the ball before the 4th-and-1 snap? Rodgers tapped his right shoulder pre-snap and they BOTH told McCloud the ball was coming his way. Those little things are what can make us feel good about this team in big situations against big-time talent. Much like what Antonio Pierce provided as a middle linebacker 15+ years ago.

-Dane Belton had a tackle and a pressure and Tony Jefferson added 3 tackles in their backup roles.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Graham Gano: 2/2 (Made 48, 37)
-P Jamie Gillian: 2 Punts / 50.0 avg – 44.5 net

3 STUDS

-QB Daniel Jones, WR Darius Slayton, DT Dexter Lawrence

3 DUDS

-OC Jon Feliciano, OT Evan Neal, LB Micah McFadden

3 THOUGHTS ON GB

1. A fun fact for you. Marcedes Lewis was the FIRST EVER 1st round pick to catch a touchdown from Aaron Rodgers. Crazy to think about. Over 450 touchdown passes – and that was the first thrown to a 1st rounder. I respect GB and the way they have run their organization throughout history and my lifetime. But even the best has their warts and the one I strongly believe here is the fact they made Rodgers continue to create with lesser-than-ideal targets to throw to. Look what he did with Davante Adams, see what it looks like without him. And just remember they chose QB Jordan Love over the likes of Michael Pittman and Tee Higgins (taken 7, 8 picks later). To think GB could walk away with just ONE Super Bowl appearance with Rodgers under center makes you think, doesn’t it? Not good enough.

2. Fortunately GB is in a division that is already very much just a two-team race. While MIN does appear a notch above right now, the fact they get four games against CHI + DET combined certainly paves the way for a likely wildcard appearance. While they have issues on both sides of the ball, I trust their defense will be good enough because they have very good players at key spots at all three levels. Throw in Rodgers and a likely progression of their young receivers, I think they get into postseason play pretty easily. What do they need, though? Like Rodgers suggested, I think they need to go get Odell Beckham when that knee is ready to go.

3. The starting offensive line for GB: 4th round, 6th round, 2nd round, 4th round, 2nd round. Their top backup and current rotational left tackle (Yosh Nijman) was undrafted. Their backups? 4th round, 6th round, 3rd round, 7th round (in addition to Nijman). Every single one of these guys was drafted by GB. I think this means a lot to future upside and maximizing the value of a collection of players. Chemistry means more to quality OL play than most people know.

3 CLOSING THOUGHTS

1. One of the most overlooked positive components to this game? The tackling. I had a season-best 2 missed tackles for that side of the ball as a whole. They were averaging 5 per game prior to this matchup. This was vital to their success as 17 of Rodgers 25 completions were caught within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage and 10 behind it. That is a common component to this offense, but even more so because of the defense the Giants employed. Quality tackling is, undoubtedly, game-altering.

2. Where to go and what to do with the middle of the offensive line? Will Shane Lemieux make that big of a difference when he comes back, and can he even stay on the field? Can Nick Gates finish off the comeback story and return to his level of play pre-injury? I have a hard time putting money on either. Rookie Joshua Ezeudu has not shown enough to instill confidence for 2022. As I said above, chemistry does have value and I think NYG has to roll with what they have. It will limit them, maybe even more so than it has already, but the coaching staff will need to try and stay a step ahead of opponents because it has the potential to get ugly.

3. When the NFL started the international series of games in London, teams always had a bye after playing abroad. Thanks to the Colts requesting otherwise in 2016 because they did not want a bye week so early in the season, that rule has changed. NYG comes back with three more games before their mid-season bye. They have another home game up first against BAL. That means they will go a league-high 6 weeks between true away games at the opponent’s home stadium. Another solid advantage for their friendly schedule. Two of their next three opponents have very forgiving defenses (BAL and SEA) and then the two games following the bye are HOU and DET (a combined record of 2-7-1 and 29th/31st in yards allowed) at home. This win against GB and the win against TEN week one were huge when looking at the 2022 season as a whole and the hope for a postseason birth. Up first, the Ravens. Think Wink will be up for this one?

Preview: New York Giants at Green Bay Packers, October 9, 2022

 Posted by
Oct 072022
 
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (October 2, 2022)

Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

THE STORYLINE:
Before the season started, most New York Giants fans looked at the 2022 schedule and were expecting a 2-2 start at best. Understandably, the fact that the rebuilding and still injury-plagued Giants are sitting at 3-1 has most of us feeling pretty good. The possible canary in the coal mine was the Giants being soundly beaten by a Dallas Cowboys team without Dak Prescott and a number of key offensive starters. The Giants obviously surprised the Tennessee Titans and beat two bad teams in the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears. But we’ll take it. After all, the Giants haven’t been able to brag about a winning record since 2016.

Nevertheless, the quality of opponent is about to significantly improve. The Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens will be heavily favored to beat the Giants. The Jacksonville Jaguars are 2-2, having crushed the Los Angeles Chargers and given the Philadelphia Eagles all they could handle. Unless New York can pull off another upset in the next two weeks, they will head into that Jaguars game at 3-3.

The 3-1 Packers are expected to make short work of the 3-1 Giants. Why? The advantage in quarterback play, the NFL’s 6th-ranked offense, and the NFL’s 5th-ranked defense. (The Giants are ranked 22nd and 15th, respectively, by comparison). The Giants also far more banged up, especially at quarterback, wide receiver, and in the secondary. Not having Azeez Ojulari also hurts.

THE INJURY REPORT:

  • QB Daniel Jones (ankle)
  • QB Tyrod Taylor (concussion – out)
  • WR Richie James (ankle)
  • WR Kenny Golladay (knee – out)
  • WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee – out)
  • WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring – out)
  • OT Evan Neal (neck)
  • DL Leonard Williams (knee – questionable)
  • DL Henry Mondeaux (ankle – out)
  • OLB Azeez Ojulari (calf – out)
  • CB Fabian Moreau (foot)
  • CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf – out)
  • CB Nick McCloud (hamstring)
  • S Julian Love (concussion)

NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
When most people think of the Green Bay Packers, they still think of Aaron Rodgers and their passing game. However, the strength of this team is now arguably its defense, with is 5th overall ranking and 3rd against the pass (only 168 passing yards per game). The latter does not not bode well for a hobbled quarterback in Daniel Jones with the worst receiving corps in the league. On Sunday, Jones will be throwing to the likes of Richie James, David Sills, and Darius Slayton and probably Practice Squader Marcus Johnson. His tight ends don’t exactly instill fear in opponents either.

The secondary is rock solid with cornerbacks Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, and Rasul Douglas and safeties Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage. They are helped immensely by edge rushers Rashan Gary (5 sacks, 18 pressures) and Preston Smith (2.5 sacks, 12 pressures) and defensive linemen Kenny Clark (2 sacks, 16 pressures), Jarran Reed, and Dean Lowry. Inside linebackers De’Vondre Campbell (36 tackles) and Quay Walker (26 tackles) can cover a lot of ground. The Packers are one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing defenses, pressuring opponents on 43 percent of their passing attempts. “It’s one of the best defenses on paper that we’ve had,” said Rodgers in camp.

Last week, the Giants basically ran a one-dimensional offense (71 yards passing) and got away with it because the Bears were so undisciplined on defense, particularly in backside pursuit off the edge. It’s hard to imagine the Packers doing that, especially after what they saw on tape this week. Just as importantly, Daniel Jones is playing with a bum ankle. The New York offensive line also still has issues in pass protection and stopping the Gary-Smith-Clark trio is particularly problematic.

The one weakness the Packers have had this year is run defense, being ranked 22nd overall (127 yards per game). Green Bay will load up the box against Saquon Barkley, have the backside defenders watch for the bootleg, and dare a gimpy Daniel Jones and his journeyman wide receiver to beat them. We all know it. It would seem that New York’s only chance is if somehow the Giants are able to out-muscle the defenders up front combined with some serious heroics from a cast of no-name wideouts. There is only so much scheming a coaching staff can do. At some point, the talent deficiency will rear its ugly head.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
As mentioned, Green Bay is 6th overall in offense, averaging almost 380 yards per game. However, they have had issues scoring, averaging only 19 points per game. They are 16th in passing (233 yards per game) and 7th in rushing (145 yards per game).

Meanwhile, through four games, Wink Martindale’s defense is 15th overall in yardage (332 yards per game) and 9th in scoring (18 points per game). The big negative thus far has been rushing defense (28th overall). The Giants have yet to pick off a pass too.

So as odd as it sounds when facing the Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, the first defensive key is to stop the run. Aaron Jones has rushed 48 times for 327 yards (6.8 yards per carry). He is backed up by A.J. Dillon, who has carried the ball more times, 57, for 211 yards (3.7 yards per carry). Dillon is the big, power back who does the dirty work.

When it comes to throwing the ball, Rodgers no longer has a “go to” guy and has spread the ball around more to four wide receivers (Romeo Doubs, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Christian Watson), three tight ends (led by Robert Tonyan), and his two backs (Jones and Dillon). He is also focused more on the short- to intermediate-passing game. While the Packers still get big chunk plays in the passing game, it’s primarily because they lead the league in yards after the catch.

To be frank, this is the first big-time quarterback the Giants will face this season. Guys like Fabian Moreau and Darnay Holmes are really going to be tested, not to mention the Giants linebackers in coverage. It’s a game like this where the team’s lack of a quality starter opposite of Adoree’ Jackson and depth will show up. The absence of Aaron Robinson and Cor’Dale Flott doesn’t help matters. Martindale will undoubtedly try mix things up to confuse Rodgers, but that’s hard to do given his football acumen and experience.

An interesting side story to follow in this one Wink’s heavy blitzing scheme versus Rodgers, who is one of the most dangerous quarterbacks to blitz. Will Wink want to take chances with Rodgers, or go against his nature and play it more safe? Stating the obvious, this is not a good game to be missing Azeez Ojulari, especially with Kayvon Thibodeaux still getting acclimated to the game and Leonard Williams still dealing with a knee injury.

My two big defensive keys for this game are: (1) stopping the run, and (2) tackling well after the Packers complete short passes.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
If Nick McCloud isn’t limited by his hamstring, he should help the special teams coverage unit. What’s frustrating about the special teams right now is while they have made plays to help win three games, they have also made enough mistakes to make games closer than they should have been. To pull off an upset, the Giants need a complete game from the kicking and coverage units.

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH:
Defensive Coordinator Don Martindale on Aaron Rodgers: “The way to attack him changes from year-to-year of who he has with him. The thing that separates him is everybody knows that he’s a Hall of Fame quarterback, I think we’d all agree on that, and that’s from him throwing as many touchdowns as he has. So, everybody knows that, but what they don’t really appreciate, which I do, is just the great football mind that he has. He gets them in the right run game, he gets protections right, he knows the pressures are coming. He’s a great student of the game and I really admire how he goes about playing this game. It’s always fun, it’s a fun matchup.”

THE FINAL WORD:
I really love the Giants’ coaching staff. And when you have good coaching, I usually love being in games where no one expects you to win. But this is a tough one. The Packers defense is REALLY good. And they have absolutely nothing to be afraid of in the passing game with the Giants other than covering Saquon Barkley as a receiver. Jones is playing hurt. His receiving targets are Sills, James, Slayton and practice squaders. It’s hard to imagine the Giants being able to move the ball well against this defense. On the flip side, if the Giants have talent issues in the secondary as many of us suspect, Rodgers will exploit them.

If the Giants manage to pull this one off, I will be really impressed.

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