Dexter Lawrence – © USA TODAY Sports

QUICK RECAP

The third straight home game for Big Blue brought in another classic NFL franchise, the Chicago Bears. Speaking of classic, the Giants wore their what is now considered “retro” uniforms. The old school “Giants” written on a navy-blue helmet with the royal blue uniforms, white numbers, and red trim. One of my personal oldest memories of watching NYG football dates back to January 13, 1991. The opening round of the playoffs, NYG (in these uniforms) faced off against Mike Ditka’s Bears, quarterbacked by Mike Tomczak, as starter Jim Harbaugh (current Michigan Head Coach) injured his shoulder late in the regular season. Fast forward to 2022 and the two historic franchises came into their Week 4 matchup at 2-1 each. Both teams in the rebuild mode and not in credible form of contention, the Giants or Bears would walk out of this one at 3-1 (unless they tied).

Chicago, the least-frequent passing team in the league by a wide margin, threw the ball two times on ten plays on their opening drive after forcing a three-and-out of the NYG offense. Justin Fields, who the Bears traded up for in the 2021 Draft via NYG, gained 20 yards on separate scramble attempts and had another 15 yards tacked on because of an Unnecessary Roughness penalty on linebacker Micah McFadden. The defense held up though, keeping CHI to a field goal attempt which kicker Michael Badgley, signed just days prior, nailed through the uprights.

NYG responded with a balanced drive, showing quality movement off the ball by the line and a lot of bootleg action with the athletic Daniel Jones. It took them just six plays to move 75 yards with the smallest gain being six yards. Jones scampered into the end zone at the tail end of a 21-yard run thanks to play design, speed, and downfield blocking. CHI was able to put another three points on the board via another short field goal. Two drives, two trips inside the NYG-15 yard line, two field goals.

As the second quarter got under way, NYG was forced to punt for the second time and CHI reached NYG territory again with a one-point deficit. The Bears had not yet ended a drive without points. They breached the 30-yard line and on 1st-and-10, the NYG created a game-changing play. A sack-fumble by Azeez Ojulari was recovered by rookie and fellow outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux. This team played the first two games without these two and both looked rusty in Week 3. Now, under a week later, they combined for a much-needed big play. The offense turned that fumble into another 7 points, this one also on the legs of Jones via a similar play design where the downfield blocking was on point following a bootleg.

The defense kept their foot on the throat of the CHI offense but a fumble by Richie James on the punt gave them the ball back at the NYG 35-yard line. This turned into three points, the third field goal by Badgley, and that is where the game went into the half, NYG up 14-9.

Badgley, a New Jersey native, continued to earn his paycheck as he started the second half with a 35-yarder to put the NYG lead at two. Fields, the least-used and productive starting quarterback in football through three weeks, was at 158 yards, just 16 yards shy of a season high. Fortunately, the offensive scheme and play calling by Bears Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy (a first time playcaller in the NFL) lacked innovation and creativity.

The score stayed locked in at 14-12 for a couple back-and-forth drives. They were anything but uneventful, however. Three plays before Graham Gano nailed a 44-yarder to lengthen the lead to five, Jones was sacked and had his ankle badly twisted. He limped off the field and because of how much this game’s offense was dependent on quarterback mobility, the decision to bring in backup Tyrod Taylor was made. To make matters worse, right tackle Evan Neal was out of the game with a neck injury. The fourth quarter was under way and NYG was playing with a depleted receiver group, a backup quarterback, and without their starting right tackle.

Taylor did convert a 3rd-and-2 via a 13-yard run. But his first pass was a deep ball to Darius Slayton, and it was intercepted by CHI safety Eddie Jackson on an incredible play by the sixth year safety, his NFC-leading third of the year. Fortunately, the NYG defense forced a three-and-out and the NYG offense gained momentum right away. Taylor converted another third down via his legs but this one ended with a direct hit to the head, a fumble (that did not result in turnover), and a concussion. Just like that, in a matter of 13 minutes of game clock, the starting and backup quarterbacks were both injured.

Jones came on the field with a heavily taped ankle, but NYG kept him split out wide as Saquon Barkley, who was putting together another masterful performance, handled the wildcat snaps. The next four plays may not make the highlight reel, but they were as impressive as any other string of plays in the game. Everyone in the building knew NYG was in a run-only situation. They proceeded to gain 18 yards on four carries to bring them into field goal position. Gano sealed the drive with a 43-yarder to give them the vital 8-point lead.

The NYG defense held CHI in check, rookie returner Velus Jones muffed a punt which NYG recovered, and NYG continued to move the ball enough in their run-only attack and keep the clock moving. CHI did get the ball back after a missed 37-yarder by Gano, but they had just a few seconds left and no timeouts. After an attempt at throwing the ball back and forth between a handful of players as time expired, rookie Dane Belton recovered the loose ball.

NYG wins, 20-12.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 8/13 – 71 yards / 0 TD – 0 INT / 76.1 RAT

Jones’ biggest impact was felt on the ground. He gained 68 yards on 6 carries and scored two touchdowns, the only two for NYG on the day. He also did not play real-quarterback after being injured halfway through the third quarter. Yes, he was on the field and took a few shotgun snaps, but we cannot include those snaps into his evaluation. The innovative game plan and play-calling set Jones up well for success in this one. While we did not see him air it out, he made some tight throws and had his one deep ball dropped by Darius Slayton. He made a solid-tasting meal with expired ingredients. The value of how athletic he is truly could have been the deciding factor in this game. I won’t go as far as saying it was THE reason, but the ability to turn on the jets in addition to Barkley’s status as NFL-leading rusher were why NYG scored points, plain and simple. If Slayton catches the ball, less would freak out about the passing line.

RUNNING BACK

-Saquon Barkley: 31 att – 146 yards / 2 rec – 16 yards

The strong season is getting stronger. Like a tidal wave, Barkley’s impact on this offense and team is just compounding week to week. A week after I said this guy simply needs the ball 20+ times at minimum and probably closer to 30 on average, he gets 33 touches in a tight game. The number was a tad inflated because of the quarterback situation in the second half, but this is where Barkley’s sweet spot is. He is electric and there is no other word that best describes him. The defense knew he was getting the ball and the forward lean, foot-in-ground burst, and vision combination of traits is the best we have seen. The injury risk will always be there with backs but if NYG wants to win, this is who needs the ball 30 times.

-Matthew Breida gained 18 yards on just 3 carries and Gary Brightwell impacted the game as a lead blocker on a couple of occasions in addition to the fumble recovery on the CHI muffed punt in the fourth quarter.

WIDE RECEIVER

-Another low point to the day. The group totaled 8 targets. Before the Monday night game, 17 individual players around the league had more than 8 targets in their respective Week 4 games. Again, perhaps the number is skewed by the quarterback situation in the fourth quarter but make no mistake here, the Giants are currently playing football in the most pass-happy era of football history without a credible group of wide receivers. Darius Slayton had a catch for 11 yards and a drop. David Sills had a catch for 5 yards and a drop. Richie James had 1 catch for 9 yards. Kenny Golladay went catch-less for the third straight game. If Kadarius Toney and Wan’Dale Robinson remain out, it is time this team brings in new blood at the position. Hopefully whoever they bring in has a passport.

TIGHT END

-Rookie Daniel Bellinger led the team with 23 yards and 3 catches. Considering the team threw the ball 13 times and he was targeted on just three of them, it was another solid performance by the fourth rounder. He had a key block on Jones’ first touchdown, but his overall blocking grade fell just below average. He allowed a TFL and got beat up at the point-of-attack when he faced off against linemen.

-Tanner Hudson is firmly entrenched as the number two passing game threat at the position. He caught a pass for 18 yards and dropped his other target. One thing I see from the All-22 is separation as a route runner. He can get open in all directions and I project him to be a bigger part of the passing game next week. His downfield blocking was key to NYG’s success on the ground as well.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-After a horrid Week 3 performance against DAL (one of the top defenses in the league), the offensive line came back strong. This is exactly what we wanted to see, and while the CHI front isn’t keeping anyone up at night, they are a respectable group. NYG won in the trenches from start to finish.

-Evan Neal missed the final 23 snaps of the game with an injured neck. At the time of this writing, I do not have an update. As for his game, I saw a noticeable improvement over his Week 3 debacle. Again, a rookie struggling in the NFL should be assumed more than expected. That is not worthy of criticism or negative thoughts. How they respond is what should be tracked. Neal responded with his best game of the year (albeit minimal passing and limited snaps). Tremendous run blocking and he kept the feet more active in pass protection on the edge.

-Andrew Thomas threw a shut out in the passing game and graded out above average in the running game. He did get beat to his inside shoulder a couple times, but it ended up not hurting the play.

-Inside, I still see some to be desired. Ben Bredeson allowed a pressure and a TFL and was having a hard time staying on his feet. One of the biggest things I look for in offensive linemen when scouting (and this is from multiple pro OL coaches) is the ability to simply end the play on their feet. It is a red flag when guys are on the ground often and I saw that with Bredeson multiple times. Mark Glowinski missed 8 snaps with an ankle and appeared less stable than usual. He allowed a pressure and was flagged for illegally being downfield. Center Jon Feliciano has some of his twitch back, which helped a lot on their zone running looks. He reached the second level in a hurry and stayed on his man there. He still struggled with some of the gap looks where he could not create movement off the ball by himself.

EDGE

-It was week two of the Ojulari + Thibodeaux duo, as both missed the first two games. While their impact was not as consistent as it needs to be, they were much better than what we saw Monday night against Dallas. They teamed up for a turnover as Ojulari recorded the sack-forced fumble and Thibodeaux recovered it. Ojulari added a pressure and 2 tackles and Thibodeaux had 3 pressures along with 3 tackles.

-Jihard Ward continues to be the Swiss army knife of the entire front. He finished with 4 tackles, 1 sack, and a pressure. He is such a solid scheme-based fit and an energy stick for everyone around him.

-Tomon Fox and Oshane Ximines were the clear backups with the latter adding one pressure to his season total and the former adding 2 tackles and stout edge setting against the run. With Ojulari re-aggravating his calf injury they kept him out weeks 1 and 2, Ximines should see an uptick in playing time again.

DEFENSIVE LINE

-Dexter Lawrence was the team MVP of the game and I don’t think anyone was even close, especially on defense. He was a one man-wrecking crew who totaled 5 tackles, 2 sacks, and 4 pressures. If I am a defensive line coach, I am using this tape to teach players technique and versatility. He two-gapped against the inside run, put pass blockers on ice skates via the bull rush, and finished when he was within striking distance. Fields never got comfortable in the pocket and Lawrence was the reason. In the first quarter of the NFL season, Lawrence is playing at an All-Pro level.

-No Leonard Williams had me a bit nervous in this game, but Justin Ellis and Nick Williams stepped up. Ellis played a sturdy inside game which mightily helped the linebackers. Williams was active, finishing with 5 tackled and a pass deflection at the line. D.J. Davidson had a tackle on just 9 snaps and Henry Mondeaux played 8 snaps, accruing a pressure, before injuring his knee and being taken off on a cart.

LINEBACKER

-We saw some extra juice out of Tae Crowder in this one. He led the team with 11 tackles and added a sack and a pressure. Against a vanilla offense that clearly lacked creativity, Crowder went off. He did not have to think a lot, he did not have to cover much in space. He had blinders on and chose violence when he woke up. That, with the combination of the defensive line playing at a high level, gave Crowder the opportunity to shine. He did exactly that. The one negative I have is a missed tackle in the fourth quarter that, for the second time this year, looked like a business decision against a downhill ball carrier.

-Jaylon Smith, just promoted to the 53-man roster, essentially split the other linebacker snaps with rookie Micah McFadden. Smith was active and rangy, finishing with 7 tackles (second most) and 1 TFL. He missed a tackle and was beat in coverage twice. McFadden added 4 tackles and 1 pressure but was flagged for an Unnecessary Roughness penalty when he hit Fields after he slid. He still appears limited against blockers. He is a downhill force but when moving left to right, he looks a step behind, and he can’t get off the blocks yet.

CORNERBACK

-Adoree’ Jackson is playing at a high level. He got off to a rough start, 2 big plays in the first 2 drives, but was outstanding in man coverage from there on out. He added 3 tackles and a TFL as well. This is the most physical I have seen Jackson play so far in his career.

-Aaron Robinson went down with an injury after being bent backward in the wrong direction, but Fabian Moreau stepped up. He had 2 pass break ups and 2 tackles. Both break ups were downfield and could have easily changed the trajectory of the one-score game. His catch-up speed is solid but the issue is he is slow out of his breaks. Assuming he will see more playing time now with Robinson being out, that will be something opposing offenses easily see on tape.

-Darnay Holmes was not tested much but finished with 2 tackles and provided two plays where he set a physical edge against the run, forcing the ball carrier into traffic inside. Excellent job by him and I give credit to how willing he takes on tight ends and linemen.

SAFETY

-Xavier McKinney and Dane Belton both finished with 4 tackles and graded out well in coverage. There were two instances from the All-22 that I saw where Fields had a shot downfield but he either did not see it or did not want to air mail it. McKinney is more of a risk taker who appears to be jumping routes and Belton appears a step slow in recognition. But when it comes to pursuit and downhill run defense, both are doing a nice job.

-Julian Love was injured early, and if this ends up being significant time missed, NYG has a problem on defense. He has been a vital piece to their initial defensive success, and it is a hard role to fill. Holmes is the one I would want to see shift into his role.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Graham Gano: 2/3 (Made 44, 43, Missed 37)
-P Jamie Gillian: 5 punts / 54.6 avg – 42.8 net

3 STUDS

-DT Dexter Lawrence, RB Saquon Barkley, QB Daniel Jones

3 DUDS

-OG Ben Bredeson, WR Darius Slayton, LB Micah McFadden

3 THOUGHTS ON CHI

1. Multiple instances throughout this game, I could not help but be reminded of the Jason Garrett-version of NYG offense. Some of the play calls in specific third-down situations were eerily similar to what we saw under him. The contrast between the offensive system we are watching right now led by Daboll and Mike Kafka and what the Bears are running is crystal clear.

2. To build on the offensive talk with Chicago, there are some whispers that the relationship between Justin Fields and the new regime is not a good one. I can recall some people who have better connections than I do telling me there were several teams that did not view Fields as a first rounder in the 2021 Draft. The former Bears GM, Ryan Pace, obviously liked him. They made an aggressive offer to move up in the draft with NYG including multiple firsts for him. Fast forward less than a year and we are looking at an entirely new group of decision makers. I won’t pretend to know what is being said within those walls, but his tape these first four weeks has been poor. Like Daniel Jones, the supporting cast is awful. But Fields doesn’t do much besides make the occasional play with his legs that makes anyone think he has it. Don’t be surprised to see him moved if CHI ends up picking in the top 5 next April, when they could be in position to draft their own guy and start their rebuild (this year was about clearing the cap) with a fresh rookie QB contract.

3. I understand CHI had limited resources this year and we all saw this coming two years ago. It was smart to rip off the band-aid in 2022 and start from scratch in 2023. Are there any pieces in place to get excited about? I have a hard time believing Roquan Smith will be there beyond this season (a big trade candidate too) considering the in-house drama they’ve had over the past few months. Robert Quinn is a stud edge rusher but is 32-years old and another guy teams may want to trade for. Eddie Jackson will be 30 next season. They lost a ton of their defensive firepower this past offseason and the offensive cupboard is bare. There are some rough times ahead for this franchise unless Fields takes a massive step up. I projected them to finish 3-14. And while they already have 2 wins, I don’t see that projection finishing far off.

3 THOUGHTS ON NYG

1. NYG sits 3-1 heading into a tough matchup in London against the Packers. That team would be hard to beat as is, but if they are marching out with a third-string quarterback and multiple key starters on defense missing, it has the potential to be ugly. GB is a different team than what most of you may be assuming based on recent history. This is a defensive-dependent squad. They are 5th in yards allowed, but 22nd in yards per carry allowed. Their wins are against CHI, a ravaged TB offense, and a NE team that played with backup quarterbacks. If we use 2021 as an indicator, this defense is legit. NYG does match up well with them on the ground but the key will be keeping Rodgers and his raw set of pass catchers out of the end zone so NYG can control the tempo and use Barkley to full capacity. Time for the pass rushers to step up.

2. We are a quarter into the season. This is the first time I take a look at the league and evaluate teams. Any timeframe shorter than that is premature. I use a four-tier system. Tier 1: Super Bowl + home field advantage contenders. Tier 2: Likely playoff teams. Tier 3: Bubble playoff teams. Tier 4: Start thinking draft. NYG is in that tier three right now and it is a refreshing feeling. They do not have a strong roster. They have not played convincing football week to week. However, they are 3-1 and clearly a notch above what I currently consider that fourth tier. To me, this is 95% on the shoulders of the coaching staff. If the front office can make educated, correct personnel decisions, there are plenty of reasons to believe this gut feeling I have on NYG is real when looking at the future.

3. If NYG does end up entering the mid-way point of the season with a winning record, at what point do they make a roster move to improve their current chances at a playoff run? I know fans may want more losses for the sake of the draft position, but I can assure you when coaches and players smell blood in the water, they want their shot. It may never come again for them. The biggest roadblock on this roster resides at receiver. They cannot have anything close to a credible passing attack with what they are currently marching out at the position. Do they pursue a free agent like Odell Beckham, TY Hilton, Will Fuller, Isaiah Ford, or Mohamed Sanu? Or do they tap into a practice squad player who lacks experience but who makes more sense economically? Cornell Powell from KC is a guy I personally liked, and Kafka has experience with. Tanner Gentry was off and on the Buffalo roster in 2021 so I would assume there is at least some interest and knowledge and appreciation for him coming from both Daboll and Schoen. They are both possession receivers who play a power game. Something to keep an eye on.

Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

THE STORYLINE:
On Tuesday, Brian Daboll said something that we all have to regularly remind ourselves of: “It’s never as good as you think, never as bad as you think.” This is why I got annoyed with fans, who just a few weeks ago were predicting a 4-13 record, quickly changed their tune in anticipation of a 4-0 start after the first two wins of the season. Yes, I’m being annoyingly preachy myself. But always keep in your mind who and what this team is at this particular moment in time. It’s a rebuilding ball club that will be replacing core elements of the roster in March and April. The Giants are still so hamstrung by their salary cap situation that they can’t cut certain players who they would probably prefer to part ways with.

A poster in The Corner Forum lamented this week that some fans are now more interested in offseason than the actual season. To be honest, I find myself in that spot right now. I see 2022 as a prelude to part two of the Schoen/Daboll housecleaning and roster overhaul. I find it difficult to become too invested in a quarterback, wide receivers, and possibly even running backs who won’t be on the roster in a few months. The defense is more settled, but one gets the sense that Wink Martindale is going to make some significant changes on that side of the ball too.

What I am looking at is the process. As I’ve asked previously, will the team be better in December than it was in September? That’s what fans should be looking at. Right now, this isn’t a good team. There are going to be ups and downs. With a softer schedule, the coaches may be able to eke out a respectable record near the .500 mark. That would be an improvement…something to build upon moving forward. There is no point for fans to lose their shit on a weekly basis over an ugly win or painful loss. If that’s you, you may be better off taking a break from the team. In other words, stop living in denial and accept the reality that the Giants are at the very beginning stages of a rebuilding process.

As for this particular game, just nine months ago, on January 2nd, the 6-11 Chicago Bears humiliated the Giants 29-3. Sy’56 wrote in his game review, “This turned into as close to an unwatchable game as it gets in today’s NFL. It almost seemed like we weren’t even watching professional football.” So what am I looking for in this game? A win would be great. But I’m evaluating how the Giants of 2022 perform vis a vis the Giants of 2021 against the same opponent.

THE INJURY REPORT:

• WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring – out)
• WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee – out)
• DL Leonard Williams (knee – out)
• OLB Jihad Ward (knee – probable)
• CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf – out)
• CB Aaron Robinson (appendix – probable)
• CB Nick McCloud (hamstring – out)
• CB Justin Layne (concussion – probable)

NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
We have no idea what Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll really think about Daniel Jones. We can speculate, but that’s all it is, speculation. The most important question facing this franchise is what to do at quarterback. His detractors will say he’s proven he sucks. His supporters will say despite being surrounded with a weak cast, he has done OK.

The reason why this is the #1 issue for the team is bigger than many think. If Jones is the guy moving forward, then keeping Saquon Barkley makes sense. If Jones is not the guy, and the team intends to replace him in the 2023 NFL Draft, then listening to trade offers for Barkley may be an appropriate course of action. The fate of Barkley is the #2 most important decision this team must make, and the fate of Jones and Barkley seem interconnected. If you thought drafting Barkley in 2018 was a luxury a rebuilding ball club could ill afford, then you should feel twice as strongly about it now, given that Barkley will be five years older with a major injury in his profile and costing a ton of cap space. Also keep in mind that the Giants likely won’t be picking in the top 10 in the 2023 NFL Draft and don’t have a lot of draft capital to move up in the first round for that franchise quarterback. Barkley is the team’s best offensive skill player. It’s not close. Without him, they are a much worse team. But the Giants need to listen to offers. If someone blows them away, they may have to pull the trigger.

Why am I bringing all of this up in a Week 4 game preview? Because the clock is ticking. Jones hasn’t moved the needle. It’s not completely his fault. His pass protection was a disaster on Monday and is trending in the wrong direction. He has the worst receiving corps in the NFL right now. To his credit, the team only had one turnover on Monday and that was due to a receiver falling down. So he didn’t lose the game. And the coaches continue to publicly praise him. Nevertheless, the questions remain: is Jones what Schoen and Daboll want at quarterback? Is he actually capable of dramatically elevating his game, and those around him, soon? Most fans suspect not. And the trade deadline is approaching. Teams will likely start inquiring about Barkley.

I’m rambling, so let’s cut to the chase. Every play and every game is now an evaluation of Jones. Every play and every game is an opportunity to market Barkley. The receiving situation is a joke. Take the Miami Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa has two targets who he can throw short passes to and then watch them run 70 yards for touchdowns. Schoen and Daboll had visions of Wan’Dale Robinson and Kadarius Toney doing that for the Giants, but both can’t or won’t get on the field. The Giants passing game was going to be predicated on quick, short passes to elusive targets who would do damage after the catch. That’s gone right now. And the receivers who remain can’t separate from coverage so Daniel is left holding the ball. Sterling Shepard has likely played his last game as a Giant. Who the heck knows what happened to Kenny Golladay but if the Giants could afford to do it, he probably would have been cut by now. David Sills? Richie James? Darius Slayton? No one is afraid of these guys. Teams are going to load up against Barkley – both as a runner and receiver – and dare anyone else to beat them. 

Long story short, unless Robinson and Toney come back soon and start making an impact, the Giants simply don’t have the talent this season to run a fully functional NFL offense. Passing the 20-point margin is still a major issue for this team. And guess what? Robinson and Toney aren’t playing again. Sigh.

As for the offensive line, like last year, the injury to Shane Lemieux was a major wrench thrown into the machinery. That is not an indictment of Joshua Ezeudu. Odds are he will end up a starter this year or next. Losing Marcus McKethan also hurt as this could have been a good developmental season for him. The Giants have one stud at left tackle in Andrew Thomas. I am not yet worried about Evan Neal. I think he has the character and temperament to handle the inevitable growing pains. The Giants need better play out of Jon Feliciano (one-year rental) and Mark Glowinski (who has been too up and down). But the overall feeling is a starting player or two is missing from this group. Whether Nick Gates remains in the picture is a mystery. I doubt he is a factor this year.

What I want to see moving forward is the offensive line being physical like it was against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. Be the tougher team. I don’t have much to look forward to on offense, but I can look forward to the offensive line mauling opponents again. This group can run block. Do it.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
I was very curious to hear Wink Martindale speak to the press this week about his unit’s performance against the Dallas Cowboys. At least publicly, Martindale was a lot more measured than I expected him to be. Privately, he’s got to be very upset about how his until got pushed around by the Cowboys’ running game. Leonard Williams is still a vastly underrated player and was missed, but the defensive deficiencies were greater than that. And snippets of Wink’s opinions did sneak through:

“(Kayvon Thibodeaux) really hasn’t practiced that much since the injury. He’s done a lot of rehabbing and all that stuff, but he hasn’t done a lot of 11-on-11 work… I’m just expecting great things from him.”

“There was a lot of runs Monday night where the guys were falling forward for four and five yards. We’ve got to get better knock back up front and play as a unit, all 11, and make sure we start moving piles backward that way.”

“I mean, a 3rd-and-12 toss, that was one of those plays I was telling you about. Just having some football awareness with the backs in the home position, which he never is on 3rd-and-12. We’ve got to see that and recognize that as a defense.”

“We’re still in the process of finding the right fits for who’s going to play inside (linebacker). I want guys who can run and hit and tackle. As a unit, as all 11, we need to tackle better. We had too many missed tackles. Like I said, going against this offense, it’s going to be a great test for us to see how much we’ve improved from Monday to Sunday.”

Overall, I think most of us understand the state of the defense. The defensive line is very thin. If something happens to Leonard Williams (like it did) or Dexter Lawerence, the Giants are in trouble up front. Darrian Beaver would be starting at ILB right now if he hadn’t torn his ACL. Wink is quickly learning that Tae Crowder is an issue. The two outside edge guys the team were counting on are way behind because of how much time they missed and are still on a pitch count. They have to play to get into game shape, but in doing so, the defense is weaker in the short term until they are fully ramped up. Meanwhile, the secondary is still a bit shaky due to the lack of depth at corner.

Wink is all about his defenses being physical. Being pushed around like his defense was on Monday has to be killing him. They have to get back to playing like they did in Week 1 against Derrick Henry. Be the more physical team… at all three levels of the defense. They are going to tested this week. The Bears have only thrown the football 45 times in three games. That’s an average of 15 attempts (not completions, attempts) per game! Part of that is their quarterback is not very good throwing the ball, but a lot of it is the Bears have a physical offensive line, a quarterback who can do damage with his feet, and two backs who can tote the rock (although David Montgomery is a bit banged up).

The key to beating the Titans was stopping the run. The Giants did that and won. The key to beating the Cowboys was stopping the run. The Giants failed to do that and lost. The key to beating the Bears is stopping the run. Tune in Sunday.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
Giants special teams were up against the Panthers. Except for Graham Gano, they were down against the Cowboys. There was a long return and a blocked field goal. My guess is most of the Giants’ games this year will be close. In those type of contests, special teams can actually decide as many as four or five games (one season, the Eagles won almost half their games because of their special teams). Historically speaking, Thomas McGaughey’s coverage units have been very good. They haven’t so far this year. The injury to Nick McCloud is bigger than many of us realize.

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH:
Defensive Coordinator Don Martindale on the Chicago Bears: “One of the reasons why they’re 2-1 is playing complementary football. They’re running the football, trying to control the clock and playing good defense. The biggest thing is, I don’t want to say you take away the runs, but you better limit the big runs, the explosive runs.”

THE FINAL WORD:
One of the best comments I read in The Forum this past week was a poster stating that when every game you play is close, you’re going to win some of those and lose some of those. Those are just the odds. There is something to that, especially when your team has so many question marks still at so many positions. So from here on out, I think all we can expect are mostly tight football games that will either end on positive or negative note. Nevertheless, my guess is the team that is more physical on Sunday will prevail. The Giants had better strap on their chin straps and get to work.

Julian Love – © USA TODAY Sports

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Chicago Bears 19 – New York Giants 14

QUICK RECAP

A comfortable, if not somewhat chilly and breezy day, in Chicago was on tap after the Giants bye week to face off against the underwhelming Bears. A defense that ranked 8th in the NFL paired with an offense that ranked 30th has given CHI a lack of identity to this point of the year. They came in at 4-6, losers of 4 out of their last 5. NYG was coming off of 13 days of rest with an offensive line that was fully healthy after injuries at three of five starting spots and Sterling Shepard out of the concussion protocol. This was a solid match-up on paper.

Two weeks after Saquon Barkley gained 14 yards on 13 carries against the Jets, he was tackled for a 5-yard loss on the first carry of the game. It was a quick and easy sign that despite the extra time off, nothing had changed. On the second CHI drive, they marched down the field but a drop by tight end Ben Braunecker that would have surely ended in a touchdown gave the NYG defense another life. Mitch Trubisky, who averages less yards per game than any QB in the league, threw an interception to a leaping Alec Ogletree in the end zone.

A few drives later, NYG started with the ball in Chicago’s territory. The Giants took advantage of the field position as Daniel Jones hit tight end Kaden Smith in the flat off of play-action for a 3-yard touchdown. They took the initial lead and after forcing a three-and-out on the next drive, Jabrill Peppers returned a punt 40 yards, ending at the CHI 29-yard line. After three plays that accrued a total of 5 yards, Aldrick Rosas missed the 42-yard field goal attempt as a result of Zak DeOssie rolling (literally) the snap back to Riley Dixon. The game remained 7-0. After a 13-yard punt following another three-and-out by the CHI offense, NYG began this time at the CHI 48 yard line. Rosas would soon be presented with a 43-yard attempt but instead of redeeming himself, he pulled it wide left, his fourth miss of the season. The score remained 7-0.

CHI’s offense clicked on their final drive of the half as they finally found and decided to absolutely, relentlessly attack the weak point of the NYG secondary. Corey Ballentine got picked on over and over as CHI drove inside the 10-yard line. The Giants were able to keep them out of the end zone but CHI did put up 3 points via a 26-yard field goal by Eddy Pineiro. They cut the score to 7-3 and would receive the ball to start the second half.

Rosas cemented this as the worst game of his young career as he booted the opening kickoff of the second half out of bounds, giving CHI the ball at the 40-yard line. The CHI game plan seemed to fully focus on Ballentine, as they continued to throw the ball to whomever he was trying to cover. This approach ended with a 32-yard touchdown to Robinson over Ballentine, giving CHI their first lead of the game at 10-7.

The next four offensive drives for NYG resulted in zero first downs, a sack-fumble that resulted in a turnover, and 15 total yards. The anemic performance and even worse play-calling made the Giants completely stall while the CHI offense, third-worst in the league, was able to put another 10 points on the board to lengthen their lead to 19-7 heading into the fourth quarter.

Despite all of the quality field position they had in this one, up until this point in the game, NYG couldn’t muster more than a lone score. Thus it only makes sense that on a drive that started on their on 3-yard line ended with their second touchdown. On a 4th-and-18 from the CHI 23, Jones evaded pressure and chucked it into the end zone. Somehow Golden Tate got behind the secondary and came down with the ball. NYG was all of the sudden within 5 and they quickly forced a three-and-out on the ensuing CHI drive.

Another late-game, puzzling decision arose here. On 4th-and-2 from their own 33, CHI kept their offense on the field. Nobody actually believed they would go for it, and at the last second, they took their entire unit off the field and replaced them with their punting team. The NYG defense remained on the field, no returner came on, and it resulted in a punt that rolled and rolled, resulting in a 61-yard punt that  was downed at the NYG 6-yard line. It was a brilliant move by CHI Head Coach Matt Nagy, as Pat Shurmur hopelessly looked on as if he knew he just got toyed with by a superior coach.

The Giants had one last shot to make this game a heroic 4th quarter comeback but the offensive line continued to falter and Jones couldn’t find open targets. The drive lasted 8 plays and gathered a total of 29 yards. They turned it over on downs. Would have been nice to have those 6 points lost by Rosas.

Giants lose 19-14.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 21/36 – 150 yards – 2 TD / 0 INT – 2 att / 27 yards. Jones fumbled for the 14th time and lost that fumble for the 10th time. While this one wasn’t a result of poor ball protection, this has become a major issue.  Otherwise, Jones played a solid game but had a few hiccups that luckily didn’t end in turnovers. He threw two late balls right into the hands of CHI defenders but they couldn’t close the deal. His second touchdown was a bit of a “chuck it” type play but he deserves credit for hanging in the pocket and getting rid of it nicely with trash all around him. Jones didn’t givie us any “wow” moments or throws but he played solidly as he has all year.

RUNNING BACK

-Saquon Barkley: 17 att / 59 yards – 2 rec / 1 yard. While this wasn’t as ugly a performance as we have seen the past couple of weeks, Barkley is still lagging big time. He continues to dance around too much instead of putting his 230-pound frame close to the ground to simply pave his own path. To be honest, it is really frustrating to watch. He also dropped a pass on 3rd-down that would have ended in, at least, a first down and a 15+ yard gain. There was a play in the 3rd quarter where he caught a pass in the flat and danced his way out of bounds rather than drive over a defensive back who was on heels. Shurmur, rightfully so, was not happy with Barkley on that one.

WIDE RECEIVER

-Golden Tate: 3 rec / 33 yards / 1 TD. Tate also had a drop and one other that he should have caught albeit it was a difficult throw to deal with from Jones. Tate’s touchdown salvaged his poor day.

-Darius Slayton: 4 rec / 67 yards. The lone big play threat in this WR corps continues to impress as a route runner and after the catch. He did have another drop though.

-Sterling Shepard: 3 rec / 15 yards. First game back for Shepard since October 6 because of a second concussion. He didn’t make the great impact many were hoping for but he did gain 22 yards on a reverse run and converted a 3rd down. This offense needs more out of him moving forward, not just dinky-dunk passes.

TIGHT END

-With Evan Engram and Rhett Ellison both out, the job was left up to Scott Simonson and Kaden Smith. Smith, still somewhat newly-signed from SF, scored the first Giants touchdown on a play-action bootleg. He ended up catching another 4 short passes and Simonson got one of his own. Neither are going to scare anyone as route runners and pass catchers but they blocked the edge well, as they were asked to do a lot there.

OFFENSIVE LINE

–The first half wasn’t bad for tackles Nate Solder and Mike Remmers. After all, they were up against Khalil Mack and company and on Jones’ 14 first-half drop backs, Solder allowed 1 pressure and Remmers none. However, once we got into the third quarter, Solder allowed 5 pressures and a sack that led to a fumble. He was, once again, abused and it impacted the entire passing attack. Remmers wasn’t much better, as he allowed 2 pressures but also graded out poorly as a run blocker. He kept losing ground time after time, showing absolutely no anchor.

-Kevin Zeitler and Will Hernandez were relatively quiet in a good way. They each allowed just one pressure in the fourth quarter against a CHI defensive tackle group that may be one of the most underrated in the league. They didn’t get movement in the running game and they, along with Jon Halapio, were the main culprits for a lack of interior run success. None of the offensive linemen could walk out of Chicago proud of their performance.

EDGE

-Despite a separate offsides penalty called on all three edge rushers, they played well as a group. Markus Golden recorded his 7.5 sack of the year while adding 2 TFL, one of which was in a clutch situation late in the game. Lorenzo Carter had 4 tackles, 1 TFL, a pass break up, and 1 pressure, while Oshane Ximines added a pressure and a tackle himself.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

-B.J. Hill didn’t show up in the stat sheet but he was pretty active despite playing only 26% of the snaps. He had a pressure and made things happen away from the ball in terms of making the ball carrier re-direct. He is a quality guy to have coming off of the bench.

-Leonard Williams and Dalvin Tomlinson were stout and rangy against the run. Both had a pressure and Tomlinson finished with 3 tackles. His best football has been played since Williams was brought in. Speaking of Williams, one can fairly ask whether or not he is worth the draft pick they gave and/or the money he will demand in the offseason. He continues on with his “solid, but…” label. He had 1 tackle and 1 pressure in this one.

-Dexter Lawrence was borderline dominant inside against a quality CHI interior offensive line. When this kid gets off of the ball correctly and timely with the right pad level, it is comical to watch two OL not even get him to move his feet. You won’t see him make a statistical impact weekly, as he finished with just 2 tackles and 1 pressure in this one, but he was the key reason why CHI averaged just 2.5 yards per carry. Great game for him.

LINEBACKER

-Alec Ogletree came up with the biggest defensive play of the day. His interception in the end zone prevented CHI from going up 7-0 early and it was an impressive, athletic feat. He had just 2 tackles on the day but he filled lanes hard and opened things up for David Mayo. Mayo finished with 7 tackles including one for a loss and he had a nice pass breakup stemming from his physical style and heavy contact. He did get beat up underneath by backs and tight ends in coverage though.

-Solid game from Deone Bucannon, who seems to be more comfortable in this environment. He had 5 tackles despite the fact he only played a third of the snaps.

CORNERBACK

-Corey Ballentine saw a season-high 64 snaps, but that’s about the only thing his fans are going to want to talk about. Actually, he led the team with 9 tackles, another feather in the cap. But one thing I was taught a long time ago was if a cornerback has a lot of tackles, it is usually an indictment on his poor coverage. It was as clear as day as to who CHI wanted to attack in the passing game. There was a stretch from the middle of the 2nd quarter to the middle of the 3rd quarter where the CHI offense was simple: line up, find who Ballentine is covering, and pass to him. Ballentine’s footwork was atrocious. He had no balance, and he had no feel for routes and throws. In addition to all of the receptions and yardage he gave up, he was fortunate another 60-yard catch was called back because of a penalty along the offensive line. It will be interesting to see how he bounces back because you know Green Bay saw the tape.

-Janoris Jenkins played a really solid game, finishing with a couple of physical tackles and 2 pass break ups. He had a defensive holding on a 3rd-and-10 stop that led to a CHI touchdown, however. Bad timing for a mistake that didn’t need to be made.

-Deandre Baker wasn’t challenged much in coverage, but he did look solid on the few times he had to run deep with the CHI speed guy Gabriel. He finished with a TFL.

SAFETY

-A pretty quiet game for the safeties. Antoine Bethea had 3 tackles and showed quality coverage on a couple of occasions. Jabrill Peppers played a lot of linebacker in this one. He had 5 tackles and 1 TFL. He also returned a punt 40 yards and it got me thinking that it would have been nice to see him back there all year. He is so dangerous with the ball and we aren’t just talking about speed. He is powerful, strong, and aggressive. He is dealing with a hip/back injury that may end up shutting him down for the rest of the year.

-Julian Love got his first real action of the year, 55% of the snaps. He had 1 tackle and 1 interception. Love nearly came down with a second interception and I saw things in him that reminded me why I had a 1st-round grade on him last April. He reacts so well, both physically and mentally, to both where receivers are going and when the ball is thrown. We haven’t seen that from a safety yet this season. Arguably his most impressive play won’t show up on the stat sheet. On the 60-yard pass to Allen Robinson, Love was engaged with a receiver who did a nice job of blocking him. Robinson had a head full of steam and no defender in sight was there to help Love with angles or anything. Love disengaged himself from the blocker, wrapped up a full-speed Robinson, and brought him to the ground. Little things like that go a long way in my book and I hope Love earned his way into more playing time the rest of the year.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Aldrick Rosas: 0/2 (missed 42, 43). One can say the first miss wasn’t Rosas’ fault because the snap was so bad, but his second miss AND a kickoff out of bounds to start of the second half now leaves a questionable taste in our mouths. Is he the guy? Or did he get lucky in 2018? Kickers are the relief pitchers of football, just unbelievably volatile and hard to find.

-P Riley Dixon: 6 punts / 41.7 avg / 33.0 net.

3 STUDS

–EDGE Markus Golden, DT Dexter Lawrence, S Julian Love

3 DUDS

-OT Nate Solder, K Aldrick Rosas, CB Corey Ballentine

3 THOUGHTS ON CHI

1. I somewhat noticed this while watching the game live but upon watching it again from the All-22 angle, I respect how disciplined this defense is. Plain and simple, they do not overlook the subtle assignments. They maintain gap control. Their blitzers are well timed and accurate. They take proper angles. Their anticipation is outstanding, most notably at the second level. Yes they have a lot of talen,t but even more than that, their discipline makes a lot of positives happen.

2. Mitch Trubisky has gone backwards. I can recall watching him early last year and thinking he is making that important jump. Even after his injury where he missed 2 games, he came back and got destroyed by the LAR defense but bounced back well. 2019 has not been friendly to him and it just looks like he isn’t seeing things. His timing is off and he isn’t sure of himself. I bring this up because I think it takes 3 years of starting in the NFL before you can make your decision on a QB. NYG QB Daniel Jones has some similarities to Trubisky and even though I think he is heading toward a higher level, it is another example we can’t say yes or no to Jones until 2021.

3. I know many may think NYG doesn’t need any more bodies at the hybrid DT/DE spot in this defense but there is a kid on CHI I have been watching all year. Roy Robertson-Harris is going to be a RFA this offseason. Since he was an UDFA in 2015, he could come cheaply. If NYG doesn’t want to spend money on Leonard Williams, I think this kid offers a very similar skill set and I’ll even say a similar level of play for a much cheaper price. Keep that name in mind.

3 CLOSING THOUGHTS

1. Not sure if anyone else saw the interesting exchange between Barkley and Shurmur. In the 3rd quarter, Barkley caught a ball in the flat, did a little dance, then trotted out of bounds as two CHI defenders approached him. It was 2nd-and-8, NYG was down 10-7. Shurmur went at him and clearly told him to go north, put the shoulder down and get the few extra yards. Barkley may have been able to get 2-3 more yards and while it wasn’t a major deal, I think it is clear some are getting frustrated with his style. He isn’t playing like he did as a rookie. He is playing soft, and yes, I will keep talking about it until he stops.

2. I think NYG might as well keep trotting out their young guys in the secondary for the balance of the season. I want to see Beal, Ballentine, Baker, and Love all getting more than 50% of the snaps weekly. I don’t need to see Michael Thomas anymore, I don’t need to see Grant Haley anymore, and I don’t need to see Peppers play through pain. Let’s see how these kids respond to adversity even if they get roasted.

3. There are 5 games left to play. WAS and MIA are included in there and it’s hard not to think about where the Giants end up in the draft if they lose out and/or win one or both of those match-ups with Chase Young potentially sitting there. He is likely going to grade out higher than Myles Garrett and if there is one guy who can change the entire outlook of this team in a game where one guy almost never makes that much of a difference, it is Young. Tanking isn’t a thing but I do believe in sitting veterans and getting the young guys valuable snaps to see if they can show us something. Something I think NYG needs to consider.