Preview: Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants, October 20, 2019

 Posted by
Oct 182019
 
Evan Engram, New York Giants (September 29, 2019)

Evan Engram – © USA TODAY Sports

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Game Preview: Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants, October 20, 2019

THE STORYLINE

If there is any remote possibility that the New York Giants make the 2019 season about more than the development of rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, then Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals is a must-win. The Giants currently stand at 2-4 (1-1 in the NFC East), one game behind the 3-3 Dallas Cowboys and 3-3 Philadelphia Eagles. If the Giants can get to 3-4, they will still be very much in the hunt. However, if the Giants lose to the 2-3-1 Cardinals and fall to 2-5, then the season will probably be all but officially over in terms of playoff possibilities.

Brewing in the background is growing fan discontent with Pat Shurmur, who continues to make questionable in-game decisions. While it is difficult to see the Giants parting ways with their third coach in five years, especially given his “quarterback whisperer” relationship with Daniel Jones, the franchise must decide if Shurmur is capable of becoming a winning head coach. This is a big game for Pat Shurmur too.

THE INJURY REPORT

  • RB Saquon Barkley (ankle)
  • RB Wayne Gallman (concussion)
  • WR Sterling Shepard (concussion – out)
  • TE Evan Engram (knee)
  • DL Olsen Pierre (concussion)
  • CB Corey Ballentine (concussion – out)

NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE

Predictably, Daniel Jones is experiencing a rough patch after a hot start. This was exacerbated by facing two of the League’s top defenses (Patriots and Vikings) without his best weapons. While the ups and downs will continue, what we want to see are more ups than downs and increasing consistency. Jones seems to have the right attitude:

Looking back on the month, kind of up and down. I’ve been inconsistent overall. I’ve been good and been bad. I think there are certainly a lot of things to learn. When you look at the scheme or some of the decisions, some of my habits or bad habits, I think there are a lot of things to learn. So, I’ll kind of separate those problems, (and) those individual issues and try to improve. But also, just getting more comfortable and getting more accustomed to what we are doing. I think I’ll continue to learn and grow, but I’ve certainly had the opportunity to learn a lot this month… I think in the pocket, making sure I’m keeping two hands on the ball. When I’m running, securing the ball. I think that’s part of it. Just making good decisions. I think being aggressive when the opportunity is there, and not when it’s smart not to be aggressive. Just kind of managing that, understanding those situations, and learning from them.

What Daniel Jones said above is exactly what this learning process is all about. And he seems to understand the process. It’s not fun and can be painful, but he is not running away from the challenge. When this season is over, Daniel Jones will have four preseason games and 14 regular season games to go back and study and learn from. He is getting first-hand experience about the speed and complexity of pro defenses, when to take chances, and when not to. But also keep in mind that player development is not always linear. There will be dips.

Think of  how Eli Manning developed. He was atrocious at times during his rookie season, but provided a ray of hope with his comeback win against the Cowboys in the 2004 season finale. Then in 2005, he led his team to a division title, upsetting the Denver Broncos in memorable fashion. But Eli really didn’t “arrive” until the 2007 playoffs, with three and a half years of starting experience under his belt. Same story with Phil Simms, who was despised by half the fan base from 1979 until he finally rid himself of the bulk of those critics in January 1987, when he was 31 years old!

The good news for Jones is he will have Saquon Barkley, Wayne Gallman, and Evan Engram back. But Sterling Shepard is still out. Nevertheless, as long as the offensive line does a reasonable job, Jones should be able to do some damage against the Arizona Cardinals’ 30th-ranked defense. This will be a nice change for the Giants’ offense after facing the Cowboys (9th), Bills (3rd), Vikings (5th), and Patriots (1st). All four New York Giants’ losses came against those teams, as New York scored a total of 55 points (13.75 points per game, which included a defensive score). On the other hand, the Giants’ two wins came against the Buccaneers (22nd) and Redskins (26th), as New York scored a total of 56 points (or one more point than the other four games).

The Cardinals have not been able to stop the run or the pass. However, outside linebackers Chandler Jones (4.5 sacks) and Terrell Suggs (4 sacks) can rush the passer. And the Cardinals get back All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson this Sunday after he missed the first six games due to an NFL suspension.

Many eyes will be on Saquon Barkley. Is he truly healthy enough to play? How much of an issue will the ankle be? He’s a difference-maker as a runner and receiver if he is good to go.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE

The Giants’ defense is coming off of their best effort of the season, but one game does not make a trend. And while the defense was much better against the Patriots, the team still gave up 27 first downs and 427 yards of offense. The Cardinals play fastbreak football, spreading teams out with four-WR packages, which opens things up for their super-athletic, but diminutive, rookie quarterback, Kyler Murray, as a runner and passer. After struggling early, Arizona’s offense has played much better the past two games. Moreover, the Cardinals’ quarterback and receivers are eyeing New York’s 31st-ranked pass defense, being very familiar with ex-Cardinal Antoine Bethea.

Aside from Murray, who was the first player taken in the draft. The Cardinals still have dangerous weapons. Running back David Johnson is a threat running and catching the football (2nd on the team in receptions with 30, including three receiving touchdowns). Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is still productive, leading the team with 35 catches.

Murray has thrown for over 300 yards in three of his six starts, completing over 64 percent of his passes. He also has rushed for 238 yards, averaging over 6 yards per carry. Historically speaking, these type of mobile quarterbacks have always given the Giants fits. The Cardinals employ the read-option with designed running plays specifically for Murray.

Not to sound like a broken record, but the defense is showing some signs of improvement because the defensive line and edge rushers are playing better. Markus Golden is starting to look like the guy he was in 2016 before he tore up his knee. Dexter Lawrence is really coming on and pushing the pocket. Much now depends on the ability and consistency of inside players such as Alec Ogletree, David Mayo, Jabrill Peppers, and Antoine Bethea. The middle of the defense continues to be the area that burns this team. When they play better, it shows up immediately on the field.

The game plan is fairly obvious. Contain Murray, maintain disciplined rush lanes, even if it negatively affects the pass rush. The secondary will be stressed by the multiple WR sets combined with Murray’s ability to keep plays alive. There will be times when the linebacker or defensive back will have to make an instant judgment as to whether or not to stick to his man in coverage or come up and chase Murray. That’s a dangerous situation.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS

With Corey Ballentine out, either Darius Slayton or Cody Latimer will be returning kickoffs. Riley Dixon’s punting has become erratic again.

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH

Defensive Coordinator on David Mayo and Jabrill Peppers: “I love what David Mayo has done, I really do. He’s come and worked his tail off. David’s another guy that loves the game. This guy really loves the game, he’s tough, he’s physical. It’s not shade on anybody that’s on our roster anywhere. What it allows us to do is put another DB on the field. I think just going back to what I believe, the more spread they get, the more space the game becomes, the more second level players you want to try and get on the field. I think Jabrill, we know he can do just about anything. It’s just us doing a good job managing the situations and the things we put him in so he can play fast and we don’t slow him down.”

THE FINAL WORD

This is a must-win game for the Giants if the team wants to keep any playoff hopes alive. What will be interesting to watch is if the offense can get back on track and score more than 20-24 points, and see if the defense can build upon their last performance. This is an unusual opponent and the Cardinals’ offense is quite capable of embarrassing this defense.

Game Review: New England Patriots 35 – New York Giants 14

 Posted by
Oct 132019
 

Golden Tate, New York Giants (October 10, 2019)

Golden Tate – © USA TODAY Sports

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New England Patriots 35 – New York Giants 14

QUICK RECAP

Just four nights after the NYG loss to MIN, the Giants found themselves at a windy Gillette Stadium to take on the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. The short week combined with a couple of injuries to key players on offense likely contributed to the massive underdog tone going in to this one. However, NYG has had this overlooked-label attached to them heading into a match-up against Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and company before.

NE drove down the field on the opening drive but consecutive stops at the NYG 19-yard line with just 1 yard to go, the second of which being fourth down, gave NYG the initial momentum. As was the case for most of the night, the NYG offense couldn’t respond as they went 3-and-out. They were without Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, and Saquon Barkley against a team that is 12-0 at home against rookie quarterbacks since Belichick took over.

The two teams traded 3-and-outs before Daniel Jones threw his first interception of the night, this one to John Simon. However Brady, continuing his streak of sub-par play against the Giants in white, threw an interception to Janoris Jenkins on the next play and the messy football we are used to seeing on Thursday nights across the league appeared to be back in full effect.

NYG was not able to take advantage of their 50-yard line starting field position and the defensive battle continued all the way to the point where the first score of the game came on a “blocked” punt. Linebacker Nate Stupar, the personal protector to punter Riley Dixon, was pushed backwards to the point where the trajectory of the ball was right at his helmet. Rookie Chase Winovich caught the live ball and carried it into the end zone.

Brady and the NE offense continued to stall because of a quality pass rush by NYG with perhaps a little help from the wind, which made it hard to really force the ball downfield. That wind, and perhaps the best defense in the NFL, had the tough impact on Jones as well. He threw his second interception of the night, this time to safety Duron Harmon, giving NE the ball at the NYG 20-yard line. Five plays later Brandon Bolden crossed the goal line as NE took a commanding 14-0 lead.

As we have seen multiple times already, Jones showed a short memory by standing tall in the pocket on the next drive while continuing to go through his reads. On the third play, Jones hit Golden Tate for a 64 yard touchdown on a perfectly-thrown deep ball that Tate tipped to himself before outrunning the NE secondary to the end zone. It was the first time NE had allowed a touchdown through the air this season.

Brady was sacked and fumbled on a hit by Lorenzo Carter on the next drive and the surging Markus Golden scooped it up before returning it for a 42-yard touchdown. All of the sudden NYG had this game tied up at 14 but NE responded with a smooth, steady drive that ended with a Brady 1-yard touchdown. Even though NYG had been out-gained 228-129, Jones had thrown 2 interceptions, and the NE special teams had scored a touchdown on a blocked punt, the game still very much felt within striking distance at halftime.

The ever-important first possession of the second half ended in Jones’ third interception of the night, this time to cornerback Stephon Gilmore. New NE kicker Mike Nugent missed a 40-yard field goal after a marathon drive and NYG just couldn’t get past midfield. The offense was sputtering all night besides the one deep ball to Tate. On the ground, Jon Hilliman couldn’t get going. Even worse on their next drive, Hilliman fumbled and it was scooped up by linebacker Kyle Van Noy who returned it for a 22-yard touchdown, the Pats second non-offensive score of the night.

NYG was down 28-14 with the just over 7 minutes left when they were faced with a 4th-and-2 from their own 33-yard line. Would they run? Would they pass? Head Coach Pat Shurmur, owner of a 17-38 record as a Head Coach, opted to punt. NE then scored another touchdown on another 1-yard Brady run while taking off another 3+ minutes of game clock. The night was all but over after that.

Giants lose 35-14.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 15/31 – 161 yards – 1 TD / 3 INT / 35.2 QBR. We knew these past 2 games against MIN and NE would be a different level test for Jones when compared to the two teamse started off against (TB/WAS). On a short week; traveling to NE on a windy night; up against a coach that has feasted on rookie quarterbacks; without his number one receiver, number one tight end, and number one and two running backs had the look of near-impossible. Jones did compete and showed plenty of physical and mental toughness, but when evaluating his play, it was poor. Big picture we can talk about this being a learning experience for him, which is fine, but Jones played bad. Three interceptions and another one that was dropped were the lowlights. He looked confused multiple times and at the end of the day, QB play like that against a team like NE makes a loss inevitable.

RUNNING BACK

-Jon Hilliman: 11 att / 38 yards – 2 rec / -3 yards. Hilliman got his second shot at carries with Barkley and Gallman out and, like last week, it did not go well. His fumble was scooped up for a defensive touchdown and he failed to make an impact otherwise. The all-22 tape showed cutback lanes on three of his carries that he simply didn’t see. Prime example of how important vision is for a back, as Barkley could have taken those 1-2 yard gains and turned them into something huge.

WIDE RECEIVER

-Golden Tate: 6 rec / 102 yards / 1 TD. Tate was targeted underneath and intermediate often but the one deep shot he got was turned into a 64-yard touchdown. A week after he subtly complained about not getting enough looks against MIN, he responded. His routes are a thing of beauty and once he, Shepard, and Engram are on the field at the same time, they will be a tough trio to cover on sub-3rd-and-7 situations.

-Darius Slayton added 3 catches for 32 yards. He was targeted 8 times and if there is one positive to the offensive weapons being hurt, it is more playing time for the gifted Slayton. He was up against a guy who I think is the best CB in the league right now, Stephon Gilmore, a bunch in this one. Good for him to see how hard it is to get open in addition to competing for the ball when a guy like that is on you. Slayton showed some downfield acceleration that is going to be a weapon here once he gets more confident in his reads and routes. He did have a drop and there are some inconsistencies I see play to play, but he is going to be a difference-maker here.

TIGHT END

-Rhett Ellison: 3 rec / 30 yards. Ellison saw an uptick in snaps with Engram out. He gave NYG what he has been giving for a couple years now, limited ceiling across the board but reliability and consistentcy. NE squeezed running lanes from the outside a few times and it was partially the fault of Ellison who just couldn’t get a push as a blocker.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-While a lot of the difficulties Jones experienced came from quality coverage by the NE back 7 and him simply holding onto the ball for too long, the line was still very shaky. Nate Solder and Mike Remmers each allowed 2 pressures in addition to poor run blocking. Their grades on a week-to-week basis are just above what Ereck Flowers was putting out. While their basements aren’t as low as Flowers was, they need to be more reliable. As much as I want NYG to get a premier pass rusher in next year’s draft, I think OT is going to be offseason priority number one.

-Inside, Kevin Zeitler had a really good game, the top grade on the OL. Hard to always tell who is playing well when a team can’t get the running game going but he was a bright spot. Jon Halapio had another below average game, leaving just week 1 vs DAL where I came away impressed with his effort. Will Hernandez allowed a pressure and was flagged for a hold. One of the sacks could have been attributed to him as well but Jones should have gotten rid of the ball.

EDGE

-If there is one bright spot from this game and recent weeks, the edge play has steadily improved. Markus Golden had a half-sack. That makes 5-straight games with a sack for Golden and he now ranks sixth in the NFL with 5 this season. He also scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery caused by a Lorenzo Carter sack, who also added 2 pressures. Carter is still the guy who makes a play every now and then that makes you dream. There is still hope regarding his upside.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

-Dalvin Tomlinson was a solid presence all night, turning in easily his top performance of the year, maybe even the past two years. He made a crucial 4th-and-1 stop on the NE opening drive. Dexter Lawrence remains active and disruptive. He had 5 tackles and a pressure. What’s most impressive lately are the amount of plays he is impacting away from the point-of-attack. He is getting to the sidelines, he is reaching receivers on screens and short passes. Just a really disruptive force on every level you can think of.

-B.J. Hill put in another quiet night. While I don’t have any legit concerns with him, I do think the expectations got a little high on him because of a 5.5 sack rookie campaign. Just another example why the volume of sacks in one season shouldn’t be considered too heavily when evaluating a player. He is getting a lot of dirty-work done this year so it isn’t easy to see what he is doing well and what he isn’t, but the past two weeks haven’t been quality performances.

LINEBACKER

-Huge games for both Alec Ogletree and David Mayo. Ogletree returned after missing time with a hamstring injury and led the team with 12 tackles / 1 sack / 1 TFL /1 pressure. He was all over the field, and like I said last week, having a real ILB in there makes a huge difference. While he is inconsistent, it was nice to see him out there filling lanes, getting off of blocks, and making plays after watching what we had to watch last week against MIN. Mayo also had 12 tackles along with a half-sack. He did get exposed multiple times in zone coverage, however, and he missed 2 tackles. Mayo played his heart out though and he is a really physical player.

CORNERBACK

-Janoris Jenkins came out strong for the second week in a row, finishing with 3 tackles / 1 INT / 1 PD. He nearly returned his interception for a touchdown. As he has always been, Jenkins really is amazing with the ball in his hands. I wonder if it is worth trying to give him a touch or two in the return game.

-Deandre Baker is getting more confident and it is easy to see from the all-22 angle. The balance looks better, there are less false steps, less recovery steps. He is also playing more physically and that is one of the best signs indicating the confidence is increasing. Confidence is not important for a cornerback, it is vital.

-Grant Haley had 6 tackles, including 1 TFL. He is still having a hard time sticking to the better slot receivers. While a really good nickel is hard to find, NYG is going to have to try out a new body there at some point this season. Teams have been torching the middle of the field for far too long.

SAFETY

-Jabrill Peppers had 10 tackles / 1 TFL / 1 pressure, but his most notable play was a missed tackle on 3rd down when the score was 14-14. This was the drive after NYG scored a defensive touchdown and the momentum was swinging to NYG. That missed tackle ended up being really costly, as NE scored a touchdown on this possession right before halftime.

-Michael Thomas also missed a tackle on the play noted above. He finished with 6 tackles on the night, one too short. Antoine Bethea had a quiet game and wasn’t contested much, but still found his way to 6 tackles.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Aldrick Rosas – No field goals attempted.

-P Riley Dixon: 5 punts / 39.2 avg / 31.1 net. Second poor week in a row for Dixon.

3 STUDS

-LB Alec Ogletree, WR Golden Tate, CB Janoris Jenkins

3 DUDS

-QB Daniel Jones, RB Jon Hilliman, OC Jon Halapio

3 THOUGHTS ON NE

  1. Bill Belichick was hired by the Patriots in 2000. This may be the best defense he has put together over those 20 seasons. NE has never had the #1 ranked defense (yards allowed) but they have had two seasons where they allowed the fewest points. They currently rank #1 in both categories albeit against the easiest schedule in the NFL to date. Opponents aside, the defense, and more specifically the secondary, is in a league in its own right now. Combine that with the Belichick brain, they are going to be so difficult to beat this year.
  1. Are we finally starting to see Brady show signs of age? I’m not talking about athletically (he’s never been a good one), but his ball has less juice on it and it just seems the accuracy isn’t what it was a couple years ago. This was the fourth time I’ve seen him this year, and minus the cupcake schedule, he looks off.
  1. One of the most underrated reasons why NE remains competitive year after year is the play of their OL. It is such a rock-solid unit year after year and most fans can’t name 2 of their starters. I remember scouting all of their current starters and the one thing I can say about all of them – they are all gamers. They lack the ideal measurables, but they usually didn’t get beat one-on-one in college, they are blue-collar tough, and they all have high football IQs. The interior of Thuney-Karras-Mason were drafted rounds 3-6-4 respectively. Starting right tackle Marcus Cannon was drafted in the 5th round. They are smart guys who developed within the system. It’s worked out really well for New England.

3 CLOSING THOUGHTS

  1. While NYG did have it tied up at 14, I’m not sure I understand the narrative that this was a good game. Yes, multiple offensive weapons were on the sideline for this one but NE didn’t play a clean game themselves. NYG was 2-of-10 on 3rd down, they were out-gained by 2:1 in total yardage, and they had a punt blocked. This was an all around ugly game.
  1. As I always say, I am slow to criticize coaching. There are far too many factors that I don’t have access to, but there are some simple game-management tactics that I just don’t think Shurmur is doing a good job with. The decision to not go for it on 4th-and-2 in the fourth quarter, down 14 points, was mind-numbing. That screams “unprepared” to me.
  1. I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves in regard to the 2020 NFL Draft, but you guys know most of my time right now is spent scouting that class. And I am going to say this right now… the WR talent coming into the league next year is ridiculous. I may have 10+ grades on receivers that are higher than anyone from the 2019 class. That is not an exaggeration. I think it is important NYG really finds out what they have in Slayton and Tate because there may be a talent that is very tough to pass on in the first 2 rounds next April.

New England Patriots 35 – New York Giants 14

 Posted by
Oct 112019
 

Janoris Jenkins, New York Giants (October 10, 2019)

Janoris Jenkins – © USA TODAY Sports

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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 35 – NEW YORK GIANTS 14…
In a game that was closer than many expected for much of the contest, the New York Giants fell 35-14 to the New England Patriots on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Giants are now 2-4 on the season.

New York’s defense kept the team in the game for most of the contest and also scored. On the other hand, New York’s special teams allowed a touchdown on a blocked punt and the offense turned the ball over four times, one resulting in a defensive score for the Patriots.

New England’s first five offensive possessions resulted in a turnover on downs with nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson stuffing the run on 3rd-and-1 and 4th-and-1, a punt after a three-and-out, an interception by Janoris Jenkins that he returned 62 yards, and two more punts.

But the Giants had even less success, with their first five possessions ending with three punts, and interception, and a blocked punt for a New England touchdown that gave them a 7-0 advantage late in the 1st quarter. After both teams exchanged punts early in the 2nd quarter, quarterback Daniel Jones threw his second interception, this one returned 27 yards to the New York 20-yard line. Five plays later, running back Brandon Bolden scored from one yard out on 3rd-and-goal to make it 14-0.

The only points generated by the Giants’ offense on the night came on the ensuing drive. After New York had picked up 11 yards on two plays, Jones connected with wide receiver Golden Tate on a 64-yard touchdown pass – the first touchdown pass given up by New England this season. Even better, the Giants tied the game at 14-14 a few plays later when linebacker Lorenzo Carter sacked quarterback Tom Brady, forcing a fumble that linebacker Markus Golden recovered and returned for a 42-yard touchdown.

New England responded with an 11-play, 75-yard drive right before halftime that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Brady and a 21-14 lead at halftime. This was the only long scoring drive the defense gave up in the first half.

Neither team scored in the 3rd quarter. Jones threw his third interception of the game on New York’s first drive of the half, turning the ball over at the New England 18-yard line. A clock-killing, 9-minute, 16-play, 60-yard drive by the Patriots ended with a missed 40-yard field goal. The quarter ended with another punt by Riley Dixon after one Giants’ first down.

The 4th quarter began with the Patriots turning the ball over on downs on a 4th-and-5 incomplete pass. But then disaster struck for the Giants. On 3rd-and-9, running back Jon Hilliman fumbled the ball after a catch. The loose ball was recovered by the Patriots and returned 22 yards for a defensive score, giving New England a two touchdown advantage with just over eight and a half minutes to play.

On the ensuing possession, the Giants faced a 4th-and-2 at their own 33-yard line with just over seven minutes to play. Head Coach Pat Shurmur decided to punt the ball away. Dixon’s punt only traveled 30 yards. And New England then went on to put the game away by driving 63 yards in seven plays, with Brady rushing for his second 1-yard touchdown run of the game.

With the Patriots now up 35-14 with just under four minutes to play, New York could only gain one first down before turning the ball over on downs. The Patriots then ran out the clock.

Minus three of their best offensive players, New York could only gain 10 first downs and 213 total net yards against the NFL’s #1 defense. Jones finished the game 15-of-31 for 161 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. Sixty-four of his yards came on his touchdown throw to Tate, who finished the game with six catches for 102 yards. Giants’ backs only gained 52 yards on 16 carries. As stated, the offense turned the ball over four times.

The Giants’ defense allowed 27 first downs and 427 total net yards, but they kept New York in the game, allowing only two long touchdown drives, one of which came late in the contest. Brady was picked off once (by Jenkins) and sacked three times, one leading to a defensive score. Aside from Carter, the other sacks were accrued by linebacker Alec Ogletree (1), linebacker David Mayo (0.5), and linebacker Markus Golden (0.5).

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

INACTIVES AND INJURY REPORT…
RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), RB Wayne Gallman (concussion), WR Sterling Shepard (concussion), TE Evan Engram (knee), LB Tae Davis (concussion), OT Eric Smith, and OT/OG Chad Slade were inactive.

Defensive lineman Olsen Pierre left the game with a concussion and did not return.

ROSTER MOVES…
Before the game, the New York Giants signed running back Austin Walter from their Practice Squad and terminated the contract of quarterback Alex Tanney.

The 5’8”, 190-pound Walter was originally signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft. The 49ers cut him in late August 2019 and the Giants then signed him to their Practice Squad.

Tanney was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs after the 2012 NFL Draft. The well-traveled journeyman has spent time with the Chiefs (2012), Dallas Cowboys (2013), Cleveland Browns (2013), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014), Tennessee Titans (2014), Buffalo Bills (2015), Indianapolis Colts (2015), and Titans again (2015–2018). The Giants signed him in May 2018 after he was cut by the Titans. He surprisingly won the team’s back-up quarterback job in 2018.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Pat Shurmur and the following players are available at Giants.com:

  • Head Coach Pat Shurmur (Video)
  • QB Daniel Jones (Video)
  • S Jabrill Peppers (Video)

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Pat Shurmur and select players will address the media by conference call on Friday.

Preview: New York Giants at New England Patriots, October 10, 2019

 Posted by
Oct 092019
 

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Game Preview: New York Giants at New England Patriots, October 10, 2019

THE STORYLINE:
Last Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings was a litmus test, and the undermanned New York Giants failed miserably. The team wanted to be 3-2 heading into New England, not 2-3. They will soon to be 2-4. That’s not doom-and-gloom pessimism but simple reality.

  • The away team on Thursday night football is always at a serious disadvantage.
  • The away team rarely wins in New England.
  • The Patriots are defending Super Bow champions.
  • The Patriots currently have the NFL’s #1 defense, allowing only two touchdowns in five games.
  • The Giants’ best running back, wide receiver, and tight end are out.
  • The Patriots currently have the NFL’s #11 offense.
  • Tom Brady, arguably the best quarterback in NFL history, faces a secondary that Kirk Cousins just tore apart.
  • Bill Belichick versus Pat Shurmur?
  • The Patriots are well on their way to another Super Bowl appearance. The Giants are in the eighth year of their 20-year rebuilding program.

It’s no wonder why the Giants are more than two touchdown underdogs.

Honestly, if I were Pat Shurmur, I would treat this game as a glorified preseason game. I would use it as an opportunity to experiment both in terms personnel and play calling. For example, this may be the time to give players like Corey Ballentine and Julian Love some playing time. The team may also want to try some things on offense and defense that are out of character. What do you have to lose? You want to be predictable and undermanned against Bill Belichick? “You play to win the game!” Screw that, let’s have some fun!

THE INJURY REPORT:

  • RB Saquon Barkley (ankle – out)
  • RB Wayne Gallman (concussion – out)
  • WR Sterling Shepard (concussion – out)
  • TE Evan Engram (knee – out)
  • LT Nate Solder (neck)
  • LB Alec Ogletree (hamstring)
  • LB Tae Davis (concussion)
  • LB Lorenzo Carter (neck – questionable)
  • LB Josiah Tauaefa (knee)

NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
This is a horrible spot for Daniel Jones to be in. Barkley out. Gallman out. Shepard out. Engram out. Offensive line struggling. Now on a short week, the rookie quarterback faces the #1 defense and the #1 defensive mastermind of all time without his best offensive weapons. The Giants have no running game without Barkley. None. His two security blanks – Shepard and Engram – will not play. Yikes!

Instead of focusing on this mismatched contest, let’s use this as an opportunity to look at the bigger picture moving forward:

Quarterback: Barring a devastating injury or complete meltdown during the last 11 games, Daniel Jones is the franchise quarterback. As I’ve talked about in previous game previews, he’s the central focus for the rest of the season. Regardless of his and the team’s performance, these games are invaluable learning moments for him. Really, for Jones, this is about preparing more for 2020 at this point. Eli Manning won’t be on the team next year. The Giants have to decide if they can do better than Alex Tanney as Jones’ back-up after Manning is gone.

Running Back: The Giants’ offense is a completely different animal without Saquon Barkley. As great as it has been for Giants fans to get to watch Daniel Jones earlier than expected, it sucks that Barkley’s high-ankle sprain has taken away one of the few reasons to watch this team. That all said, the Giants may have learned a valuable lesson here about making sure they have proper NFL depth behind Barkley. Is Wayne Gallman the guy you want backing him up? I think we’ve seen enough of Jon Hilliman. In this game, I would like to see Eli Penny receive the bulk of the carries.

Wide Receiver: The Giants need to upgrade this position. Pray Sterling Shepard’s concussions are not an issue moving forward because they can ill-afford to see yet another one of their promising receivers have his career end prematurely (Plaxico Burress, Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, etc.). With Shepard out, this will be Golden Tate’s opportunity to shine. But he and Cody Latimer don’t look like the answers moving forward. On the other hand, the Giants may have hit the jackpot with Darius Slayton in the 5th round.

Tight End: As long as he can stay healthy (a big if), Evan Engram looks like one of the more dynamic receiving-threat tight ends in football. He’s a weapon. Pat Shurmur obviously loves tight ends. There are currently four on the 53-man roster (and the team had five at one point). Rhett Ellison is steady, but as this season progresses, Shurmur may want to get a better look at Garrett Dickerson and Kaden Smith in real games.

Offensive Line: It’s beyond ridiculous now. The Giants simply can’t seem to field a legitimate offensive line. As has smartly been pointed out in The Corner Forum this week, when you have a good offensive line, everything looks better. See the Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers as prime examples. The Giants made a huge mistake signing Nate Solder to that contract. He’s been terrible. Mike Remmers was signed to be a temporary stop-gap but he’s only marginally better than Chad Wheeler, who replaced Bobby Hart. I still don’t know what Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur see in Jon Halapio, who has played for five other teams, including the Boston Brawlers and Brooklyn Bolts. Making matters worse is that Kevin Zeitler is playing with a bad shoulder that is clearly affecting his play. The Giants NEED two new starting offensive tackles, and ideally a starting center. That’s a tall order in one offseason.

Offensive Summary: On paper, the Giants look like they have their starting quarterback, running back, and tight end. But 3/5ths of the offensive line needs to be replaced and another outside receiver needs to be added to complement Slayton and Shepard.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
I grew up spoiled on great New York Giants defense. As much justifiable criticism as Eli Manning, the offensive line, and the offense as a whole have received for the past eight years, in my mind, the defense may be even more guilty for the team’s demise. Good defense can cover for a multitude of sins and keep teams competitive. Even in terrible seasons like 1995, the Giants were in just about every game because the defense kept them in every game. In the last eight years, the New York defense has finished:

  • 2011: 27th
  • 2012: 31st
  • 2013: 8th
  • 2014: 29th
  • 2015: 32nd
  • 2016: 10th
  • 2017: 31st
  • 2018: 24th

They are currently 30th.

Like the offensive line, the Giants can’t seem to fix the defense. They keep changing players, coaches, and schemes. But the team remains at the bottom of the league in defense. Until the defense markedly improves, it won’t matter what Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley do on the field.

Defensive Line: This is currently the strongest area of the team. Dexter Lawrence, B.J. Hill, and Dalvin Tomlinson are good enough to win with, although I’d like to see more flash from Tomlinson. Lawrence is starting to give offensive linemen fits. Depth is shaky with only R.J. McIntosh and Olsen Pierre on the 53-man roster as back-ups.

Edge Rusher: Some fans still think Lawrence and Hill are supposed to be like Michael Strahan or Justin Tuck in the Giants’ old 4-3 scheme. In James Bettcher’s 3-4, the outside rush has to come from the outside linebackers or “edge rushers.” Lost in the crappy defensive play is that Markus Golden (4.5 sacks) is quietly averaging just under sack per game. More was expected of Lorenzo Carter, but it’s still early and he has been dealing with injuries. Oshane Ximines and Tuzar Skipper have flashed but as their play against the run last week showed, they both still has a lot to learn. Ideally, this team needs an edge rusher who scares opposing offensive coordinators and quarterbacks. That’s not on the roster right now.

Inside Linebacker: Long gone are Sam Huff, Brian Kelly, Harry Carson, Gary Reasons, Pepper Johnson, Antonio Pierce. Hell, even Michael Brooks, Michael Barrow, Corey Widmer, or Chase Blackburn would look great right now. The Giants have gone from Linebacker U. to Linebacker Hell. And when they finally draft a good one for the first time in years and years (Ryan Connelly), he tears his ACL in his third start. Look at the outstanding defenses around the NFL and they all have good linebackers. The “help wanted” sign has been out here since Antonio Pierce left. This group can’t play the run and can’t play the pass. They make the entire defense worse.

Cornerback: The Giants focused on rebuilding this position in the 2019 Draft. The jury is still out on Deandre Baker, but he is starting and learning. That’s about as good as  you can expect from a rookie corner. Sam Beal missed most of the offseason with a nagging hamstring injury but has returned to practice and will likely be added to the 53-man roster soon. Corey Ballentine should be seeing more playing time. The Giants need to start reducing Grant Haley’s role. At this point, the Giants may want to shop Janoris Jenkins in advance of the trade deadline. He won’t be a part of the rebuild.

Safety: The good news is that after a slow start, Jabrill Peppers is starting to make some plays. The bad news is that Antoine Bethea looks done. At some point very soon, perhaps even this game, the Giants need to sit him. Julian Love should start playing more. Sean Chandler didn’t look good against Minnesota but he should also see his workload increase so the Giants can fully evaluate him. If Love or Chandler can’t handle the position, the Giants have a huge need at this position entering the offseason.

Defensive Summary: A great edge rusher will make everyone better. If you can’t rush the passer in this League, you’re in trouble. Much depends on Ryan Connelly moving forward. Will he be the same player? Regardless, the Giants need to add one or two more inside linebackers as well. Safety remains a sore spot unless Julian Love can handle the transition to free safety.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
Ironically, after years are dismal special teams units, the Giants are in pretty good shape here.

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH:
Head Coach Pat Shurmur on his team being 16.5-point underdogs: “I have no reaction to it.”

THE FINAL WORD:
I doubt my words will be heeded, but I suggest most Giants fans don’t get too upset over this game. The Giants are going to get their asses kicked by the best team in the NFL. And this year, it’s the Patriots’ defense that is carrying them. I’ll be happy if Daniel Jones gets out of this game healthy.

Based on needs alone, this team is more than one offseason away from seriously competing again. It has to start with the offensive line, edge rushers, and inside linebackers.

Game Review: Minnesota Vikings 28 – New York Giants 10

 Posted by
Oct 072019
 

Daniel Jones, New York Giants (October 6, 2019)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

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Minnesota Vikings 28 – New York Giants 10

QUICK RECAP

The former division foe Kirk Cousins returned to MetLife Stadium, this time as a member of the 2-2 Minnesota Vikings. Cousins, who came in with a 3-5 career record against NYG, has always feasted on poor defenses and non-playoff teams. The Giants, a non-playoff team with the 25th-ranked defense, entered the game without their top three inside linebackers and a starting outside linebacker in addition to Saquon Barkley still being sidelined by an ankle injury. With the Eli Manning era in the rear view mirror, hopes were that the results against MIN would change, as he was 3-6 with a 56.1 QBR against them, the lowest QBR of any team he ever faced.

For the first time all season, NYG did not score on their opening drive. They were up against the 6th-ranked defense in the NFL, by far the stiffest test of Daniel Jones’ inaugural season. That defense gave Jones and the offense multiple opportunities to make something happen but, as was the case all afternoon, Big Blue did not capitalize. In addition to the initial “0” on the scoreboard, running back Wayne Gallman jogged off the field after a violent hit to the head. It ended his game, leaving just UDFA Jon Hilliman and fullback Elijhaa Penny remaining in the backfield.

Already up 3-0, MIN got the ball back and picked up chunk gains en route to an 11-play, touchdown-scoring drive. They barely broke a sweat, as the defense forced a 3rd down only two times, the second of which resulted in a 15-yard pass from Cousins to Adam Thielen for the 6 points.

Thanks to a 52-yard kick return by rookie Corey Ballentine, NYG began their next drive at midfield and it took just 5 plays to reach the end zone. A picture-perfect pass and a picture-perfect catch from rookie Daniel Jones to rookie Darius Slayton on a 35-yard ball that beat one of the better corners in the NFL, Xavier Rhodes, put this game at 10-7. The crowd got back into it and the team was showing some of the fight they put in display in their previous two weeks, both wins.

MIN was stuffed on 3rd-and-6 on the ensuing drive via a sack by Dexter Lawrence and Markus Golden, however an illegal contact penalty called on Janoris Jenkins gave MIN new life and they were able to march into field goal range and re-take the lead, 13-7. MIN drove the ball deep into NYG territory on their next possession but on that drive, MIN running back Dalvin Cook fumbled twice. The first time resulted in no damage but the second one, just a few yards shy of the end zone, was recovered by Tuzar Skipper. NYG was gaining momentum but they had to start their drive on their own 1-yard line.

Head Coach Pat Shurmur opted to try and get some breathing room via the inside run, something we all knew wasn’t going to be very productive today. MIN, as they did all afternoon, aggressively sent multiple defenders up the inside lanes and it was Anthony Barr who leaked through and put Hilliman on the ground almost immediately after he got the ball. The play resulted in a safety and NYG was down 15-7. They soon put up another 3 points after another rather easy drive into NYG territory. The MIN offense was doing whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, however they wanted against the NYG defense. MIN took a commanding 18-7 lead into the half. While it was only 11 points, MIN had out-gained NYG 351-92 to this point. Those 351 yards were the second most by any team in the first half of a game all year across the league.

MIN had two big penalties on the opening NYG offensive drive in the second half. A horse collar tackle by Rhodes after a 12-yard completion to Slayton put NYG into MIN territory. Later, on a 27-yard field goal attempt, former Giant Linval Joseph roughed up snapper Zak DeOssie, giving the Giants a fresh slate of downs at the 5-yard line. The offensive line started to fully crumble at this point, as center Jon Halapio was flagged for a hold and Mike Remmers allowed a sack. It was yet another opportunity missed. NYG ended up settling for a 32-yard field goal by Rosas, making the score 18-10.

MIN needed just 5 plays, again, to get into the end zone as Cousins found Thielen for another score, making it 25-10. Thanks to three separate MIN penalties that gave NYG three first downs, NYG found themselves just a few yards away from the end zone. They had two shots at it from inside the 5-yard line but it resulted in 0 points. The score remained 25-10 as the fourth quarter began. If you’re keeping track, that is two straight possessions where NYG had a combined 8 plays from inside the MIN 10 yard line an they netted 3 points total in that span.

After a quick stop, NYG got the ball inside the MIN 30-yard line again and once again, NYG walked away with 0 points. With time starting to dwindle and the MIN running game continuing to gain what they needed when they needed, 5 more minutes came off the clock and 3 more points when up next to the “MIN” on the scoreboard.

It was 28-10 and the Giants offense had to really start forcing things. Their next drive didn’t last long, as Jones was intercepted for the first time of the day by Barr, the same player that made the tackle that resulted in the safety early on. MIN bled the clock out and that was it.

NYG loses 28-10.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 21/38 – 182 yards – 1 TD / 1 INT. Jones also gained 12 yards on the ground via 3 carries. After two starts against bottom-third defenses, we knew Jones was going to have his handful against the Mike Zimmer-led defense that entered the game #6 in the NFL. In addition, play caller Pat Shurmur worked under Zimmer prior to accepting the job here in NY, thus there had to have been a little extra forecasting going on. That is exactly what seemed to be the case, as MIN had a quick and aggressive response for Jones in almost every situation. He didn’t have a lot of space to work with in the pocket and the timing of things just wasn’t there. Jones missed Sterling Shepard two times on plays that should have been touchdowns and he took a sack on 4th-and-goal from the 3-yard line. This was a necessary experience for Jones and in a series full of “first times”, just add this one to the list in addition to the upcoming short week.

RUNNING BACK

–Jon Hilliman: 9 att / 20 yards – 1 rec / 4 yards. Hilliman took over the first string running back spot once Wayne Gallman went down with a concussion. Hilliman, who did not earn a 53-man roster job at the end of training camp. Hilliman, who was the number three rusher on a 1-11 Rutgers team in 2018. That was the presence in the backfield behind Jones against a top tier NFL defense. It went as well as expected, as he never posed as a threat and averaged 2.2 yards per carry.

-Wayne Gallman left early with a concussion and I would bet my bottom dollar he will be out this week against NE because of the short rest. Elijhaa Penny, a fullback who has a few running back traits, finished with 15 yards on 3 carries in addition to a 4-yard catch. I’m sure NYG will bring in a back this week for depth purposes, but I project Penny to be pretty involved.

WIDE RECEIVER

-Darius Slayton: 4 rec / 62 yards / 1 TD. Slayton and Jones have an obvious connection and it put up the early 7 points for NYG. His development this season will be very important for next year, as he figures to be a key component to the future passing game. Slayton only saw 5 targets but he made the most of them. I like the ability to push the secondary but he is also proving to be more than just a deep guy. His routes and awareness near the sidelines look good.

-Sterling Shepard had 5 catches for 49 yards on 10 targets but his stat line could have been so much stronger if Jones had hit his spots. Shepard was getting open up and down the field against man coverage all afternoon but he just couldn’t get on the same page as Jones.

-In Golden Tate’s first game in a Giants uniform, he caught the first pass of the game and went into hiding for the majority of the contest after. He finished with 3 rec / 13 yards while playing two-thirds of the team’s snaps. I wouldn’t say he looked rusty but he didn’t look like the Tate I have seen in the past. This was also a tough game to evaluate, as the passing game just didn’t reach a flow consistently.

TIGHT END

-Evan Engram: 6 rec / 42 yards. Engram once again led the team in targets, this time with 11. He is the most dangerous threat on this offense when Barkley isn’t out there and MIN did a great job containing him. He saw a lot of bracket coverage besides routes into the flat. Engram had a drop and was manhandled twice in the running game in addition to being flagged for a hold. The MIN defensive ends are as physical and powerful as it gets and these are guys Engram just won’t be able to compete against. Engram had 2 balls that hit his hands that he didn’t bring in. I did not label them drops, but big-time players have to make those plays.

-In a game where NYG basically gave up on running the ball, Rhett Ellison’s impact was minimal.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-Bad day overall for this group. MIN has a formidable defensive front, a position group I would rank in the top 5 across the league. Mike Zimmer also dialed up a lot of complex blitzes and stunts and the lack of chemistry along the OL with a rookie QB was exposed.

-Nate Solder and Mike Remmers couldn’t seal the edge nor could they anchor their positions. Solder was flagged for 2 holds and also allowed a pressure and a sack. Remmers allowed 2 pressures and a sack but actually graded out worse of the two, as his inability to hold the point-of-attack made things really tight for Jones to work within the pocket. While he has been an upgrade over what NYG dealt with in recent years (Bobby Hart / Chad Wheeler), Remmers has been a let down so far.

-The interior wasn’t much better. In fact, if you’re Kevin Zeitler and Jon Halapio, you graded out worse than both the tackles. There were multiple miscommunications between the two, as they were visibly frustrated with each other after a couple passing plays where MIN generated pressure and on the safety where LB Anthony Barr ran straight through their gap to make the tackle. Zeitler allowed a pressure, a TFL, and had an allowed sack cancelled by a questionable illegal contact penalty by MIN. Halapio constantly got minimal to no push in the running game and was flagged for a penalty for illegally going downfield too early on a screen. Will Hernandez allowed 2 pressures and a sack as well.

EDGE

-With no Lorenzo Carter in the picture, it was Tuzar Skipper and Oshane Ximines playing opposite of Markus Golden. Skipper and Ximines were both overwhelmed against the outside running game and it helped create the space for Dalvin Cook to really get going. When that guy reaches space, he is near-unstoppable. Skipper and Ximines got picked on in this one and offered near-nothing as pass rushers.

-Golden had 5 tackles and a sack with 2 pressures. He has been a steady outside presence and also made a couple physical hits in the running game. His is getting more and more nimble as the weeks go which tells me his confidence in growing.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

-Dexter Lawrence had a sack nullified by a holding penalty in the secondary but he recorded one in the fourth quarter. He had 5 tackles in addition along with a forced fumble and looks like he may be the best player on the entire defense.

-Dalvin Tomlinson and B.J. Hill were a tough evaluation in this one. MIN employs a zone-blocking scheme where they really get guys moving laterally. Both seemed to struggle against it, as they were on skates multiple times and ended up creating massive cutback lanes for the MIN backs. Hill did record 5 tackles and he forced Cousins into quick decisions as a passer a few times, but Tomlinson’s lack if impact continues.

-R.J. McIntosh had a sack and a pressure from his 3-4 DE role. He can shoot the gap well and should factor more and more on passing downs throughout the season.

LINEBACKERS

-No Alec Ogletree. No Tae Davis. No Ryan Connelly. Upon further review of the defense’s horrid performance, much of it can be attributed to the lack of impact along the second level. I respect the grit and hustle that both David Mayo and Nate Stupar bring to the table but this got ugly fast. Neither were filling lanes which allowed the OL to reach them 3-5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. At that point, the lanes are wide open for the running backs and with a head full of steam, that is nearly impossible to stop. Both were concrete blocks against the lateral-route passing game MIN had success with all game as well. This is going to be a problem as long as these two are in there.

-Josiah Tauaefa got his first NFL regular season action after being called up from the practice squad. He responded with 3 tackles, including 2 TFL. Don’t sleep on this kid, as he led NYG in tackles during preseason and he shows more downhill presence as a run defender.

CORNERBACK

-Janoris Jenkins and Deandre Baker did an OK job defending the outside. Both, however, were awful against the run. Jenkins had 2 missed tackles and Baker had 1 himself. They were both part of the horrid secondary tackling stemming from poor angles and poor technique. Baker still lacks confidence, as he is too-often falling in coverage and tripping over his own feet. He fell to the ground on an Adam Thielen touchdown where he could have been in position to break up the pass had he not. He was also flagged for a taunting penalty when NYG was holding on for dear life. A free 15 yards from the rook.

-Grant Haley was torched in this one. He allowed a touchdown to Thielen and continues to show he has no ability to defend downfield passes and routes. The turnaround speed isn’t there and the lack of size exposes a lack of ability to make up for getting beat off the ball.

SAFETY

-Even though Antoine Bethea led the team with 11 tackles and a few of those were very high quality, his lack of speed and twitch is hurting this defense on a weekly basis. The 35-year old took a couple of awful angles at Dalvin Cook and was promptly burned for it.

-Jabrill Peppers saw some more LB-type action in this one and that is one of the positives he brings to a defense. He is effective in multiple roles. He had 5 tackles, a TFL, and a forced fumble on a Dalvin Cook run that would have put MIN inside the NYG 5 yard line with a fresh slate of downs. He got beat across the middle on a couple crossing routes, however.

-Sean Chandler saw some action in this one (10 plays) and ended up missing 2 tackles and allowing a 3rd-down conversion where his lack of presence and aggression caused the chains to move. Hesitation and poor tackling, not a good combination for that position.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Aldrick Rosas: 1/1 (Made 32).

-P Riley Dixon: 3 punts – 44.7 avg / 33.0 net.

3 STUDS

-WR Darius Slayton, S Jabrill Peppers, DT Dexter Lawrence

3 DUDS

-OG Kevin Zeitler, LB Nate Stupar, CB Grant Haley

3 THOUGHTS ON MIN.

  1. I have picked MIN to win the NFC North for 4 straight years. In 2016 they finished 3rd, in 2017 they finished 1st, in 2018 they finished 2nd, and right now they are currently 3rd. They are one of the most inconsistent teams in the league and what I mean by that is, when this team is on they can beat anybody and I mean that. Their defense is strong on every level and they have one of the best RB/WR combinations in the league. Shaky QB play and an inconsistent OL has held them back but it looks like they are on the verge of turning both of those corners. If they do, I think they can be considered a legit Super Bowl contender.
  1. Anthony Barr has long-been one of my favorite defenders in the league. How many guys that measure 6’5/255 can play in coverage like does? But also rush the passer with a developed skill set? And then also explode downhill and drive a running back through the ground? MIN was smart to sign him long term and even though he doesn’t always blow up the stat sheet, the amount of things he can do at a high level in one game week to week is rare.
  1. MIN has been one of the better drafting teams in the NFL, particularly on defense. It is amazing how hitting on these high picks can make your team competitive year in, year out. Danielle Hunter, Everson Griffen, Shamar Stephen, Antony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Ben Gedeon, Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes, Harrison Smith, Mike Hughes….go find me a team with a better homegrown defense than that. You won’t.

3 CLOSING THOUGHTS

  1. There were a number of signs in this game that this team isn’t ready to compete. NYG had several opportunities to take advantage of MIN mistakes, but they did not. They had two straight possessions where they had a combined 8 plays inside the MIN 10-yard line. That netted NYG 3 total points. MIN left Sterling Shepard all alone for a touchdown on 2 occasions and they did not result in any touchdowns. MIN got penalized 12 times (5 of which resulted in NYG 1st downs) while NYG was penalized just 5 times. All these should have at least made this a game because good teams capitalize on mistakes made my the opposition and NYG walked out of this one with…10 points. Not good. Not ready.
  1. Let’s not start this “sky is falling” mindset when thinking about this team. My thought that these guys will be sub .500 squad has never wavered. Sure, things can happen and we still want them to “go for it”. But in all reality there are holes all over the place and when NYG has faced off against quality opponents, they haven’t gotten the job done. They are a few steps behind and much of this year will be about finding the guys who will be the nucleus for years to come.
  1. Whether or not Saquon Barkley dresses for the game Thursday night, NYG needs to bring in another body for the backfield. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Penny get the majority carries but there needs to be more security for a running game.

Minnesota Vikings 28 – New York Giants 10

 Posted by
Oct 062019
 

Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (October 6, 2019)

Sterling Shepard could not hold onto this pass in the end zone – © USA TODAY Sports

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MINNESOTA VIKINGS 28 – NEW YORK GIANTS 10…
The Minnesota Vikings soundly defeated the New York Giants 28-10 on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. With the loss, the Giants fall to 2-3 on the season.

New York entered the game with injury issues at running back and linebacker. Running back Saquon Barkley (ankle), linebacker Ryan Connelly (Injured Reserve – knee), linebacker Alec Ogletree (hamstring), linebacker Tae Davis (concussion), and linebacker Lorenzo Carter (neck) did not play. Worse, the Giants lost running back Wayne Gallman (concussion) in the 1st quarter. The Vikings were able to exploit these absences. The Vikings also both lines of scrimmage.

Minnesota took control of the game early, controlling the ball and the clock for 12 of 15 minutes in the 1st quarter, en route to an early 10-0 lead. Shoddy coverage tackling did not help. First, the Vikings drove 62  yards in 11 plays, settling for a 31-yard field goal. After the first Giants’ possession stalled at the Minnesota 39-yard line, the Vikings then embarrassingly drove 98 yards in 11 plays, with quarterback Kirk Cousins throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Adam Thielen on 3rd-and-4 on the first play of the second quarter, beating cornerback Grant Haley. At this point in the game, Cousins was 9-of-10 for 119 yards.

Cornerback Corey Ballentine sparked the Giants on the ensuing kickoff by returning the ball 52 yards to midfield. Five plays later, quarterback Daniel Jones threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Darius Slayton. New York had cut the lead to 10-7.

The Vikings scored points again on their third possession, this time moving the ball 45 yards in eight plays to set up a 48-yard field goal to extend the lead to 13-7.

After the Giants punted the ball away on their third possession, the Vikings drove from their 20-yard line to the New York 24-yard line. On 2nd-and-6, running back Dalvin Cook broke off a 19-yard run, but safety Jabrill Peppers stripped him of the football at the 5-yard line. Linebacker Tuzar Skipper recovered the loose ball at the 1-yard line. However, on the very next offensive snap, running back Jon Hilliman was tackled in the end zone for a safety. The Vikings now led 15-7.

After the free kick, the Vikings extended their lead to 18-7 with a 32-yard field goal after a 9-play, 49-yard drive. Other than the fumble at the 5-yard line, Minnesota scored on their four other first-half possessions. On the other hand, New York’s five first-half possessions resulted in one touchdown, a Minnesota safety, and three punts. The Vikings held the ball for over 20 minutes in the first half.

The Giants began the third quarter with a marathon 15-play, 61-yard drive that unfortunately only resulted in a 32-yard field goal despite the Giants facing both 1st-and-goal from the 6-yard line and 1st-and-goal from the 5-yard line. That field goal represented New York’s last points of the day.

The Vikings then responded with a devastating 5-play, 67-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown from Cousins to Thielen again, this time beating cornerback Deandre Baker. Minnesota now led 25-10 with just under five minutes to go in the 3rd quarter.

New York threatened to score a touchdown again on their second drive of the half, reaching the Minnesota 3-yard line. But on 4th-and-2, Jones was sacked for a 9-yard loss at the end of the 3rd quarter.

After a three-and-out, the Giants drove into Vikings’ territory again, but turned the ball over on downs after a 4th-and-12 incomplete pass from the Minnesota 27-yard line. The Vikings then added another field goal, from 45 yards out, after gaining 46 yards on nine plays. With just over four minutes to play, the Vikings held a commanding 28-10 lead.

New York’s last possession ended on 4th-and-2 when Jones was intercepted. Minnesota then ran out the clock.

New York’s offense only gained 211 yards, 147 net passing yards and 64 net rushing yards. Worse, the Giants were 0-for-2 in the red zone. Jones completed 21-of-38 passes for 182 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He was sacked four times for a loss of 35 yards. His leading targets were tight end Evan Engram (6 catches for 42 yards), wide receiver Sterling Shepard (5 catches for 49 yards), and Slayton (4 catches for 62 yards and a touchdown). Hilliman only gained 20 yards on nine carries.

Defensively, the Giants allowed 490 yards and 22 first downs to an offense that had been struggling. Minnesota rushed for 211 yards and Cousins completed 22-of-27 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Peppers did force one fumble that Skipper recovered. Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, defensive lineman R.J. McIntosh, and linebacker Markus Golden also had sacks.

Video lowlights are available at Giants.com.

INACTIVES AND INJURY REPORT…
RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), LB Alec Ogletree (hamstring), LB Tae Davis (concussion), LB Lorenzo Carter (neck), QB Alex Tanney, OT Eric Smith, and OT/OG Chad Slade were inactive.

RB Wayne Gallman (concussion) left the game in the 1st quarter and did not return.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Pat Shurmur and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Pat Shurmur and select players will address the media on Monday. The players return to practice on Tuesday.

Preview: Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants, October 6, 2019

 Posted by
Oct 042019
 

Daniel Jones, New York Giants (September 29, 2019)

The Sun Never Sets on Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

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Game Preview: Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants, October 6, 2019

THE STORYLINE:
Believe it or not, the regular-season is already one-fourth done. And for the first time in three years, the Giants’ season isn’t all but over by October. But we should step back for a second and look at the big picture.

In my opinion, as long as Daniel Jones remains healthy enough to play most of the remaining 12 games, this season has already been a tremendous success. My biggest fear heading into this season was that the Giants would remain in mathematical contention for the bulk of the season, preventing the franchise from benching Eli Manning and getting a good read on Jones. To be blunt, I feared the Giants wasting another season with an aging quarterback who was never going to be apart of the turnaround. I never, never, never expected the franchise to make the switch as soon as Week 3. This is really a big, big deal.

And after the Giants announced the switch and before Jones started his first game, there were quite a few Giants fans who were projecting the Giants finishing with a top three 2020 draft pick, firing Pat Shurmur, and drafting Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, or Jake Fromm.

Oh how things can quickly change in two weeks! Look, as I’ve stated before, it’s way too early to really know if Daniel Jones will be the franchise quarterback that this team needs. NFL history is filled with flashes in the pan who quickly fade into oblivion – after a few games, even after a season or two. But barring injury, Jones will get 14 regular-season games to prove his worth as a rookie. That’s invaluable. And as of right now, any talk of drafting another quarterback in 2020 seems crazy.

Turning to the short-term, the Giants are actually very much alive, being only one game out of first place in the NFC East. Dallas looks like the prohibitive favorite to win the division, if for no other reason that their defense is vastly superior to the Giants’ defense. But could the Giants stay in contention for a Wild Card spot in November and December? We shall soon find out.

The 2-2 Vikings are a talented team coming off of a tough loss and feeling a little bit desperate. There is a lot of pressure on them to beat an “inferior” Giants team. A few days after this game, the Giants travel to New England to play the NFL Champion Patriots. The Giants may quickly find themselves at 2-4. This is a big game for the Giants too. 3-3 sounds a lot better than 2-4.

THE INJURY REPORT:

  • RB Saquon Barkley (ankle – out)
  • RB Wayne Gallman (neck)
  • RG Kevin Zeitler (shoulder)
  • LT Nate Solder (neck)
  • LB Alec Ogletree (hamstring – out)
  • LB Tae Davis (concussion – out)
  • LB Lorenzo Carter (neck – questionable)

NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
The Giants have played four teams in a row with very tough defensive front sevens. It gets no easier this weekend against the Minnesota Vikings, arguably the best defense the Giants have faced thus far. The Vikings are 6th in overall defense in terms of yardage allowed and 5th in terms of points allowed (15.8 per game). They are top 10 in both run and pass defense. On the defensive line, DE Danielle Hunter, DE Everson Griffen, and former Giant DT Linval Joseph are Pro Bowlers. So is LB Anthony Barr, CB Xavier Rhodes, and S Harrison Smith. The key, albeit scary, match-ups for the Giants in this game are tackles Nate Solder and former Viking Mike Remmers against ends Hunter and Griffen.

The Giants are not likely to score many points against the Vikings. What the offense, Daniel Jones, and the other ball handlers need to do is not make it easier on Minnesota by turning the football over. Ball security has been an issue for Jones and the running backs. Do not give a struggling Vikings’ offense a short field to work with, or worse, give the Vikings a defensive score. If this ends up being a tight, low-scoring affair, the team that makes the most mistakes will most likely lose the game. Winning the field position battle could also be decisive.

The game within the game this week will be Pat Shurmur, who calls the plays, facing his old team and his old head coach, Mike Zimmer (defensive background). Each knows each other and what they like to do. Shurmur is also intimately familiar with the Vikings’ defensive personnel.

Turning to the big picture, we once again look at Daniel Jones. Again, it’s early. But there are some important early signs that give us reason to be extremely hopeful. For one, the criticism of his arm strength ended up being a myth. While Jones doesn’t have a rocket, he can make all of the different types of throws an NFL quarterback is required to make. Indeed, we have now repeatedly seen that he can fire the ball into tight windows. More than that, his accuracy is better than Eli Manning’s, even when Eli was in his prime. Time and time again, Jones has perfectly placed the ball to allow his receivers to do maximum damage after the catch.

But beyond all of that, two other aspects of Jones’ game have stood out to me. First, regardless of the pass rush, he keeps his eyes transfixed down the field. While this has hurt him a few times in terms of having the ball knocked out of his hands, his ability to maintain his focus under duress and maneuver around in the pocket (sometimes only ever so slightly) has allowed him to spot targets opening up downfield and to make the key throw at the last half-second. Secondly, Jones is already reading coverages likes a seasoned veteran. For example, on the touchdown throw to Gallman last weekend, Gallman was his fifth option on the play. FIFTH! I bet you there are some veteran quarterbacks who have started three years in this league who have yet to throw to their fifth option on a play. And Jones just did it in his second game!

Finally, something that has not received enough attention this week is how dramatically the New York receiving corps has changed. To start the season, New York’s receivers were Sterling Shepard, Cody Latimer, Bennie Fowler, Russell Shepard, and Cody Core. Two-fifths of that corps has now been replaced by Golden Tate and Darius Slayton. T.J. Jones has also come and gone. The net effect is the receiving corps looks far stronger now.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
The Giants’ defense hasn’t given up a touchdown in six quarters. Is that misleading? I would argue  yes, but we shall see. Unfortunately, one of the key players leading the apparent turnaround, inside linebacker Ryan Connelly, is done for the season. A 5th-round rookie, he was already wearing the green dot on his helmet. It’s a huge loss for a defense trying to gain some respectable consistency. Making matters worse is that Alec Ogletree and Tae Davis are both out again. All of the sudden, ex-Panther and 49er castoff David Mayo becomes a key figure moving forward. And God help us if Nate Stupar is on the field. Look for the Giants to continue to use the three-safety package.

As I talked about last week, the good news for the Giants’ defense is the defensive line is starting to exert itself. Dexter Lawrence is showing why he was a 1st-round pick. B.J. Hill and Dalvin Tomlinson are flashing, as are edge rushers Markus Golden, Oshane Ximines, and Tuzar Skipper. Coming off perhaps his worst game as a pro, Janoris Jenkins rebounded with “defensive player of the week” honors. Deandre Baker has had two quiet (in a positive sense) games in a row. Jabrill Peppers just made his first impact play. But the opponent last week was a dysfunctional Redskins team. A bigger sample size is needed.

Minnesota has its own issues. There appear to be too many cooks in the kitchen on the offensive coaching staff. And quarterback Kirk Cousins is under fire from the media, fans, and most notably, fellow teammates. He’s one of those quarterbacks who can look very good in one game, and then awful in another. You never know which version of Cousins you will get. But, the Vikings have three very dangerous difference-makers on offense: RB Dalvin Cook, WR Stefon Diggs, and WR Adam Thielen. These are all 1,000-yard producers. Cousins will also throw to his tight ends (Pro Bowler Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith). Most notably, Cook is the team’s leading pass receiver.

But make no mistake about it, the Vikings are a run-first team. Cook is averaging almost six yards per carry and already has five touchdowns on an offense that has been struggling. His back-up, rookie Alexander Mattison, is averaging over five yards per carry. The Vikings are a physical, old-school football team. They run the football behind a physical offensive line and play great defense. If the Giants have any shot at the upset, they need to stop the Minnesota ground attack, or at the very least, limit the damage. When the Vikings see three safeties on the field, they will challenge that with the ground game, as well as the injury-depleted inside linebacking corps.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
Here comes the first real serious challenge for the New York coverage teams. Marcus Sherels has five career punt returns for touchdowns, including one already against the Giants. As for the New York return game, it will be interesting to see if Jabrill Peppers or Golden Tate becomes the feature punt returner now that T.J. Jones has been let go.

There is a very good chance that special teams and field position will decide the outcome of this game.

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH:
Offensive Coordinator Mike Shula on facing the Vikings’ defense: “Yeah, they’re really good… We all want to be aware of the kind of defense we’re facing. They’re talented across the board. They have a really good scheme. They feed off of mistakes made by the offense. As most defenses are, they’re even better in long yardage. I think the biggest thing, the point of emphasis, is getting the ball out on time, making good decisions, don’t think you have to make big plays and don’t think you have to win the game on every play. We talk about, as we do every week, staying ahead of the chains, so to speak. Staying out of those long yardage situations.”

THE FINAL WORD:
This is a big game for both teams. Neither wants to fall to 2-3. And the Giants play the Patriots on a short week after this game. Most pundits expect the Giants to be 2-4 soon. Much depends on the Vikings. Do they come into this game pissed off and ready to take it out on the Giants? Or has this week’s turmoil started to wear on their psyche? To be determined. This may be a horrible time to play the Vikings or a good time. The problem for the Giants are the match-ups up front. That usually doesn’t bode well.

Game Review: New York Giants 24 – Washington Redskins 3

 Posted by
Sep 302019
 

Janoris Jenkins, New York Giants (September 29, 2019)

Janoris Jenkins – © USA TODAY Sports

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New York Giants 24 – Washington Redskins 3

QUICK RECAP

For the first time since November 14 2004, Eli Manning ran out of the tunnel as the Giants’ backup quarterback. This time around he was the veteran who was watching a rookie take over the reigns. After a memorable NFL debut in Tampa, Daniel Jones started for Big Blue for the first time at MetLife Stadium. Their opponent? The other basement dweller of the NFC East, the 0-3 Redskins.

The Redskins entered the game without their staring left tackle, starting right guard, and starting center. Journeyman Case Keenum remained their starting QB after a horrific Monday night performance just 6 days prior and then spending the week in a walking boot. The Giants on the other hand were without 2 of their 3 rotational inside linebackers and still without Golden Tate, who was in his final week of suspension. However, the biggest hole on their game-day roster was at running back, as Saquon Barkley walked out of the tunnel in street clothes for the first time in his very young career as he recovers from a high ankle sprain.

Keenum and the broken offense lasted just two plays before turning the ball over via a interception to LB Ryan Connelly. The Giants offense started off hot yet again, as they scored on their opening drive for the fourth straight game. Jones hit a wide open Wayne Gallman for a 6-yard score. Whatever process they undergo to script that opening drive, it’s working. The Redskins were getting flagged early and often and that remained to be the case for the entire game. WAS was penalized two times on their ensuing offensive drive four times on the next NYG offensive drive. NYG was reaping rewards of being officiated by the crew that led all referees in flags thrown over the first three weeks.

With WAS playing sloppy and tired, typical of both this franchise in recent memory and teams playing on short rest, NYG’s 13-play, 94-yard drive resulted in another Gallman touchdown, this one a 1-yard rush. NYG got the ball back after forcing a three-and-out but Jones gave it right back, throwing his first interception as a pro to Quinton Dunbar. The NYG defense then forced another three-and-out and it appeared the game was on repeat, as Jones threw his second interception to Dunbar on as many drives. This time WAS turned it into 3 points with their own 1st rounder, Dwayne Haskins, being inserted into the lineup. The Giants lead was 14-3.

Jones’ next step in maturation was on display at this point. After two straight turnovers, he led NYG on a 10-play, 63-yard drive that resulted in a 20-yard field goal by Aldrick Rosas. Jones successfully converted a 3rd-and-4, a 2nd-and-20, and a 2nd-and-6 for first downs respectively with both his arm and his legs. That kind of short memory and composure through adversity is yet another reason why this team is all of the sudden better with him at the helm. NYG led 17-3 at the half and it seemed like a much bigger margin.

The Giants’ defensive domination continued on into the second half, as WAS didn’t reach the 100-total yard mark until the final two minutes of the 3rd quarter. Just moments after they eclipsed that mark, Haskins threw his first interception as a pro to Jabrill Peppers, the safety who wears #21 on his jersey. Peppers has had a pretty quiet start to his NYG career but perhaps this was the best moment to break out, as the former #21 of NYG, Landon Collins, was standing on the WAS sideline. Collins has had trouble keeping his mouth shut since he and the Giants organization parted ways. NYG lengthened their lead to 24-3 as the fourth quarter approached.

Offensively NYG struggled to move the ball in the second half, as the stout WAS defensive line controlled the point-of-attack and both running backs, Gallman and Jon Hilliman both turned the ball over via fumbles. The Giants lead was too much for WAS to handle, though, as Haskins threw two more interceptions and the refs continued to penalize the visitors with flags. All in all, it was as dominant a win as NYG has had in quite some time. They had the ball for over 36 minutes and were flagged 5 times opposed to the 12 times the Skins were flagged. This game never felt close.

Giants win 24-3.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 23/31 – 225 yards – 1 TD / 2 INT – 78.0 QBR. Jones also gained 33 yards on the ground. It was a shaky performance by the second-start rookie, as he turned the ball over twice. Because the opponent was one of the worst two teams in football, those turnovers didn’t come back to bite and make a big difference. As mentioned above, the best positive that came out of this for Jones was showing he can forget about the mistakes and go into the following drive(s) with a clear head. Jones’ composure is something I have discussed several times dating back to preseason and he put another check in that box.

RUNNING BACK

–Wayne Gallman: 18 att / 63 yards / 1 TD – 6 Rec / 55 yards / 1 TD. While Gallman is never going to be mistaken for Barkley, he answered the call with the only two scores by the Giants offense on the day. While he had a hard time finding space to maneuver in the running game, he did have a couple of key big gains. His pass blocking left a little to be desired as well, as he just couldn’t hold his ground on a couple of occasions and it really tightened the pocket for Jones.

-Jon Hilliman: 10 att / 33 yards. Hilliman had a shot at his first pro touchdown but he fumbled inside the WAS 5-yard line and turned it over. With NYG taking a quick, commanding lead he was given his fair share of opportunities to split the carries with Gallman but he couldn’t quite stand out.

WIDE RECEIVER

-Sterling Shepard: 7 rec / 76 yards. Shepard also carried the ball once for 23 yards on a play that seems to be a weekly staple for the team. A look at the stats and one may not be overly impressed by Shepard, but his presence on this offense is vital especially on third downs. Other than a 3rd-and-18 dump off pass, Shepard converted all of his fourth, third, and second down catches for first downs. He, combined with Engram and the incoming Golden Tate, will be instrumental in the early progression of Jones.

-Darius Slayton, Bennie Fowler, and Cody Latimer combined for 3 catches on just 4 targets. Latimer was targeted twice but he was flagged for offensive pass interference two times in his first game back from missing time with a concussion. With Tate coming back, Fowler and Slayton will likely see less snaps.

TIGHT END

-Evan Engram: 4 rec / 54 yards. Engram saw a lot of double teams / bracket coverage from the WAS back seven. I think a lot of teams are going to do this because of how much Shurmur wants to feature Engram as the primary target and Jones’ early inclination to force him the ball. Engram was quiet but he did have a 31-yard gain that was mostly yards-after-catch. His blocking took a step back in this one, as he couldn’t handle the WAS edge defenders.

-Rhett Ellison added 3 rec / 24 yards. One thing I have always liked about his game is the desire and constant effort as a downfield blocker. Ellison is the one guy who, every single week, he is looking to make an extra push on a defender away from the ball. He may not be the stout blocker I assumed when NYG first signed him, but he brings the team-first, blue-collar approach that I think is really important on a winning team.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-Nate Solder had a really productive game, grading out as the top lineman for NYG this week. He allowed 1 pressure and that was it. For a team that has given NYG several pass rush issues in recent years, it was a solid day from the blind side protector. Mike Remmers, on the other hand, continued to struggle. He was flagged for 2 holding penalties and allowed a pressure. He also isn’t doing a good job of cutting off backside defenders in the running game.

-Albeit it was against one of the best defensive lines in football, the interior really struggled all afternoon. Kevin Zeitler allowed a pressure and was flagged for a hold, but he did get out in space on a couple of occasions to throw key blocks on separate big gains. Will Hernandez and Jon Halapio tied for the worst grades along the OL in this one. Hernandez allowed 2 pressures and a TFL while Halapio allowed 2 pressures. Their poor performance wasn’t felt as badly because of Jones’ mobility but the communication issues and lack of lateral adjustment is something teams like MIN and NE can eat up. They need to be better, plain and simple.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

-The three-headed monster of B.J. Hill, Dexter Lawrence, and Dalvin Tomlinson dominated the point-of-attack for most of the afternoon. They were up against three interior backups, including former NYG 1st-round bust Ereck Flowers. They were the key reason why WAS running backs Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson combined for 2 yards per carry. Lawrence had 3 pressures, Tomlinson had 1 hurry and a half-sack, and Hill recorded 3 tackles. These guys were as stout as they’ve been all year.

-Olsen Pierre and R.J. McIntosh were on the field for some passing plays in place of Tomlinson and Hill, with Pierre being the more disruptive one. He had 2 pressures, but it was a quiet day for McIntosh.

EDGE

-Markus Golden continues his hot play after a slow start to the season. He had a half-sack and 2 pressures. While he isn’t winning off the snap often, he is proving to be a tough guy for blockers to cling onto. The mix of leverage wins and hustle make him a tough guy hold off for more than a few seconds. His speed in space was noteworthy too.

-Oshane Ximines is making impact plays each week. I think he and Carter are going to blossom into something this defense can really use for years. Ximines recorded a half-sack along with a pressure and pass break up. Let’s keep this in mind: in the last 6 games Ximines has played in (including weeks 2 and 3 of preseason), he has 5 sacks. In only one of those contests, he went sack-less. The consistency he is showing is impressive.

-Tuzar Skipper recorded a half-sack and Carter had a pressure.

LINEBACKER

-With Tae Davis and Alec Ogletree out with injuries, Ryan Connelly got the start with the green dot on his helmet. A player who has been catching the eyes of the coaching staff from the get-go, Connelly had an impactful game. He had an interception and sack to go along with 5 tackles as a key cog to stuffing the Was running game. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL as he tried to move awkwardly in reaction to Deandre Baker coming downhill on a ball carrier who was headed towards Connelly’s lower body. That late adjustment caused the injury and he is out for the year.

-David Mayo led the Giants with 8 tackles. He had a solid presence between the tackles and on contact with ball carries. He didn’t miss any tackles, which is a major, yet overlooked, part of the position. His role will undoubtedly be increased if Ogletree and Davis remain out.

CORNERBACK

-A week after arguably the worst game of Janoris Jenkins’ career, he came right back and intercepted 2 passes and tipped another that led to the Connelly INT. Jenkins, for most of his career, has been a very up-and-down corner but that has as much to do with the nature of the position as it does him as a player. If this defense turns it around long term this season, Jenkins will be in the center of it. He is a playmaker.

-Quiet day for rookie Deandre Baker, in a good way. He wasn’t tested much and he provided solid role-playing run support.

-Nickel corner Grant Haley quietly had a bad game. What I mean by that is that the struggles he put on tape didn’t end up helping WAS score, thus they won’t be discussed much. He should have been beaten for two long touchdowns by Trey Quinn, the final pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. Had It not been for poor overthrows by Keenum, this game could have gone far differently. And Haley’s job would be far less secure.

SAFETY

-A week after I discussed Jabrill Peppers needing to step his game up, he walks out of this one with the defensive game ball. He had 6 tackles, an interception returned for a touchdown, and an impressive pass break up that should have been a touchdown for WAS had it not been for the late/strong hands of Peppers. I like the attitude he brings to the table and I can’t help but smile a little bit that he got into it with Landon Collins (who has been very average for WAS) after the game. I spoke about NYG needing a leader and a playmaker on defense and Peppers is the one guy who has the upside to be both.

-Antoine Bethea and Michael Thomas did a nice job on the back end preventing deep openings. Both Haskins and Keenum were forced to tuck the ball and scramble as a result of these two keeping it tight on the back end.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Aldrick Rosas: 1/1(Made 30)

-P Riley Dixon: 3 punts – 55.0 avg / 53.0 net

3 STUDS

-OT Nate Solder, S Jabrill Peppers, CB Janoris Jenkins

3 DUDS

-OG Will Hernandez, RB Jon Hilliman, OT Mike Remmers

3 THOUGHTS ON WAS

  1. The Miami Dolphins are the unquestioned worst-team in football. However, the Redskins aren’t far behind. If it weren’t for their really solid defensive line, it would be up for discussion. They continue to be hit by the injury bug as bad as any team in the league and it doesn’t seem they have the culture to make up for any physical shortcomings. MIA and WAS play each other on October 13 if anyone is interested in watching what Minor League Football would look like.
  1. There was a lot of media pressure for WAS to put Haskins into the lineup this past week. Even though he started on the bench, he got his playing time based on a coach’s decision and I can’t say it went well. He was 9/17 with three interceptions. I thought it was interesting that Gruden did not commit to Haskins as the starter from here on out, noting that the job had to be earned. Are there work ethic issues with Haskins? Lets wait and see.
  1. Watch the WAS defensive line work and you can see why this NYG trio of Lawrence-Hill-Tomlinson could be a big thing here for the next few years. While I think the WAS trio is better across the board, this is proof that they can be disruptive enough against the pass and dominant against the run to force a lot of stress on the opposing offense.

3 CLOSING THOUGHTS

  1. It was good to see this team could still have a dominant win despite an overall poor offensive performance. 4 turnovers (2 by Jones) can be a tough thing to overcome but many thanks to WAS playing really bad football at this time. NYG walked away with this victory early. But don’t fool yourself into thinking this was a quality game. If NYG plays like this next week against MIN and a few days later against NE, they will be 2-4.
  1. One more positive about Daniel Jones being under center for the upcoming match-up against MIN is Eli Manning won’t be under center. He was 3-6 with 5 TD / 15 INT and a 56.1 QBR against MIN over his career. By far the team that gave him the most trouble. Jones will have his work cut out for him in this one, another big test. MIN has the 6th-best defense in the league this year and they finished 4th in 2018.
  1. The confidence of this defense has to be higher than its been in quite some time. In the last six quarters of football, they have allowed 6 points (zero touchdowns), they’re getting to the QB, and they are forcing turnovers. The MIN offense has been inconsistent but don’t forget the weapons they have in Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, and Dalvin Cook. Huge barometer for the Giants, hopefully with either Davis and/or Ogletree back at ILB.

New York Giants 24 – Washington Redskins 3

 Posted by
Sep 292019
 

Jabrill Peppers, New York Giants (September 29, 2019)

Jabrill Peppers – © USA TODAY Sports

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NEW YORK GIANTS 24 – WASHINGTON REDSKINS 3…
In a sloppy game filled with eight turnovers, the New York Giants soundly defeated the Washington Redskins 24-3 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday. With the win, the Giants improved their overall record to 2-2. However, the victory came with a cost, as linebackers Ryan Connelly (knee) and Lorenzo Carter (neck) left the game with injuries. Connelly’s injury appears serious, possibly a season-ending ACL tear.

New York took control of the game from the beginning of the contest. On Washington’s third snap of the game, Connelly intercepted quarterback Case Keenum and returned the ball five yards to the Redskins’ 32-yard line. After picking up 15 yards on 3rd-and-17, the Giants decided to go for it on 4th-and-2 from the 24-yard line. Quarterback Daniel Jones completed a 5-yard pass to wide receiver Sterling Shepard for the first down. Three plays later, Jones and Shepard converted again on 3rd-and-6. The drive ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jones to running back Wayne Gallman, who was starting for the injured Saquon Barkley.

The Giants defense forced a punt on Washington’s second possession. New York then drove the field, going 94 yards in 13 plays to go up 14-0 early in the second quarter. The drive was fortunately kept alive by a defensive holding penalty after Jones was sacked on 3rd-and-9. The Giants gained 23 yards on a pass to Shepard and 22 yards on a run by Gallman. The drive ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Gallman as well.

Washington went three-and-out on their third and fourth possessions, but the Giants’ momentum stuttered when Jones threw two back-to-back interceptions. The second set up the Redskins at the New York 37-yard line with rookie Dwayne Haskins now entering the game for Washington at quarterback. The Redskins gained just 34 yards in 11 plays and settled for a 21-yard field goal after facing a 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

Jones and the Giants responded with just over two minutes to go before halftime with a 10-play, 63-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard field goal to once again extend the lead by two touchdowns, 17-3. The big plays on the drive were a 31-yard pass to tight end Evan Engram and a 20-yard pass to Gallman on 2nd-and-20.

Neither team scored an offensive point in the second half, while the Giants added to their advantage with a defensive score. Both teams punted to start the third quarter. The Giants then drove from their own 40-yard line to the Redskins’ 5-yard line. But on 2nd-and-goal, running back Jon Hilliman fumbled the ball away at the 2-yard line. Two plays later, Haskins threw an interception to safety Jabrill Peppers that was returned 32 yards for a touchdown and a 24-3 lead.

After both teams punted again early in the fourth quarter, the Giants forced another turnover when Haskins threw his second interception, this time to cornerback Janoris Jenkins on a deep ball down the right sideline. Both teams then exchanged punts again. With under five minutes to play, Gallman fumbled the ball away when the Giants were attempting to run out the clock. Washington gave it right back with Haskins’ third interception, and second by Jenkins, this time off of a tipped ball. New York then successfully ran out the clock to seal the win.

Offensively, the Giants generated 24 first downs and 389 yards, but turned the ball over four times. Jones completed 23-of-31 passes for 225 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He also rushed for 33 yards on five carries. His leading targets were Shepard (7 catches for 76 yards) and Gallman (6 catches for 55 yards and a touchdown). Gallman carried the ball 18 times for 63 yards and a touchdown; Hilliman gained 33 yards on 10 carries.

Defensively, the Giants only allowed eight first downs and 176 yards of total offense (55 rushing, 121 passing). The defense intercepted four passes, two by Jenkins, one by Connelly, and one by Peppers for a touchdown. The Giants also accrued three sacks, one by Connelly and half-sacks by linebacker Oshane Ximines, linebacker Markus Golden, nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, and linebacker Tuzar Skipper.

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

INACTIVES AND INJURY REPORT…
RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), LB Alec Ogletree (hamstring), LB Tae Davis (concussion), QB Alex Tanney, TE Kaden Smith, OT Eric Smith, and OT/OG Chad Slade were inactive.

LB Ryan Connelly (knee) and LB Lorezno Carter (neck) left the game with injuries and did not return.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Pat Shurmur and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Pat Shurmur and select players will address the media on Monday. The players are off on Tuesday and return to practice on Wednesday.

Preview: Washington Redskins at New York Giants, September 29, 2019

 Posted by
Sep 272019
 

Daniel Jones, New York Giants (September 22, 2019)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

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Game Preview: Washington Redskins at New York Giants, September 29, 2019

THE STORYLINE:
As long as he stays healthy, for the remainder of the 2019 season, Daniel Jones remains the storyline.

The first returns could not have been better. In his first NFL start, Daniel Jones earned “NFC Player of the Week” honors for his dramatic 18-point come-from-behind performance that included four touchdowns. The production was impressive, but so was the poise. Jones was under constant pressure and duress, and yet it never seemed to faze him. Now pundits and fans who condemned the pick have gone to the other extreme. It’s not a good look for a group of people who should know better than to make such bold statements based on four preseason games and one regular-season game.

The next desired step for Daniel Jones is obvious: consistency. He doesn’t have to look like a superstar every week, but upper echelon quarterbacks are the ones who deliver consistent production and minimize mistakes on a weekly basis. Again, keep in mind that Daniel Jones is a 22-year old kid who is still brand new to the NFL. He’s going to have bad moments and bad games. But if Jones looks anything like he did last week for the bulk of the remaining 13 games on the schedule, then the Giants may have found something truly special. Only time will tell.

THE INJURY REPORT:

  • RB Saquon Barkley (ankle – out)
  • WR Cody Latimer (concussion)
  • WR Bennie Fowler (hamstring)
  • DE Olsen Pierre (knee)
  • LB Alec Ogletree (hamstring – out)
  • LB Tae Davis (concussion – out)
  • LB Lorenzo Carter (elbow)

NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
Daniel Jones is in a bit of a tough spot. Without Saquon Barkley, the Giants ground game may have disappeared. Teams are not going to take Wayne Gallman seriously unless he starts hurting them. And to date, Gallman has not demonstrated starting-caliber ability. Gallman carried the ball 51 times last year. He has seven carries in three games this year. His back-ups are a fullback with 40 career rushing attempts and a player just signed off of the Practice Squad with no regular-season rushing attempts. Last week, Jones was New York’s leading rusher with 24 yards.

Worse for Jones, both veteran offensive tackles – Nate Solder and Mike Remmers – looked like crap last week. Solder is one of the highest paid offensive linemen in the history of football, but he’s been a liability, not an asset. He allowed three sacks against Tampa Bay. While Remmers has been an improvement over Chad Wheeler, the negative plays have been noticeable too. Yeah, the Washington Redskins are 0-3. But they have a decent front seven on defense with very good edge rushers in Ryan Kerrigan (who has a history of killing the Giants) and rookie Montez Sweat (who a lot of Giants fans wanted to draft). The three down linemen (Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, and Matt Ioannidis) are underrated no-names. This group saw what the Buccaneers did last week and are licking their chops.

The first two games for the Redskins pretty much started the same. Washington looked very competitive early on against the Eagles and Cowboys until the roof fell in. The Bears game got out of hand in the second quarter. The warning sign here is the Redskins were not clearly out-classed by their division rivals, the two teams considered the best in the division.

That all said, statistically, the Redskins have not been good on defense. They rank 26th overall and have had issues against both the run and the pass. The Giants can make hay against the back seven of the Redskins defense. Cody Latimer returns this week and should combine with Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard, and Darius Slayton to present problems for Washington if the offensive line can give Jones time. The wild card here is Gallman. Can he keep the Redskins’ defense honest? The added area of interest is Landon Collins – who has yet to make many plays for Washington – now playing for the Redskins against his former team.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
The narrative that the Giants’ defense played better in the second half of the Tampa Bay game doesn’t hold much water with me. For one, teams with 18 point leads tend to lay off of the gas. More importantly, with the game on the line, the defense folded like a cheap suit. Two plays, 66 yards and the Buccaneers were at the 9-yard line and should have won the game. I can’t stand the NYG defense right now. They are 31st in the NFL, including being dead last against the pass and 23rd against the run. If anything, this defense was supposed to be stout against the run. It’s not. And every week, a new leak springs in the secondary. They don’t look particularly well-coached either.

Washington’s offensive line was supposed to be terrible this year. Yet like their defense, they have looked physical and strong at times and should not be under-estimated. Against the Eagles in the opener, they owned the line of scrimmage for much of the first half of the game. The stats don’t reflect it (Washington is near dead last in rushing), but Adrian Peterson can still run the football behind a line that can get some push. (Our old friend Ereck Flowers is playing left guard for Washington).

Case Keenum is coming off a bad game against the Bears (2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 2 lost fumbles). Nevertheless, he was composed and productive against the Eagles and Cowboys (5 touchdowns, no interceptions, no fumbles). Keenum can carve up this Giants’ secondary, throwing to impressive rookie wideout Terry McLaurin, who already has three touchdowns on the season (Note: McLaurin did not practice on Friday due to a hamstring injury). Keenum, who Pat Shurmur coached in Minnesota, spreads the ball around to his wideouts, backs, and tight ends. He may not have prototype physical tools, but he can read a defense and find the open man.

Exacerbating the defensive issues for New York are the injury issues. Middle linebackers Alec Ogletree and Tae Davis are out. Rookie Ryan Connelly remains the starter inside, but back-up linebacker David Mayo will likely split time with an extra safety such as Michael Thomas with the Giants possibly playing more 5-defensive back packages.

Some questions percolating in my head: was Deandre Baker really better last week or did the Buccaneers simply choose to attack Janoris Jenkins? Did the Giants misevaluate Jabrill Peppers? (Like Collins, he hasn’t made any plays). Should the team bench Antoine Bethea? Can Markus Golden, Lorenzo Carter, and Oshane Ximines continue to show progress as edge rushers? Is James Bettcher the right man for the job?

NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
New York punt coverage has been a joy to watch, bringing back fond memories of Larry Flowers and Reyna Thompson.

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH:
Head Coach Pat Shurmur on the Redskins’ offense: “They still commit to trying to run the football. That’s where it starts for them.”

THE FINAL WORD:
For the foreseeable future, Daniel Jones will have to carry this team. No defense. No running game. Shaky offensive line. Sound familiar? That’s  lot of pressure on a 22-year old rookie.

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