Game Review: New York Giants 25 – Carolina Panthers 3

 Posted by
Oct 262021
 
Leonard Williams, New York Giants (October 24, 2021)

Leonard Williams – © USA TODAY Sports

QUICK RECAP

After a 3-0 start to the 2021 season, the visiting Carolina Panthers came to East Rutherford with their own injury woes. They, too, were missing the focal point of their offense from the backfield, Christian McCaffrey. They, too, were missing their left tackle in Cameron Erving. And they, too, were missing their star linebacker in Shaq Thompson. Head Coach Matt Rhule, who was nearly the Head Coach of the Giants before CAR swooped in with a long-term offer, had convinced many around the league that the franchise was on the upswing. However, three straight losses that included eight offensive turnovers brought them back down to .500 despite a defense that ranked top-10 in the league.

Sam Darnold, the #3 overall pick from the 2018 NFL Draft, one slot after Saquon Barkley, was back at MetLife Stadium in a different uniform after three nightmarish seasons with the Jets. His performances were worsening each week leading up to this Week 7 matchup. With a wide receiver corps that ranked 2nd in the league with the most drops and key injuries up front and in the backfield, this appeared to be a nice opportunity for NYG to right the ship defensively.

CAR’s opening drive netted 3 points via a 47-yard field goal. The CAR offense went run-heavy, converting a 4th-and-1 from their own 36-yard line. Chuba Hubbard and Royce Freeman combined for 33 of CAR’s 46 yards. These 3 points would be the final of the day for CAR. NYG made it to mid-field before punting it back to CAR. After forcing a 3-and-out on CAR, NYG had the ball back and began with the ball in CAR territory due to a poor punt.

It took just 2 plays to reach the red zone, and another 3 plays to get inside the CAR 5-yard line. The worst-ranked red zone offense in the league had a prime opportunity, 1st-and-goal from the 2-yard line, to start reversing their fortunes in this area. A touchdown was called back because tight end Kyle Rudolph stepped out of bounds a couple feet shy of the end zone. NYG then failed on three straight attempts to put points on the board, turning the ball over on downs. The team was showered with boos while both Jason Garrett and Joe Judge were left looking dumbfounded that 2 runs up the gut and a passing play where one, yes one, target was sent to run a route did not pan out.

Because of the poor field position and the NYG defense being able to get pressure on Darnold, who tends to “see ghosts” when dropping back, the first NYG points of the day came from a safety. Leonard Williams applied pressure and Darnold was flagged for intentional grounding on a throw from the end zone. NYG was getting the ball back, down 3-2.

After a 27-yard gain on a pass to Dante Pettis and a 9-yard run by Jones, the Giants were back in field goal position. Graham Gano gave NYG the lead with a 49-yard boot through the uprights. CAR and NYG traded scoreless possessions and the back half of the 2nd quarter, a time period where NYG has failed miserably every game this season, was upon them. CAR did drive down the field with 66 yards on 7 plays before NYG finally put their foot on the opposing offense’s breaks. A tackle for loss by Azeez Ojulari, an incomplete pass by Darnold, and then an interception by James Bradberry wiped away the possibility of CAR getting the lead back.

NYG breached midfield yet again, but an intentional grounding penalty on Jones pushed them back and they ended up punting. CAR remained overmatched when they had the ball, Darnold was limping around, and even though NYG’s lead was only 2 points, they clearly had an edge as halftime arrived and began the third quarter with the ball.

The score remained at 5-3 for nearly the entire 3rd quarter. Neither offense could find a flow, as there was just one combined first down gained by both teams over the first 4 possessions. The third time NYG had the ball, they used an 11-play drive to travel 75 yards right into the end zone. Jones hit Pettis on a 5-yard pass just a few snaps after Pettis completed a 16-yard pass to Jones on a trick play. NYG’s creativity paid off and it resulted in 7 points, making it a 12-3 lead.

CAR went 3-and-out yet again as the fourth quarter began, and that was the last time we saw Darnold under center. NYG added 3 more points via a 53-yard field goal by Gano as the former Panthers kicker remained as automatic as you will find in today’s NFL. Phillip Walker was the new quarterback for CAR. The former Temple signal caller who was recruited and coached by Rhule in college had his first completion nullified by a holding penalty. CAR ended up punting once again.

NYG put together an inch-by-inch dive, netting just 32 yards on 10 plays but it was enough for another Gano field goal attempt, this one from 44 yards. He nailed that one as well and NYG had an 18-3 lead. Walker and the Panthers went 4-and-out on the ensuing drive, giving NYG the ball back on the CAR 19-yard line. Devontae Booker needed just one carry to put the final 6 points on the board with a 19-yard touchdown run. NYG was up 25-3.

CAR did end up getting into NYG territory on the next drive as the secondary softened, allowing multiple short passes to be completed. That drive ended in another turnover on downs as the NYG pass rush, led by Ojulari, heated up at the right time. NYG gained a first down on their final drive, opening the window to bleed out the clock.

NYG wins 25-3.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 23/33 – 203 yards / 1 TD / 0 INT / 95.9 RAT

Jones also added 28 yards on 8 carries and caught a pass for 16 yards. So, 247 total yards with a score. Jones responded very well coming off last week’s debacle against the Rams. This is now the 5th game out of 7 (including vs DAL where he only played a half) where Jones finished with a QB rating over 90. He protected the ball, went through his reads well, and made some tough plays with his legs. Jones was without 3 of his top 4 receivers, his top running back, and multiple starting offensive linemen. Only Dante Pettis was getting plus-separation all afternoon, yet he still completed nearly 70% of his passes. Really solid effort full of good decisions in a tough situation.

RUNNING BACK

-Devontae Booker: 14 att – 51 yards – 1 TD / 2 rec – 15 yards

Booker showed a nice mix of innovation after the catch and in space with the ball. He won’t ever be mistaken for Barkley when it comes to tools and athletic ability, but he is a solid presence who makes very few mistakes. He did drop one pass and allowed 1 pressure, but he played well overall.

-Shout out to Elijhaa Penny. He carried the ball 9 times for 24 yards, getting the ball in numerous short-yardage situations. His success rate there is solid, and I still think he is the team’s best option near the goal line and when just a yard or two are needed.

WIDE RECEIVER

-Darius Slayton returned from missing 3+ games with an injury. He led the team with 9 targets and 63 yards. He did a poor job of tracking a deep ball up the sideline but was missed for a sure-thing touchdown by Jones as a result of pressure in his face. Jones has a level of comfort throwing the ball to Slayton and they did connect 5 times, but none resulted in more than 16 yards. If they plan on making noise in KC next week, these two need to connect downfield.

-Dante Pettis caught all 5 targets, most of which were short passes, one of which was a touchdown. Pettis had a 27-yard gain after a quick slant that eventually led to 3 points for NYG. He is the one receiver outside of the injured three who moves exceptionally well both downfield AND in short areas. He doesn’t have the speed of John Ross, but he does get off the line faster and shows better burst out of his breaks. I think Jones is going to start looking his way more often if the trio of Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, and Kadarius Toney remain out.

-David Sills got his first regular season game-action and dropped his only target. I’ve been waiting to see him in this situation for a couple years now and that one fail, like a young running back fumbling, is such a killer.

TIGHT END

-Evan Engram caught 6 passes for 44 yards. Five of them totaled 26 yards total. They aren’t giving him many downfield looks, just a bunch of dump offs and screen-type passes. That is the one area I thought Engram could make a difference in this league when he initially came out of Ole Miss. His athletic ability, which is still there, just doesn’t get used much in this kind of role. He also allowed a TFL in the running game.

-Kyle Rudolph seems to be finding a niche in the offense. While his best days are clearly behind him and there are movement issues that center around a loss of athleticism, he can be the dump-off target and extra blocker when needed. He caught 2 passes and was mere inches away from a touchdown. He allowed a pressure as a blocker as well, although he was left on an island against CAR star pass rusher Brian Burns.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-With Andrew Thomas out, Matt Peart got the start at left tackle. It was a smart move to put him there rather than Solder. Obviously, Peart is a step down from Thomas but the gap is much greater between Thomas and Solder. Remember, Peart did play some left tackle in college but he primarily resided on the right side. His experience level on the left is very small and with that in mind, I thought he played a solid game. He was better in pass protection than in the run game, where he allowed 2 TFL. Solder also allowed 2 TFL and 2 pressures. They were both flagged for illegally moving downfield on passing plays.

-Will Hernandez graded out as the worst of the bunch. For me, personally, the writing is on the wall, and it gets bolder each week. He is not the answer at guard. He was never even above average, but he appears to have gotten even worse. His lower half is a mess, he can’t recognize anything when it comes to stunts and twists, and his reaction times rival what I see in draft prospects who end up with late round grades. He allowed 2 sacks, 1 TFL, and 1 pressure. He was also flagged for a false start.

-Billy Price allowed 2 pressures and Matt Skura allowed one. They were both, surprisingly, excellent in the running game. Price especially got really solid movement off of the ball, but was beat on one of the goal line stands CAR had early in the game. Solid game for these two.

DEFENSIVE LINE

-As a group, this was the best we’ve seen the DL this season. The outside linebackers (next group) were a part of it, but I’ll also note that the linemen made things much easier for the linebackers. In this defense, that is their main role and, in this game, they did it well.

-Leonard Willams was the highlight of the group, finishing with 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 3 pressures. He turned it up a notch in the second half and fought through double teams exceptionally well. To beat the double team is one thing, but to beat the double team while the outside rusher is also able to beat a lone blocker is what makes a front very disruptive. Williams is second in the NFL in tackles by interior DL and 5th in the NFL among interior DL in QB hits.

-Austin Johnson deserves credit. This guy has been playing his butt off and seems to be producing more and more as the season progresses. He had 3 tackles, 3 pressures, and 1 TFL. He did a lot of damage in the first half.

-Dexter Lawrence also stepped it up notably in the second half. He had 3 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 pressures. His ability to push the pocket, shrinking the area in which a QB can step up into when there is pressure from the outside was a huge factor in both CAR quarterbacks struggle with their foot work.

-We also saw some action for David Moa (7 snaps) and Raymond Johnson III (11 snaps). Neither made a big impact but I liked how well they were using their hands. They had that young, aggressive twitch that altered blockers and their plans.

LINEBACKER

-Azeez Ojulari has made a habit out of making one play in a game and disappearing for the rest. Well, that is now a thing of the past. This was the best edge performance we have seen from this team in years. He finished with 2.5 sacks, 5 tackles, 1 TFL, and 4 pressures. He was up against CAR rookie left tackle Brady Christensen, making his second career start. He also saw some action against Taylor Moton, one of the best right tackles in the game. His movement was top notch both off of the snap and post-engagement. He was playing low, taking tight turns, and anticipated the action well.

-Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines both flashed, but it was Quincy Roche who raised some eyebrows. The rookie 6th-round pick who was cut by PIT had seen 16 total defensive snaps prior to this game but saw that increased to 23 total in this one. He had 3 tackles, 1 of which for a loss. Carter was on the field for 42% of the snaps, the lowest since his rookie season besides the game he was injured in last year at Dallas. Something to keep an eye on.

-Inside, Tae Crowder again led the team with 6 tackles and added a pressure. The spot next to him is interesting. Benardrick McKinney, who was signed last week, had 2 tackles and a TFL. He made a physical, explosive hit up the middle that got the fans on their feet. Reggie Ragland saw more snaps but finished with one tackle and continued to struggle with all lateral movement. Neither can factor much in coverage, but McKinney (a 2015 2nd-rounder and 2018 Pro Bowler) has more talent by a landslide. If he can learn the scheme, he could easily start seeing more snaps than Ragland.

CORNERBACK

-James Bradberry wasn’t tested much in this one and still came up with the top defensive play of the afternoon. His interception was a dagger in CAR’s growing momentum. He avoided a disaster by recovering his own fumble on the play.

-Adoree’ Jackson was excellent in coverage from the All-22 point of view. He also made a physical tackle on tight end Tommy Tremble. Darnay Holmes remains in the nickel role and finished with 2 tackles and did a nice job underneath with sticky coverage. Is his job in jeopardy with rookie Aaron Robinson on the brink of returning?

SAFETY

-Logan Ryan had 4 tackles and 2 PDs, but also missed 3 tackles, one of which on 3rd down. Ryan is a staple here and won’t be part of the problem if the defense goes backwards again. That said, he leads the team in missed tackles and needs to be better there. It is a potential killer, especially from that position.

-Jabrill Peppers, a sore spot on this defense for a couple years now had a very active game on defense. He had 5 tackles and a sack on a play where he is one of just a few players in this league who could have finished it the way he did. Keep this guy in the box, keep him rushing the passer, or keep him on the sideline. He can be an asset in a limited role, but he cannot cover.

-Xavier McKinney had 5 tackles and a PD. We wanted to see him take a step up this season so that spot could be considered filled for the next couple of years. His best football has been on display over the past few weeks.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Graham Gano: 3/3 (Made 49, 53, 44). He now has 10 field goals of 50+ yards since joining NYG.

-P Riley Dixon: 5 punts / 45.8 avg / 39.0 avg

3 STUDS

-OLB Azeez Ojulari, DT Leonard Williams, WR Dante Pettis

3 DUDS

-OG Will Hernandez, OT Nate Solder, S Logan Ryan

3 THOUGHTS ON CAR

(1) Back in 2018, almost everyone had Darnold as the top quarterback in the class. I never saw it. No, I’m not patting myself on the back at all (I had Josh Rosen as QB1). I go back and examine my hits and misses every offseason to try and figure out where I went wrong and what I can do to improve my own scouting. Darnold turned the ball over a lot in college. His footwork was horrific. And he made his receivers work too hard on routine passes. A lot of these traits show up in the NFL when college quarterbacks enter the league and that is exactly what happened here. Highlight reel throws are cool, but they don’t determine the quality of a QB. Play to play, he was really off at USC, but the occasional big game and cool-looking throws elevated his status way too much.

(2) Can CAR graduate from the middle tier this season? I don’t think so. Easy for me to say after 4 straight losses, right? Plain and simple, the offense won’t score enough points with their OL + QB combination. I questioned CAR at the time of the draft when they passed on both Justin Fields and Mac Jones for a cornerback. The year prior, they spent every one of their picks on the defensive side. This team is heading toward the difficult spot of being good enough to win 7-8 games but too good to pick high enough in the draft for a top-notch prospect. While you can find QBs later than the top 5 obviously, it was an issue that could have been solved a few months ago.

(3) There was one free agent I wanted NYG to pursue hard this past offseason. It was Haason Reddick. He is a hard-to-find BUCK linebacker, one who can rightfully pass as an inside (off-ball) threat as well as a credible edge defender. CAR got him for just one year and it was hard to see that while NYG gave CB Adoree’ Jackson a much bigger deal. Reddick has 6.5 sacks and 9 QB hits in a year after his set career high marks across the board.

3 CLOSING THOUGHTS

(1) If NYG wants to make a statement, if they want to play a game that will change the outlook of this team both inside and outside their walls, it is here. Monday night in Kansas City against a struggling Chiefs team that just can’t seem to get their defense on track. A win here can make many, if not all, forget about the bad losses they have already suffered. They need to be ready for this one as if it were a playoff game. They have nothing to lose and that is often a dangerous team to be matched up against.

(2) See what kind of difference a solid defensive front makes? Pressure up the middle from Austin Johnson, Dexter Lawrence, and Leonard Williams with Azeez Ojulari creating havoc from the outside turns the opposing quarterback into a shell of himself. We saw it with a mediocre quarterback, and we have seen it with Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. The focus in this front office needs to start with adding more and more pass rushers to their front. No more misses, no more “waiting until the middle rounds,” no more fear in spending in free agency. Get this front back to where it was a decade ago.

(3) NYG has used 6 different starting offensive line combinations over 7 games. The injuries are the main culprit here, but it goes to show just how vital depth along the trenches can be. When looking to improve this team moving forward, it needs to start right here. Solder and Hernandez need to be out, that is the first step. Now you are looking for at least 1 new starter (assuming Peart gets a shot in 2022) and the Lemieux – Gates duo returns 100% from their injuries. That is a lot of turnover needed along the line. The attention needs to be put here more than most are thinking because you must plan on at least 1 injury, but probably 2. Every year a lack of depth along the line ruins good teams.

New York Giants 25 – Carolina Panthers 3

 Posted by
Oct 242021
 
Tae Crowder, Azeez Ojulari, and Dexter Lawrence; New York Giants (October 24, 2021)

Tae Crowder, Azeez Ojulari, and Dexter Lawrence – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS 25 – CAROLINA PANTHERS 3…
The New York Giants soundly defeated the Carolina Panthers 25-3 on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. With the win, the Giants improved their overall record to 2-5.

Statistically, the Giants dominated the game. New York out-gained Carolina in first downs (21 to 11), total net yards (302 to 173), net yards rushing (103 to 56), net yards passing (199 to 117), and time of possession (34:35 to 25.25).

The story of the game was the Giants’ defense that held the Panthers to just 11 first downs and 173 yards. Carolina scored their only points of the game (a field goal) on their opening possession, a 13-play, 46-yard drive. The Panthers’ other 11 possessions resulted in seven punts, a safety, an interception, and two turnovers on downs.

Missing key component parts at running back, wide receiver, and on the offensive line, it was not pretty for New York’s offense for much of the game either. The Giants gained two first downs on their opening possession but were then forced to punt. New York started their second possession at the Carolina 41-yard line. Five plays later, the Giants had a 1st-and-goal from the 2-yard line. But in four attempts (two passing and two running), the Giants could not punch the ball in, leading to a turnover on downs. The Panthers still led 3-0.

Momentum began to shift on Carolina’s third possession. On 3rd-and-9 from their own 3-yard line, quarterback Sam Darnold was pressured by defensive lineman Leonard Williams, causing Darnold to throw the ball away and be flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone. The penalty resulted in a safety and the Giants now trailed 3-2.

The Giants received the ball back on the free kick. Despite only gaining 32 yards on six plays, it was good enough to set up place kicker Graham Gano to successfully kick a 49-yard field goal. Giants 5 – Panthers 3.

Neither team would score for the remainder of the half. The Panthers punted two more times and Darnold was also picked off at the New York 5-yard line, ending Carolina’s longest drive of the game (nine plays and 52 yards). The Giants also punted twice.

The game remained 5-3 for much of the 3rd quarter as both the Giants and Panthers punted twice to start the second half. However, on New York’s third possession after intermission, quarterback Daniel Jones led the Giants on an 11-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dante Pettis on 3rd-an-3. This drive was highlighted by a one-handed, 16-yard catch by Jones on a gadget-play throw by Pettis. The Giants now led 12-3 as the quarter ended.

The Panthers went three-and-out and the Giants added three more points on the ensuing possession. Despite only gaining 16 yards on six plays, ex-Panther Gano nailed a 53-yard field goal to give the Giants a 15-3 advantage with less than 13 minutes to play.

After another three-and-out by Carolina, New York moved the ball just 32 yards in 10 plays, but again, Gano came through with a 44-yarder. Giants 18 – Carolina 3 with just under six minutes left to play.

New York’s final points came after a 4-play, turnover-on-downs by the Panthers at their own 19-yard line. On the very next snap, running back Devontae Booker broke off a 19-yard touchdown run, giving the Giants a comfortable 25-3 advantage with less than five minutes in the game. The Panthers reached the New York 29-yard line on their final possession, but again turned the ball over on downs. The Giants then ran out the clock.

Jones finished the game 23-of-33 for 203 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He caught one pass for 16 yards and also ran the ball eight times for 28 yards. Jones’ leading targets were tight end Evan Engram (6 catches for 44 yards), wide receiver Darius Slayton (5 catches for 63 yards), and Pettis (5 catches for 39 yards and a touchdown). Booker carried the ball 14 times for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Defensive linemen Leonard Williams was credited with 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 quarterback hits, and caused a safety. Linebacker Azeez Ojulari had 5 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 4 quarterback hits, and 3 tackles for losses. Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and safety Jabrill Peppers each had sacks as the team garnered six sacks overall. Bradberry had the lone turnover (an interception) for either team.

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants signed WR David Sills to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.

The Giants also elevated DL David Moa and LB Benardrick McKinney to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.

Inactive for the game were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), WR Kenny Golladay (knee), WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (ankle), NT Danny Shelton (pectoral), CB Sam Beal (hamstring), and CB Josh Jackson.

LB Lorenzo Carter (ankle), S Jabrill Peppers, and LT Matt Peart (finger) all suffered injuries in the game. Peart returned to play.

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Joe Judge and select players will address the media by conference call on Monday.

Preview: Carolina Panthers at New York Giants, October 24, 2021

 Posted by
Oct 222021
 
Dave Gettleman and John Mara, New York Giants (August 22, 2021)

Dave Gettleman and John Mara – © USA TODAY Sports

THE STORYLINE:
Stating the obvious, the New York Football Giants are well on their way to their 8th losing season in the last nine years, and possibly matching the futility of the 2017 (3-13) and 2019 (4-12) seasons. Those two campaigns cost Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur their jobs, respectively, after just their second seasons. Joe Judge now potentially finds himself in the same boat.

As I mentioned in last week’s game preview, it’s hard to see the team winning a game before Thanksgiving. That said, while the Carolina Panthers are a much improved team, they are still a .500 club. If the Giants were not in the midst of a 1-5 tailspin and encumbered with significant injury issues at running back, wide receiver, tight end, and the offensive line, they normally would have a decent shot at the upset here. Possibly they will still surprise us. But to do so, the inexplicably bad defense would have to dramatically change course  and perform at the level expected of it entering this season. That doesn’t seem likely.

What the hell is happening to this once-proud franchise?

Let’s take a few steps back and revisit the recent past.

In January 2016, John Mara decided that problem with this franchise was not Jerry Reese and Marc Ross, but Tom Coughlin. Mara fired Coughlin and quickly promoted Ben McAdoo from offensive coordinator to head coach when he falsely was led to believe that the Philadelphia Eagles were about to pilfer him from New York. The aging Tom Coughlin was coming off his third consecutive 3rd-place finish in the NFC East, with a number of questionable in-game decisions in 2015. Nevertheless, in hindsight, New York never really recovered from the loss of stability that Coughlin brought to the team. One thing is clear, Mara erroneously came to the conclusion that Coughlin was the primary problem, and not those “buying the groceries” as Bill Parcells so fondly used to call it. The other head coaching candidates Mara interviewed included Steve Spagnuolo, Teryl Austin, Adam Gase, Doug Marrone, and Mike Smith.

In early December 2017, after a 2-10 start, Mara fired Reese and McAdoo with four games left play. At the the time, the removal of a general manager and the firing of head coach in-season was not something expected of the staid New York Giants franchise. Fans applauded the dramatic moves, believing that Mara had finally come to the conclusion that the organization had become too stagnate in its old ways. However, those hopes quickly evaporated when it was revealed that Ernie Accorsi had been hired as a consultant for the new general manager search. Dave Gettleman, who had worked under Accorsi from 1999-2012, was on the market as he had been fired as general manager of the Carolina Panthers in July. When Accorsi stepped down as New York’s general manager after the 2006 season, he had recommended to Mara that the team promote Reese to general manager. Gettleman was his second choice. Most Giants fans realized that as soon as Accorsi was picked as consultant, it was merely to rubber stamp Gettleman as the team’s new general manager. Three weeks after Reese was let go, Gettleman was hired before the 2017 regular-season was even over. It’s doubtful that anyone else was seriously considered. One of Gettleman’s first moves was to fire Ross. Mara and Gettleman then hired Shurmur as the new head coach in January 2018. The other candidates considered were Matt Patricia, Josh McDaniels, Steve Spagnuolo, Steve Wilks, and Eric Studesville.

Shurmur won just nine games over the course of the next two seasons. With the team clearly not improving, Mara chose to retain the almost 70-year old Gettleman and fire Shurmur. It seemed like an odd decision at the time. Gettleman was past retirement age, his first head coaching hire as New York GM had failed miserably, and his free agency/draft player acquisition had not improved the team. Most importantly and damning, Mara decided Gettleman was going to be intimately involved in hiring a head coach who potentially would have to work with a new general manager in the not-so-distant future who did not hire him. It was an odd decision to say the least.

In January 2020, Mara and Gettleman hired 38-year old special teams coordinator Joe Judge as the franchise’s next head coach. It was a surprise move given that Judge had never served as head coach at any level. The other candidates at the time where Matt Rhule, Kris Richard, Mike McCarthy, Eric Bieniemy, Don “Wink” Martindale, and Josh McDaniels. Originally, Rhule was believed to be New York’s #1 choice. “We weren’t going with a seven-year deal with anybody,” said Mara about Rhule, who received a 7-year contract from the Panthers. “But more importantly, we had somebody we were excited about. So, we went ahead and made Joe the coach.” One wonders what may be floating around Mara’s head if Rhule’s team beats the crap out of New York on Sunday.

What’s the point of revisiting all of this painful history? In a nutshell, it is to strongly indicate that John Mara is terrible at making strategic decisions that affect the fate the team that he owns. Indeed, one has to ask what has Mara done right? His supporters may point to 2007 and 2011, but the foundation of that team was largely established outside of his control. It’s pretty clear that he was motivated to re-establish something similar to the Ernie Accorsi management team, that included Jerry Reese and Dave Gettleman, in order to replicate the environment that produced two NFL Championships. That attempt failed miserably.

In Mara’s head, Coughlin was the problem, not Reese/Ross. But then they were fired along with the new head coach. Accorsi rubber stamps the post-retirement age GM who was the runner-up to Reese in 2006. Two years later, his head coach is fired. Instead of cleaning house, Gettleman helps to select the new head coach. The team is arguably the worst in the NFL. Nothing has improved. It’s also important to note that head coaching candidates selected to be interviewed in 2016, 2018, and 2020 were far from impressive. One looks around with envy at some of the other head coaches who were hired during the same time period.

Which brings us to December 2021 and January 2022. Mara will be making the decisions again. And that is not comforting. The expectation is that Gettleman will finally be fired. Does Mara, who must be painfully aware of the biennial instability, force Judge on the new GM? Does he stick with Gettlemen’s groomed replacement, Kevin Abrams, who would be more likely to accept retaining Judge? Does the Tisch family just sit back and continue to watch this incompetence from the sideline?

All in all, it’s astounding to see how far this team has fallen in a decade. And there is no end in sight.

THE INJURY REPORT:

  • RB Saquon Barkley (ankle – out)
  • WR Kenny Golladay (knee – out)
  • WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring – questionable)
  • WR Kadarius Toney (ankle – out)
  • WR Darius Slayton (hamstring – questionable)
  • WR John Ross (hamstring – questionable)
  • TE Evan Engram (calf – questionable)
  • TE Kaden Smith (knee – probable)
  • OG Ben Bredeson (hand – probable)
  • NT Danny Shelton (pectoral – doubtful)
  • CB Sam Beal (hamstring – probable)

THE FINAL WORD:
“The fish stinks from the head down.” – Joe Judge, October 21, 2021

Not exactly what you want to hear from your favorite sports team.

Game Review: Los Angeles Rams 38 – New York Giants 11

 Posted by
Oct 192021
 
Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning, New York Giants (October 17, 2021)

Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning – © USA TODAY Sports

QUICK RECAP

On paper, the cross-country trip the Rams had to embark on for a Sunday 1 PM contest was an ugly one for Big Blue. The NFL-leader in offensive yards per play against the defense that had allowed the 8th most yards per play. The 6th best 3rd-down offense against the 29th-ranked 3rd-down defense. One of the top-3 pass protecting offensive lines facing off against a bottom-three pass rush. And lastly, since 2017, the 3rd-best road team vs. the worst home team in the NFL. This had ugly written all over it despite the relatively close 17-9 loss to the Rams a season ago.

The Giants began with the ball, and it was ugly from the start. Daniel Jones was sacked by Leonard Floyd, causing a fumble, just 2 days after the third-year quarterback cleared concussion protocol from a hit he took in their previous game against DAL. They pushed through the initial adversity, converting a 3rd-and-14 via a pass from Jones to the dynamic and explosive playmaker Kadarius Toney. That, along with a few chunk-gains in the running game by Devontae Booker, stepping in for the injured Saquon Barkley, brought NYG into the red zone. NYG had 1st-and-10 from the LAR 11-yard line. As expected, the worst red zone offense in the league had to settle on a 27-yard field goal and they lost Toney to a re-aggravated ankle injury. He would not return.

The Rams offense, led by potential MVP Matthew Stafford, did breach NYG territory but a 3rd-down sack by Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence pushed them back far enough to warrant a punt. NYG had the ball back deep in their own territory. The offensive line continued to get pummeled, but Jones was able to convert a 3rd down and star cornerback Jalen Ramsey was called for a hold on another 3rd down a few plays later. On a 4th-and-1 from their own 41-yard line, the NYG offense opted to go for it via a QB sneak up the middle. It was mere inches shy, which led to a turnover on downs.

Leonard Williams came up big again on a 3rd-and-5 from the NYG 35-yard line, sacking Stafford once more, pushing them out of field goal range once more. The Big Blue defense deserved a ton of credit as they game entered the 2nd quarter with the home team up, 3-0. That was the final positive state of the game for the Giants.

The next 5 offensive possessions resulted in 3 three-and-outs and 2 turnovers. Mixed in between were 3 Rams touchdowns: two passes from Stafford to Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp respectively, and a run by Darrell Henderson. As the clock neared 2:00, LAR had the ball again and you know what that means. NYG has made a habit out of allowing touchdowns over the final 2 minutes of the first half, and for the 6th time in 6 weeks, that is exactly what they did. Stafford hit Henderson up the left sideline for a 25-yard score and the fans were already heading toward the exits. LAR had a 28-3 lead at the half and they were without Toney and left tackle Andrew Thomas because of injuries.

LAR was held to a 32-yard field goal on the opening possession of the second half, but then Jones threw another interception to Taylor Rapp (his second of the game) on the ensuing drive. LAR turned that into another touchdown, as they scored their 38th straight unanswered point with just under 12 minutes left in the game. There isn’t much to say about this game from here. NYG did score a garbage touchdown via an Elijhaa Penny run for 4 yards as LAR slowly but surely took their starters off the field on both sides of the ball. NYG kept most of their starters in, minus a near-full blown personnel change along the offensive line. It was hard to watch at the end, as most of the defense started to jog through the motions, the leftover fans peppered the home team with boos, and Joe Judge joined the list of NYG coaches staring into the abyss wondering what in the hell he had gotten himself into.

NYG loses 38-11.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 29/52 – 242 yards – 0 TD / 3 INT

Jones added 4 yards on the ground and fumbled twice, losing one. Against a defense that was middle of the pack, Jones looked overmatched. Perhaps he was. He was missing his top receiver, his running back, and then lost his left tackle and number three receiver in the first half. He appeared to be fighting an uphill battle most of the way and he just couldn’t seem to pull himself out of it. Remember, year 3 is all about evaluating whether or not Jones will be the long-term answer at quarterback. Part of that includes whether or not he performs well through adversity. Part of that includes how much he can elevate those around him greater than the sum of its parts. He failed here. There are a couple things that can be pointed at, but we must keep things simple. Jones was overmatched mentally and physically. No question.

RUNNING BACK

-Devontae Booker: 12 att / 41 yards and 4 rec / 28 yards.

Booker was running well early on. He had a few chunk gains inside but because they were down so much in the second half, his role was diminished further and further. His vision and yards after contact were solid and he was successful on all of his pass-blocking responsibilities besides one miscommunication with the offensive line.

-Elijhaa Penny had 15 yards on 3 carries including a touchdown. I would like to see him in all short-yardage and goal-line situations; he remains very successful in those situations.

WIDE RECEIVER

-Sterling Shepard: 10 rec / 76 yards

After missing a game with a hamstring injury, Shepard came back and led the team in yards and catches. 7 catches and 56 of those yards came after halftime, mostly against soft prevent defense. Shepard had 2 big drops and that is what stood out the most to me from him in this game.

-Because of the injuries to Golladay, Toney, and Slayton, we saw an increase in playing time for Dante Pettis and Collin Johnson. The former had 5 catches for 48 yards and the latter added 2 catches for 21 yards. John Ross went catch-less. 7 combined catches on 18 targets, a terrible catch percentage.

-Toney and C.J. Board were both lost with injuries, further shrinking this position group which will likely force a signing or 2. We may finally see preseason stud David Sills IV. Should Toney have been out there after missing most of practice in the week leading up? Yes. He passed pre-game protocols and the only way NYG was going to have a shot in this game was points. Toney gave NYG the best opportunity to score points at the skill position and without Barkley on the field, nobody else was close.

TIGHT END

-It was an uneventful day for the group. Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph combined for 4 receptions / 32 yards on 7 targets. They were both on the field at the same time for just under half the snaps because of the abundance of injuries they were going through at receiver. Kaden Smith also played about a quarter of the snaps. Rudolph’s inability to move his feet and bend his knees as a blocker makes him look like a player who aged really fast. Add him to the list of disappointments that have come here this offseason via free agency.

-Engram still lacks flow as both a route runner and receiver. There is something mental going on there and I am sticking with it.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-Andrew Thomas was clearly hobbled from his nagging foot injury that kept him out last week against DAL. He lasted just 29 snaps before leaving the game with another injury. This brought swing tackle Matt Peart into the fold. The second-year, 3rd-round draft pick allowed 2 sacks and 3 pressures. It was a bad sign for him, as the team will be examining him hard this upcoming offseason when determining how to approach the future offensive line. Clearly, he is not a fit for the left side. The issue is, neither is Nate Solder. Solder allowed 3 pressures and a sack himself, further proving something that no longer needs to be discussed. He isn’t a pro-caliber lineman anymore.

-Inside, against the top defensive lineman in the league in Aaron Donald, Will Hernandez and Matt Skura both allowed a pressure and were both flagged for a false start. They did a solid job on the positive inside runs, but neither did well on the outside zone running plays. The Rams defense is fast but where they really excel up front is with their gap discipline and ability to forecast. They were simply beating these two, and center Billy Price, to spots on the field. Price was rarely left alone in this one. He allowed 1 pressure but was solid otherwise, finishing with the top grade among the OL.

DEFENSIVE LINE

-Leonard Williams was the top player on the team in this game. Back when this was an actual game, he was on fire. He had 1.5 sacks, 2 pressures, and penetrated against the run. He finished with 7 tackles but didn’t seem very interested late in the game. I will address his post game comments below.

-Dexter Lawrence, who we’ve discussed in regard to needing to step up for this defense, also started off hot and finished with 7 tackles. He added a half-sack and was controlling multiple gaps in the running game. Lawrence isn’t an impactful player, but I think his value isn’t appreciated because of how poor the team is around him. When I watch quality football teams and defenses around the league, the outlook on a player like Lawrence is much higher. Guys like this create opportunities for others but if those others don’t make things happen and/or the team as a whole gets torched, players like Lawrence get lost in the shuffle. Simply put, a good defense that has a need inside will want Lawrence, something I will touch on later on below as well.

-Austin Johnson and Danny Shelton were doing a nice job against Rams center Brian Allen when matched up against him, but really struggled with the gap integrity when they had to move laterally. Johnson had a pressure and 6 tackles (all assists) and Shelton ended up getting injured late in the game.

LINEBACKER

-There are were moments where Tae Crowder looks overwhelmed. He is still a young player who is lacking in some key areas, but I thought he played his butt off. He led the team with 10 tackles, added a TFL, and had one pressure. He was beat in man coverage that resulted in a touchdown by Darrell Henderson. That won’t ever be a spot he should be pre-snap unless NYG is sending an all-out blitz. Poor scheming by Patrick Graham there and Stafford knew it right away.

-We saw a little bit of Carter Coughlin later in the game. Reggie Ragland is a known stout run defender, but the results aren’t good enough. I think it is time to get Coughlin more looks. He was a couple inches away from an interception and I think his versatility could make some things happen for this defense.

-Yet another quiet game from the outside linebackers. Azeez Ojulari, Lorenzo Carter, and Oshane Ximines combined for 111 snaps. LAR dropped back to throw the ball 31 times. Not one pressure. Not one. Ximines had a garbage time TFL and the starters combined for 3 tackles. They are complete non-factors.

CORNERBACK

-Adoree’ Jackson continues to put up poor performance after poor performance. What an awful signing that was a clear attempt at throwing an expensive band aid on a problem this front office did not properly forecast. He was attacked on 3rd down, allowing 3 conversions and allowed a touchdown.

-James Bradberry was solid, as he matched up against Robert Woods for most of the afternoon and kept him to a season-low 2 catches. Bradberry also broke up 2 passes.

SAFETY

-Xavier McKinney’s box score looks nice.. He had 3 tackles and 2 interceptions. For a defense that is starving for impact plays and for a defense that just can’t get to the passer enough, McKinney’s big plays were important to see even though they had no impact on the game. He also dropped a third interception. I want to see him finish more plays as a tackler and pursuer. He gets to where he needs to be, he plays physical and aggressive, but there is something missing. Hopefully the experience of playing at NFL speed will fix the issues because he is one young defender on this team who has a high ceiling.

-Logan Ryan had 7 tackles and continued to play hard to the end. Call me old fashioned but I appreciate and respect what he does on the field. He was beat on 3rd down and on a touchdown, but he is one of the few defenders NYG has who can be relied upon. We know what we are getting out of him week in, week out.

-Jabrill Peppers on the other hand is further weakening his odds of being on this team in the future because of poor play. Offenses are quite obviously looking to get after him on 3rd down and near the end zone. He is a huge part of the weakness this defense has at the second level and is no match for a solid receiving threat. Athletic freak, bad football player. It won’t work.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Graham Gano: 1/1 (Made 27)

-P Riley Dixon: 4 punts / 52.5 avg – 43.5 net

3 STUDS

-DT Leonard Williams, S Xavier McKinney, RB Devontae Booker

3 DUDS

-OT Matt Peart, QB Daniel Jones, LB Lorenzo Carter

3 THOUGHTS ON LAR

(1) Did you know LAR hasn’t made a 1st round pick since 2016? Five straight drafts without a 1st rounder AND they won’t have one in the next two drafts (unless they trade FOR one). Front offices can be aggressive like this when, and only when, the foundation is firmly in place. Strength in the trenches (BOTH sides of the ball). A coaching system that elevates others on a consistent basis. And wins. NYG lacks all of the above. Until then, the idea of trading FOR players is not the right approach because the holes are too many.

(2) Are the Rams a legit contender in the NFC? You bet. That makes it 2 weeks in a row that NYG took on 2 of the 3 teams that I think the NFC will come down to. TB is the remaining conference contender they haven’t seen yet, but that time will come in 5 weeks. 82 points allowed, 31 points against. That is the margin between where NYG is and where we want them to eventually be. An average of 25+ points per game.

(3) Andrew Whitworth doesn’t get half the attention that he should. 16 seasons as a starting left tackle and soon-to-be 40 years old. I have all the respect in the world for Tom Brady and what he does at his age but I think what Whitworth is doing at a much more physically demanding position belongs in the same conversation.

3 CLOSING THOUGHTS

(1) Leonard Williams wasn’t happy about the boo birds spraying out their distaste for the team on Sunday. Some overdone line about how he wouldn’t go boo a salesman that is performing poorly at his job. I’ve seen this before and I’ll see it again. Someone needs to tell him to focus on fixing himself and the team he plays on. While this “story” is not a big deal at all, I think it goes to show one of the major internal issues NYG is currently dealing with. A bunch of people around this organization not taking complete ownership for their part in being the worst team in the NFL over the past few years. Their players don’t perform well, their front office is missing out on the right players both in free agency and the draft, and the coaches can’t seem to stay on the same level of intellect as the rest of the league. Be a man and admit it. Part one of fixing a problem is acknowledging the problem and, in this case, every person involved in football operations that receives a paycheck from NYG is part of the problem. You’re wasting time talking about “boo’s”. You’re in New York, Mr. Williams. You’re 34-67 as a pro and the highest paid player on the team. Set the example of ownership, not finger pointing.

(2) The year is 2014. NYG is coming off 7-9 season (2013) and ranked 26th in the league in sacks. The year prior (2012), they were 22nd in sacks in a season they just missed the playoffs. And lastly, the year before that (Super Bowl winning 2011), they ranked tied for 3rd in the NFL with 48 sacks. NYG was picking 12th in the first round. Admittedly, their offense was struggling as well but this is the moment NYG went away from what was working for so long. They passed on Aaron Donald (much to my dismay), and selected Odell Beckham. Since then? Donald has earned first-team All-Pro honors 6 times. Donald has 89 sacks and 136 TFL over 116 games. Beckham has played in just 86 games with 51 touchdowns (just 16 since 2017). I am reminded of this every time I watch LAR play and it was a franchise-changing moment that few ever talk about.

(3) The NFL trade deadline is 2 weeks away. Here we are again, wondering if anyone in the league wants the trash from this roster so NYG can net an extra mid to late round pick in the next draft. A couple thoughts on this. One, you want to have good players here so one can properly gauge what is currently here. I am getting at Sterling Shepard, a player I think many will forecast in a trade market. I think his contract is too big for anyone to see great value in him. A good player, absolutely. However, when economics come into play, the value is very average. Plus, if you are going to use the rest of 2021 to evaluate Jones in regard to NYG’s future at the position, he needs to be here running routes, not Dante Pettis. Second, who on this roster is worth something to someone else? I can only see two guys that would warrant attention. They are CB James Bradberry and DT Dexter Lawrence. As I said above, Lawrence may not get the attention on a bad team, rightfully so. On a defense that has other parts (playmakers at LB and quality edge presence), Lawrence can make things happen. I wouldn’t expect anything better than a 4 or 5 for either, but those are 2 names I would look into for a trade. KC, IND, and TEN are all contenders that will be searching for defensive help.

Los Angeles Rams 38 – New York Giants 11

 Posted by
Oct 172021
 

LOS ANGELES RAMS 38 – NEW YORK GIANTS 11…
The uncompetitive New York Giants got their collective asses handed to them by the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, losing 38-11 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. With the loss, the Giants fall to 1-5 on the season.

The Giants actually led 3-0 at the end of the 1st quarter, but the Rams scored 38 unanswered points, including four touchdowns in the 2nd quarter alone. New York’s lone touchdown (and 2-point conversion) came in garbage time in the 4th quarter.

Quarterback Daniel Jones turned the football over four times, including three interceptions and one fumble. Overall, the Rams won the turnover battle four to two and out-gained the Giants in first downs (22 to 21), total net yards (365 to 261), net yards rushing (131 to 60), net yards passing (234 to 201), and time of possession (32:22 to 27:38).

Offensively, besides the four turnovers, Jones completed 29-of-51 passes for 242 yards and no touchdowns. He was sacked four times and under pressure much of the game. Running back Devontae Booker was the team’s leading rusher with just 41 yards on 12 carries. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard caught 10 passes for just 76 yards and caused one of the interceptions by falling down on his route.

The defense allowed quarterback Matthew Stafford to complete 22-of-28 passes for 251 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. The other interception was thrown by the back-up quarterback, John Wolford, in garbage time. For the sixth game in a row, the defense surrendered a touchdown right before halftime.

Video lowlights are available at Giants.com.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated LB Cam Brown from Injured Reserve to the 53-man roster.

The Giants also elevated WR Dante Pettis and OT Korey Cunningham to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.

Inactive for the game were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), WR Kenny Golladay (knee), WR Darius Slayton (hamstring), OG Ben Bredeson (hand), LB Quincy Roche, and CB Josh Jackson.

WR Kadarius Toney (ankle), LT Andrew Thomas (ankle), and WR C.J. Board (broken forearm) all suffered first-half injuries and did not return. NT Danny Shelton (pectoral) left the game in the second half and did not return. OT Nate Solder (finger) was also injured, but returned to the game.

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

POST-GAME NOTES…
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this was the first 38-11 game in NFL history.

The Giants did not score a touchdown in the first three quarters for the second straight home game.

The Rams scored 28 points in the second quarter, the largest one-quarter outburst by a Giants opponent since December 19, 2010, when the Philadelphia Eagles scored 28 in the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium.

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Joe Judge and select players will address the media by conference call on Monday.

Preview: Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants, October 17, 2021

 Posted by
Oct 152021
 

Abraham Lincoln

THE STORYLINE:
“What I’m about is an old school physical mentality. We’re going to put a product on the field that the people of this city and region are going to be proud of because this team will represent this area. We will play fast, we will play downhill, we will play aggressive. We will punch you in the nose for 60 minutes, we will play every play like it has a history and a life of its own, with a relentless, competitive attitude. We will play fundamentally sound, we will not beat ourselves. That is our mission right here… It’s a tough division, it’s a tough division and the city is full of tough people and they expect to see a program, they expect to see a product, that represents them. I’m going to do everything in my power, every day, to make sure the people of this city and this area turn on the TV or sit in the stadium seats and are proud to say that we’re their New York Giants.” ― Joe Judge (January 2020)

“The hen is the wisest of all the animal creation, because she never cackles until the egg is laid.” ― Abraham Lincoln

THE INJURY REPORT:

  • QB Daniel Jones (concussion – probable)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (ankle – out)
  • WR Kenny Golladay (knee – out)
  • WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring – probable)
  • WR Darius Slayton (hamstring – questionable)
  • WR Kadarius Toney (ankle – questionable)
  • OT Andrew Thomas (foot – questionable)
  • OG Ben Bredeson (hand – questionable)
  • OG/OC Matt Skura (knee – probable)
  • LB Justin Hilliard (ankle – out)
  • S Logan Ryan (hip – probable)
  • S Jabrill Peppers (hamstring – probable)
  • S Nate Ebner (quad – probable)

THE FINAL WORD:
The Mara and Tisch families and their employees have done the impossible. One decade ago, this team was widely regarded to have one of the most loyal fan bases in all of sports. New York Giants fans would fill the stadium and watch on TV no matter how bad the team was. Wellington Mara even remarked in the 1980’s that one of the biggest mistakes he made during the 1960’s and 1970’s was misjudging the loyalty of Giants fans, and had he known better, he would have not attempted the “quick fix” as much as he did and build the team through the draft instead.

I have never seen the team’s fanbase more dispassionate and disinterested. It’s palpable. The team just sucks to watch and it has been that way for 10 years. Even when the Giants were bad in previous down periods, Dan Reeves and Dave Brown could upset the championship-caliber Dallas Cowboys or Jim Fassel and Kent Graham could upset the unbeaten Denver Broncos. In other words, there was some life and spirit in even mediocre teams. Football was still fun. The Giants might not be headed to the playoffs, but they were still competitive and could beat any team on any given Sunday. Those days are long gone.

The Giants are not just 1-4, but we all know they will be 1-9 by Thanksgiving. There is no mystery, nothing to look forward to, and that’s just sad. This season was supposed to be different. I suspect the bulk of fans will soon tune the team out this season, if they haven’t done so already. There are better ways to enjoy a Sunday.

Game Review: Dallas Cowboys 44 – New York Giants 20

 Posted by
Oct 112021
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (October 10, 2021)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

QUICK RECAP

After riding high following their emotional Week 4 win against the Saints, the Giants went on the road for the second straight week to take on the NFC East favorite Dallas Cowboys. A division rivalry that has been anything but in recent years would be an opportunity for NYG to make a statement. A statement that they could contend for the division crown. A statement that they were on the way up with Joe Judge at the helm. A statement that their dynamic, come-from-behind win in New Orleans was no fluke, but the new norm. They would have to do so without their left tackle Andrew Thomas, who was active but did not play. They would have to do so without their top wide receiver in Sterling Shepard and defensive general, Blake Martinez. Dallas, winners of 3 straight, was pretty much fully healthy with a quarterback in Dak Prescott who has found himself in the early MVP discussion. If NYG wanted to truly turn this ship around, this would be the game they had to win.

NYG had the initial momentum, forcing an interception on a 4th-down pass from Prescott to running back Ezekiel Elliott by Lorenzo Carter. After a 3rd-down drop by rookie Kadarius Toney, Graham Gano lined up for a 54-yard field goal attempt. It went wide right, leaving the game tied at 0-0 and giving DAL excellent field position. DAL shot themselves in the foot again, this time being a Dalton Schultz drop in the end zone that made them settle on a 31-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein. DAL had the initial lead.

NYG went 3-and-out on the next drive but the biggest negative was a Saquon Barkley sprained ankle on a freak accident where he stepped on DAL cornerback Jourdan Lewis’ foot. For those who have ever sprained their ankle in that fashion, you know it doesn’t take much for it to get ruined. The odds of it happening were slim-to-none, but what is done is done. Barkley’s ankle blew up on the sideline within just a few minutes and we knew in that moment, he was done for the day and likely longer.

DAL drove down the field with ease again. And for the third time in as many drives, their final play was a major mishap that prevented points. Prescott mishandled a shotgun snap and the ball rolled into the hands of NYG linebacker Reggie Ragland. NYG proceeded to go 3- and-out again on the ensuing drive, but the score was still 3-0 as they dug into the second quarter. On 3rd-and-8, DAL put up the first touchdown of the game. A deep pass to CeeDee Lamb over James Bradberry finally put a score on the board that indicated what was really occurring on the field.

Thanks to a 38-yard gain on a 3rd-and-10 pass to Toney, NYG was back in field goal range. The offense stalled and settled on another long field goal attempt; this was from 51 yards. Gano nailed this one through the uprights and put NYG within a touchdown. They had the ball back after a 3-and-out by the DAL offense and found some of their mojo we saw last week in New Orleans. They got inside the DAL 5-yard line and after two straight failed rushing attempts by Devontae Booker, offensive coordinator and former Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett called a designed run for Jones after a faked handoff. Jones came up a few inches short but was badly concussed on a hit by DAL linebacker Jabril Cox. He needed assistance walking off the field and that was as clear a sign as anyone needed, he too was done for the day. NYG ended up scoring a touchdown to tie it up via a Booker run but it was hard to be optimistic knowing Barkley, Jones, Shepard, and Thomas were out.

DAL put up a touchdown to end the half on a Prescott pass to Amari Cooper. It was the 5th time in as many weeks where NYG allowed a touchdown in the final 2 minutes of the first half. NYG was down 17-10.

The Giants came out of the half, being led by Mike Glennon (7-28 career in games he played), without Barkley, Shepard, Jones, Thomas, Nick Gates, and now receiver Kenny Golladay who injured his knee in the first half. They were up against the best team in the division being led by a QB that had beat NYG 8 times in a row. Tall order.

Their initial drive netted 3 points, making it a 4-point margin. DAL then took over. They scored touchdown on the ensuing drive via a pass to Elliott, intercepted a Glennon pass on the first play of NYG’s next drive, then put up another 3 points on a 38-yard field goal by Zuerlein. They were up 27-13 as the game entered the 4th quarter.

The Toney-show was NYG’s last hope at making this a game as the final 15 minutes of game clock dwindled down. He picked up 26 yards to get the ball across midfield. From there, he was the target or ball carrier on 4 of the next 6 plays. They were inside the DAL 10, but the 4th-and-goal pass to him toward the sideline on a play where he lost his footing fell incomplete. DAL began the ensuing drive from their own 2, and needed just 9 plays to travel 98 yards. Elliott scored his second touchdown of the day on a 13-yard run. It was 34-13 with 7:34 left.

Glennon had a solid drive, engineering 11 plays and fighting through further adversity that stemmed from an on-field fight that saw Toney get ejected for throwing a punch. Yet another playmaker not on the field. Glennon found Booker for a 3-yard touchdown to make it 34-20. After a failed onsides kick attempt, DAL put up 3 more points on a 31-yard field goal by Zuerlein. This game was all but over with under 2 minutes left, but the football gods added further insult to injury with a pick-6 by DAL corner Anthony Brown. The score was now more indicative of how big the gap was between these two teams on this day.

NYG loses, 44-20.

QUARTERBACK

-Mike Glennon: 16/25 – 196 yards – 1 TD – 2 INT / 68.1 RAT

Glennon essentially played the second half under a deficit without 3 starting offensive linemen, his starting running back, and 3 of his top 4 receivers. On the road. Knowing that, I think Glennon deserves some credit. He made a few quality throws and commanded the offense well all things considered. Nobody will mistake him for a starting caliber quarterback, but he has been around, has started games, and can do the minimums. That said, I wouldn’t expect anything more from him on a consistent basis if Jones ends up being out.

-Daniel Jones: 5/13 – 98 yards – 0 TD – 0 INT / 65.5 RAT

Jones added 9 yards on the ground. Before his concussion, he was erratic. He overthrew John Ross down the field twice and air mailed one over Barkley’s head on a short pass. It was a poor performance, and it is hard to diagnose why. Was the new offensive line in his head? Was he too amped up? Or is this just the inconsistency from Jones that is going to create debate in the upcoming months in regard to this team’s long-term future with him? Remember, he won’t be earning a rookie salary in just a couple years. Economics is a part of the evaluation.

RUNNING BACK

-Devontae Booker: 16 att – 42 yards – 1 TD / 3 rec – 16 yards – 1 TD

Booker isn’t a feature back and nobody should expect that from him. However, like Glennon, he made the most out of the situation he was in. He dropped a pass and allowed a pressure, but otherwise he was mistake free. I’ve said this before on him and I will say it again. Booker is a difference maker as a blocker and as a pass catcher. He has 128 career receptions with a 75% catch rate. If Barkley is out for extended time, I think he is the automatic 3rd down back and he can be spelled on early downs with Eli Penny and Gary Brightwell.

WIDE RECEIVER

-Kadarius Toney: 10 rec – 189 yards / 1 att – 7 yards

Toney was the star of the game for NYG, and nobody was even close. After his drop on the first drive, he caught 10 of 12 targets and just made so much happen by himself. The quickness and agility, which show up with the ball and while running routes, is rare. There aren’t many players in the league who can move like him. The temper issue at the end of the game? I don’t want to make too much of it because the answer is generic. It was a dumb decision in the heat of the moment against a dirty player (Tyron Kazee) who has a reputation. The only move to make is preventing himself from doing that again. He was pulled back by coaches last week after a NO defender hit Jones near the sideline. His toughness and attitude are part of what make him a good player, but he needs to show he can control it. We’ve been here before, hopefully this one turns out better.

-After his big-time performance last week, John Ross had 1 catch for 13 yards and had a touchdown pulled off the board by a review because he didn’t get his second foot down in time. He had a step on DAL corners multiple times downfield and Jones overshot him twice. Glennon didn’t see him on another one.

TIGHT END

-Evan Engram: 4 rec / 55 yards
Engram caught all 4 of his targets and two of them were high-level hand catches. If Glennon gets the nod with Jones being out, look for Engram to see an uptick in production. Glennon has a history of throwing to the tight end often.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-Andrew Thomas was active but did not play. Thus, the staff moved Nate Solder back over to left tackle and inserted Matt Peart on the right side. Solder allowed 3 pressures and was flagged for a hold. Peart was excellent on the right side. He neutralized that side of the line from start to finish while the coaching staff sent over a lot of help to Solder’s side. Peart should be the starting RT by midseason. He needs to get his game experience up and he just showed there isn’t much of a drop off, if at all, from him to Solder when Thomas returns back at left tackle.

-Left Guard Matt Skura had an awful game and was benched for recently signed Wes Martin. He was on the field for just 29 plays (15 passes) but allowed 3 pressures. Martin didn’t fare much better, but he did get a better push in the running game.

-Will Hernandez had a solid game. He was effective at the second level and was left alone on an island in the passing game often. He neutralized the DAL interior pass rushers, most of which are power based. Hernandez does have his struggles against speed, but he is as good as you will find when it comes to blocking against size and power.

DEFENSIVE LINE

-DAL averaged 5.2 yards per carry and while some of that will be put on the defensive line, most of the blame should be placed on the guys in the next position group. Leonard Williams had 6 tackles, a half-sack, and a pressure. He had a dumb personal foul penalty late in the game where he couldn’t hide his frustration. Dexter Lawrence was hot and cold. He finished with 3 tackles. The glaring negative I have was the result of him facing off against DAL right guard Zack Martin. Martin, one of the best in the game still, abused Lawrence when they were on an island. That is a red flag for me. Lawrence did get him on one pass rush but otherwise, he looked overmatched.

-Danny Shelton was terrible against NO and because DAL had a lot of success on the ground, many will assume was terrible against DAL. That would be incorrect. He was much more active, finishing with 6 tackles and a half-sack. He missed 1 tackle and didn’t offer anything as a pass rusher, but he was better at holding the point of attack than a week ago.

-Austin Johnson had 4 tackles and a sack, continuing his solid play. He offers a lot of what B.J. Hill did prior to the trade with CIN.

LINEBACKER

-This was the position group that hurt the defense the most in my opinion. They were roasted against the pass all afternoon, showing no range. The outside ‘backers failed to set the edge over and over. Lorenzo Carter made a huge play on the tip + interception early on, but he was getting crushed in the running game all afternoon. Azeez Ojulari had 3 tackles and 1 TFL, his 5th play behind the line of scrimmage in as many weeks but got pushed inward routinely on the DAL outside zone runs. And Oshane Ximines continues to show no feel for run defense. He did add 1 pressure, though. Poor game by this crew.

-Tae Crowder and Reggie Ragland were late to the outside over and over. Their mental reactions are a hair slow, and they just couldn’t make up the gap with movement, more notably Ragland. Ragland’s box score reads well (7 tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD, 1 TFL), but he was the catalyst in NYG’s poor run defense for most of the afternoon. The speed isn’t good enough. Crowder has more juice, but it won’t matter much if he can’t diagnose quicker.

CORNERBACK

-There are certain receivers James Bradberry can excel against. The quicker, more change-of-direction based pass catchers are simply not a good matchup for him. Lamb is one of those guys. He torched Bradberry for a long touchdown and forced a pass interference on a 3rd-and-3 near the end zone later in the game. Bradberry also dropped an interception. A poor game for him that added to his poor overall start for the season.

-Adoree’ Jackson and rookie Rodarius Williams were both beat on 3rd down multiple times. They are quality athletes but like Crowder, they don’t forecast well. Their reactions are just a tad too behind and against a quality passing game, that margin just can’t be erased especially with a poor pass rush.

SAFETY

-There wasn’t a lot of positive coming from a defense that allowed over 500 yards. Julian Love, upon re-watching the 2 tapes, played a good game. They moved him around often. He had 2 pressures and 5 tackles. Love is an effective blitzer who times his breaks well to coincide with the snap and he takes good angles. His glaring negative, however, was being late to the outside on the long Lamb touchdown. He also took a poor angle on the play.

-Logan Ryan led the team with 8 tackles. He missed 1, but it was a tough play where he was caught out of position. Xavier McKinney had 6 tackles and looked better in coverage than a week ago in NO, but he was still getting beat by tight ends. He needs to improve over the middle of the field because in all honesty, his impact elsewhere isn’t good enough to make up for poor coverage.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Graham Gano: 2/3 (Made 51, 51, Missed 54).
-P Riley Dixon: 2 punts / 45.0 avg / 36.5 net. Dixon is having a poor year and ranks bottom 7 in the most important metrics.

3 STUDS

-WR Kadarius Toney, OT Matt Peart, S Julian Love

3 DUDS

-OG Matt Skura, LB Oshane Ximines, CB James Bradberry

3 THOUGHTS ON DAL

(1) I projected DAL to win 10 games and win the NFC East prior to the season. I stand by it now and could see them approaching 12 wins if they remain healthy. Their offense is loaded and will end up top-5 in points scored. We knew that. But what is the difference maker? Their defense looks credible and deep, finally. Even with the release of linebacker Jaylon Smith, this defense is so well put together top to bottom, left to right. The emergence of cornerback Trevon Diggs could potentially shut down one side of the field the way Jalen Ramsey does for LAR. He is doing things only a couple corners in the league can do.

(2) It’s hard not to root for a guy like Dak Prescott. His personal story and issues with depression, the bounce back from a horrific injury, and the fact he was a FOURTH round pick (many forget that) should give a lot of teams and fans alike hope. I graded him as a 2nd rounder and stacked him right under Carson Wentz in 2016 and saw Donovan McNabb in him. Now? I think he is the best QB from that class by far (Goff/Wentz/Lynch/Jones) and will end up with a far better career than McNabb.

(3) NYG had a shot at Micah Parsons. He was one of the top 10 players on my overall board and was an ideal fit for a scheme that gave multiple looks. He has 10 QB hits, 3 TFL 2 PD, and 25 tackles. All of that and he still doesn’t even know what he’s doing yet. He is making all of that happen with sheer talent alone. If his head stays on straight, and from everything I’ve been told he has been an “A+ student” with the coaches, DAL may have yet another elite-level player for the back seven to pair with Diggs. Say what you want about Jerry Jones, but those guys have drafted very well over the years.

3 CLOSING THOUGHTS

(1) This won’t matter much in the NYG locker room but when it comes to us, the outsiders, it certainly does. NYG is missing nearly two-thirds of their offense and their 5 most important players. How long will Jones, Barkley, Thomas, Shepard, and Golladay be out? My guess is not long. But because of the poor 1-4 start, their margin for error was small. They are now staring down the barrel of a schedule that is the hardest in the NFL. 16-9 is the combined record of their upcoming 5 opponents and the team with the worst record? Kansas City. It’s hard to have even an ounce of optimism as opposed to last year because DAL is already running away with the division crown.

(2) Matt Peart was behind Nate Solder on the depth chart for the first 4 games. Kadarius Toney barely saw the ball over the first 3 games (all losses). They get forced into action week 5 and they end up playing at a really high level? Proper patience? Or over-coaching? Should these two have played a larger part in the offense weeks 1-3? I think it is a question worth asking.

(3) NYG now ranks bottom 3 in pressure percentage. When examining and breaking down defenses from around the league, it is one of the most important metrics I personally use. They are 2nd worst in QB knockdown percentage. Simply put, we will never know how good this secondary is without a true pass rush presence. There is a lot of talk, and there will be a lot of talk, why NYG is where it is right now. The lack of pass rush is where I start the conversation and then I move over to the OL. Remember when NYG used a 1st round pick on defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka from Boston College in 2006 despite the fact they already had a top tier group of pass rushers? They were already 3-deep with 3 All-Pro caliber players and had other roster weaknesses. Those were the days and always remember, “You can never have enough pass rushers.” Draft talent more than you draft need. It works.

Dallas Cowboys 44 – New York Giants 20

 Posted by
Oct 102021
 
Mike Glennon, New York Giants (October 10, 2021)

Mike Glennon – © USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS COWBOYS 44 – NEW YORK GIANTS 20…
The New York Giants were soundly defeated by the Dallas Cowboys 44-20 on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. With the loss, the Giants fall to 1-4 on the season.

Already missing wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, as well as left tackle Andrew Thomas and left guard Ben Bredeson, the Giants were quickly handicapped further in this game by losing quarterback Daniel Jones (concussion) in the 2nd quarter and running back Saquon Barkley (ankle sprain) in the 1st quarter. In addition, WR Kenny Golladay hyperextended his knee in the 1st quarter and was forced to leave the game at the half.

Dallas out-gained the Giants in first downs (26 to 20), total net yards (515 to 367), net yards rushing (201 to 73), net yards passing (324 to 294), and time of possession (32:12 to 27:48). The Cowboys converted on 8-of-14 3rd-down conversion attempts (57 percent).

The Cowboys received the ball to start the game, picked up one first down, but then turned the ball over when linebacker Lorenzo Carter picked off a 4th-and-2 pass intended for running back Ezekiel Elliott near midfield. The Giants were able to pick up one first down and reach the Dallas 36-yard line, but the possession ended with a 54-yard field goal miss by place kicker Graham Gano. The miss enabled Dallas to begin their second drive at their own 44-yard line. They moved the ball 44 yards in 10 plays, but were forced to settle for a 31-yard field goal. Cowboys led 3-0.

Barkley was hurt on New York’s ensuing drive, their second possession of the game, and did not return. The Giants promptly went three-and-out. The Cowboys returned the punt 17 yards to the New York 49-yard line. It took them eight plays to reach the New York 5-yard line. But on 2nd-and-goal, Dallas fumbled the ball away on an aborted snap with linebacker Reggie Ragland recovering. The Giants had dodged a bullet, albeit only temporarily. The Giants went three-and-out again on their third possession and the Cowboys quickly went up 10-0, needing only four plays to travel 65 yards with Prescott throwing a 49-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.

The Giants responded with their first scoring drive of the game. The Giants gained 42 yards in seven plays to set up a successful 51-yard field goal by Gano. After Dallas went three-and-out, momentum continued to grow as New York put together a 12-play, 88-yard possession that resulted in a 1-yard touchdown by running back Devontae Booker on 4th-and-goal. However, on the preceding play, Jones was knocked out of the game with a concussion after a bad helmet-to-helmet hit.

Worse for the Giants, despite the game being tied 10-10 with 2:51 left before halftime, for the fifth game in a row, the New York defense collapsed right before halftime. Dallas drove 75 yards in eight plays to take a 17-10 halftime advantage when Prescott threw a 24-yard touchdown to wide receiver Amari Cooper with 36 seconds left.

The Giants received the ball to start the second half and immediately cut Dallas’ lead to 17-13 after a 7-play, 42-yard drive resulted in another 51-yard field goal by Gano. However, momentum quickly swung back to the Cowboys with a 10-play, 75 yard drive that ended with Prescott’s third touchdown pass of the game, this one a 4-yarder to Elliott. Dallas was now up 24-13 midway through the 3rd quarter.

Matters got worse when quarterback Mike Glennon’s first pass of the ensuing drive was intercepted and returned to the Cowboys’ 41-yard line. Dallas gained 39 yards in eight plays to set up a 38-yard field goal that gave them a 27-13 advantage near the end of the 3rd quarter. The Giants did respond with a 10-play, 73-yard drive, but came up with no points when Glennon’s 4th-and-goal pass at the 2-yard line fell incomplete with 12:22 left to play.

The Cowboys went up by three touchdowns on their ensuing possession, driving an embarrassing 98 yards in nine plays, and Elliott scoring from 13 yards out to take a 34-13 lead. Glennon and New York responded with yet another long drive (11 plays, 75 yards), this one ending with a touchdown pass to Booker on 4th-and-goal. Cowboys 34 – Giants 20.

Dallas recovered the ensuing onsides kick with 3:16 left to play. They gained 33 yards in eight plays to set up a 31-yard field goal. The final humiliation occurred when cornerback Anthony Brown intercepted Glennon with a minute and a half remaining and returned the pick 45 yards for a touchdown.

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
The Giants elevated OT Korey Cunningham to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.

Inactive for the game were S Jabrill Peppers (hamstring), WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring), WR Darius Slayton (hamstring), OG Ben Bredeson (hand), CB Sam Beal, and CB Josh Jackson.

On Saturday, the Giants announced that OC Jonotthan Harrison, who was on the Practice Squad, has suffered an Achilles’ injury. According to press reports, Harrison got hurt during Thursday’s practice and that he may need season-ending surgery.

QB Daniel Jones (concussion), RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), WR Kenny Golladay (knee), and CB Rodarius Williams (knee) all left the game with injuries and did not return. According to press reports, Barkley’s injury is believed to be a low-ankle sprain. Golladay said he hyperextended his knee in the 1st quarter.

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

POST-GAME NOTES…
The Giants have lost eight of their last nine games to the Cowboys.

Dallas gained 515 total yards, the highest total allowed by the Giants since New Orleans gained 608 yards in a 52-49 victory on November 1, 2015 and is tied for the ninth-highest total ever given up by the Giants.

The Giants’ offense did not allow a sack for the second straight game.

WR Kadarius Toney’s 189 receiving yards is a Giants rookie record, breaking the mark of 185 yards set by Odell Beckham, Jr. vs. Philadelphia on December 28, 2014. It was also the highest total by a Giants receiver since Beckham had 222 yards against Baltimore on December 16, 2016.

Toney was ejected from the game with 6:06 remaining after punching safety Damontae Kazee.

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Joe Judge and select players will address the media by conference call on Monday.

Preview: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys, October 10, 2021

 Posted by
Oct 082021
 
Kadarius Toney, New York Giants (October 3, 2021)

Kadarius Toney – © USA TODAY Sports

THE STORYLINE:
Giants fans should have celebrated last Sunday. God knows that wins have been few and far between the last few years. But there is a difference between celebrating ONE win as a fan and losing complete perspective. All last Sunday’s upset win (over a beat-up Saints team with a questionable quarterback) did was stop the bleeding. That’s it. In order for it to be more than that, the Giants are going to have to pull off a number of upsets in upcoming weeks. Can they do that? Sure. But the oddsmakers say no, and if they are correct, fans contending that the team has “turned the corner” are going to look pretty stupid in a couple of weeks.

I said it last week, and I’ll say it again now, and again next week: the only way to get out of this mess is to circle the wagons, ignore the outside noise, and just focus on winning that next game. Nothing else matters. One game at a time.

THE INJURY REPORT:

  • RB Saquon Barkley (knee – probable)
  • WR Kenny Golladay (groin – probable)
  • WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring – out)
  • WR Darius Slayton (hamstring – out)
  • WR C.J. Board (clavicle – probable)
  • TE Kaden Smith (knee – probable)
  • LT Andrew Thomas (foot – questionable)
  • OG Ben Bredeson (hand – out)
  • DE Leonard Williams (knee – probable)
  • S Logan Ryan (hip – probable)
  • S Jabrill Peppers (hamstring – out)
  • S Nate Ebner (quad – probable)

NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
Many fans believe the Giants performed better on offense last Sunday because Joe Judge and Jason Garrett changed their offensive approach. Garrett and Daniel Jones said this week that simply was not true, that the team simply executed better. What we do know is that the offensive line played at a much higher level than normal. The starting five gave Jones time to throw, and Jones responded with one of his best games. Funny how that works!

To me, more vague is the overall impact of John Ross and Kadarius Toney. Did those two make a bigger impact than Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard because they are better players? Or was it the result of the offensive line giving Jones more time to deliver the ball, and Jones responding with a top-tier performance? That remains to be seen, but it will be interesting to watch moving forward.

For all of the giddiness many of us are feeling, keep this in mind: with seven minutes left in the Saints game, the Giants had only scored 10 points. This is still a team averaging only 20 points per game. That’s not good enough. In my mind, the next step towards improving that number is getting the running game going. Last week, I talked about the offensive braintrust getting Saquon Barkley into space in order to get his mojo back. We saw that with a few plays last week, most notably Saquon’s long touchdown catch-and-run and the key screen pass in overtime. That seemed to spark Saquon who finally ran a tough, instinctive, between-the-tackles touchdown in the red zone for the win. Build upon that. Continue the plays in space. Get his confidence up. And start feeding him the ball. He will break the big runs.

Dallas’ defense was atrocious last year. They fired their defensive coordinator and the overall impression is that they have improved, although the yards allowed on a per-game basis is even worse this year.  (Dallas is giving up 396 yards per game…for comparison sake, the struggling Giants’ defense is giving up 382 yards per game). Why Dallas is perceived to be doing better is they are creating turnovers. Turnovers have saved the day for the Cowboys in a couple of games. If Dallas doesn’t create turnovers, they are in trouble.

As Joe Judge pointed out in his Wednesday press conference, the Cowboys run a lot of stunts up front, trying to confuse the offensive line into making mental mistakes that lead to negative plays. This is the type of pass rush that has given the Giants problems in the past, particularly guys like Will Hernandez. We saw it last week, give Daniel Jones time, and he can get the ball to his play-makers, who seem to be coming on. Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Saquon Barkley are showing signs of being difference makers. If Evan Engram could get in on the act, this offense could become really dangerous. The fly in the ointment here is that Andrew Thomas, who is coming off a very good game, is clearly struggling with a foot injury. If he plays, that will affect his performance.

The expectation heading into this game is that the Giants are going to have to score a lot of points. The team’s defense is surprisingly struggling and Dallas is a top-5 offense in both yards and points. Can the Giants reach that magical 30-point mark for once?

Final point. I’ve seen a lot of posts this week about so-and-so (Gettleman, Judge, Jones, Barkley, Toney, Thomas, etc.) because of ONE game. Don’t lose perspective. It was one game. You may be singing a different tune in a week or two. In order to really “turn the corner,” Judge, Jones, Barkley, Toney, Thomas, etc. have to string together more positive performances and win more games. Nothing has been settled yet. There are still 13 more games to go.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
I’ve talked about it for a few weeks now, for some reason this defense has gotten mentally weak at the end of halves. Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy is going to hate me for stealing his work again, but he just made the same point about the defense collapsing at the end of the first half in EVERY game the team has played this year (Finishing the 1st Half Strong). Some say it’s the pass rush. It’s more than that. It’s as if they expect to give up points now. They have to fix this or they are going to lose more games.

But that may not have been the most troubling element of last week’s game. Against the Saints, the Giants allowed 170 rushing yards. This was against a New York Giants defense whose #1 main goal is to stop the run. Patrick Graham talks about it each and every week. Enter Dallas, who is #2 in the NFL in rushing, averaging almost 170 yards per game as well. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out where this game is going to be won or lost.

You can talk about Dak Prescott (who owns the Giants), WR Amari Cooper, WR CeeDee Lamb, TE Dalton Schultz, etc. all you want, but the Giants need to stop running backs Ezekiel Elliott (5.3 yards per carry) and Tony Pollard (6.8 yards per carry) to win this game. When a team is able to run the ball, you wear down your opponent, control the clock, keep down-and-distance situations manageable, slow down the pass rush, and make the passing game much easier. Want to get Dallas out of their comfort zone? Stop the run. Easier said than done.

The entire 11 out on the field on defense have a role in stopping the run. But a clear weak spot last week was the nose tackle position. The Giants are missing Dalvin Tomlinson. Austin Johnson and Danny Shelton were too easily controlled last week. Missing Blake Martinez doesn’t help matters either. This may be a game where we could see Reggie Ragland’s snaps increase, even though he is weaker in pass coverage. With Jabrill Peppers out, run defense will probably be weaker as well as his replacements won’t be as big or physical. The Giants need Xavier McKinney and Julian Love to make a difference this week.

That all said, New York obviously can’t sleep on Dallas’ dangerous passing game. Prescott is completing over 75 percent of his passes right now. He has a 10-to-2 TD-to-INT ratio and his QBR is an unbelievable 117. He can hurt teams with his feet still when necessary and has dangerous targets to throw to. The obvious targets are the ones we mentioned, but don’t sleep on the back-up WRs and TE too (New York has a history of making heroes out of Dallas’ back-up tight ends, including Blake Jarwin, who has five career TDs against the Giants). Coach Judge has emphasized how Dallas does well with the short passing game, and they will take their shots down the field.

Long story short, for the Giants to win this game, the defense has to play its best game of the season thus far. And they need to do a better job of creating turnovers. The Giants have generated four turnovers all year (the Cowboys have generated 10). Patrick Graham is going to have to take some chances in the secondary in order to stop the run. It’s time for James Bradberry, Adoree’ Jackson, and Ryan Logan to earn their big, fat paychecks. Play more man coverage and load up against the run. And for the love of God, hold the line at the end of the 2nd and 4th quarters!

NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
I’m still waiting for that “wow” special teams game from Joe Judge and Thomas McGaughey. This could be the week where we see Kadarius Toney get special teams return touches. Dallas always seems to have good special teams.

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH:
Head Coach Joe Judge on the Dallas defense: “It’s a turnover-driven defense.”

THE FINAL WORD:
There is a big difference between 2-3 and 1-4. Win the turnover battle and win the damn game.

Game Review: New York Giants 27 – New Orleans Saints 21 (OT)

 Posted by
Oct 052021
 
Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (October 3, 2021)

Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

QUICK RECAP

There is adversity, and then there is what the New Orleans Saints have gone though. After being displaced thanks to Hurricane Ida, the team had to practice in Texas and play a “home” game in Florida. It didn’t end there. Week 2 against the Panthers, they were without seven assistant coaches on game day and three the following week against the Patriots because of positive Covid tests and protocols. They were also missing their star wide receiver Michael Thomas, starting left tackle Terron Armstead, starting center Erik McCoy, starting inside linebacker Kwon Alexander, starting defensive end Marcus Davenport, starting defensive tackle David Onyemata, backup wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith, and kicker Wil Lutz. All of this in the first season without Drew Brees under center since 2005.

On October 3, Week 4, it was the first time they were in front of a full home crowd since the 2019 season. The place was rocking and hungry to make an impact against the 0-3 Giants. Big Blue was also a little less than 100%, albeit not nearly down to the level of the beat-up Saints. They were without receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, in addition to marching out their fourth left guard in as many weeks. Linebacker Blake Martinez was placed on IR earlier in the week, leaving the green-dot responsibilities to Tae Crowder.

The game remained scoreless through the first quarter. NYG did show some life on both sides of the ball, however. Leonard Williams came up with a huge 4th-down stop on a running play from the NYG 29-yard line. Rookie receiver Kadarius Toney came up with a first down on a short 3rd-and-18 pass where he created it all pretty much on his own. That drive, which ended at the start of the 2nd quarter, brought NYG into field goal range. Graham Gano had his 37-consecutive made field goal streak broken on a wide-left attempt. It was the first miss since November 25, 2018, when he was with Carolina. Coincidentally, the NYG kicker at the time was Aldrick Rosas, current kicker for the Saints. Rosas missed a career-long attempt field goal of 58 yards on the following NO drive.

NYG had the ball back with great field position. John Ross III, the NFL Combine record-holder for the fastest official (4.22) 40 time ever, suited up for NYG for the first time since being signed in March. He blew by rookie corner Paulson Adebo and Jones perfectly placed the ball on his chest in stride. As he was about to breach the goal line, he had the ball jarred loose. Adebo did not realize the ball was live, giving Ross III the opportunity to pounce back on it in the end zone. The play resulted in a touchdown and NYG had the initial 7-0 lead.

NO then put together a 13-play, 8:28 drive with three third-down conversions that ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Winston to Juwan Johnson. It was the fourth time in as many weeks where the NYG defense allowed a touchdown with under 2:00 left in the first half. NO then built off that momentum in the third quarter with another touchdown scoring drive. This one only needed 3 plays, however. A 58-yard gain on a pass to receiver Marquez Callaway and a 9-yard pass to veteran journeyman Chris Hogan preceded an 8-yard touchdown run by Mr. Everything Taysom Hill. It was a physical run that saw him break four tackles. NO was up 14-7 and the raucous crowd had their swagger back.

NYG’s next drive made it inside the 5-yard line with a 1st down, but their red zone woes continued and they had to settle on a field goal by Gano. Down by 4, NO head coach and former NYG Offensive Coordinator Sean Payton went for the jugular. Winston connected with another veteran journeyman Kenny Stills for a 46-yard touchdown but a holding penalty called on tight end Adam Trautman brought it back. One play later, NO threw the ball downfield yet again, this one by Hill, but right into the hands of NYG corner James Bradberry. Instead of it being 21-10, NYG had the ball back with the score 14-10. NO was running the ball down the throats of NYG but they got just a bit too greedy and it helped out NYG.

Unfortunately, NYG could not capitalize on the NO mistake. Evan Engram dropped a 3rd down conversion pass and NO put those 7 points on the scoreboard that they missed out on earlier. It was early in the 4th quarter as Hill crossed the goal line for a second time. NO had gone on a 21-3 run in just over 17 minutes of game clock. NYG needed to respond.

They traded scoreless possessions and now NYG was also playing a game against the clock. They were down 11 with just 7:01 remaining. After a 26-yard punt return by C.J. Board that brought NYG close to midfield (a very overlooked component of the comeback effort), NYG wasted no time in putting a touchdown on the board. Jones hit Barkley on a go route with a perfectly placed ball just over the coverage of NO top corner Marshon Lattimore. Barkley was making cuts in this game we haven’t seen since 2019 and he used one of them to scamper by safety Marcus Williams for the score. NYG opted to go for 2 so they could be within 3 and they used a designed QB draw to get it done. Jones darted through the line and the score was 21-18 with over 6 minutes left.

This was the moment where the NYG defense needed to prove they were at least close to the level we expected them to be coming into this season. They hadn’t been able to come up with big stop over the previous 3 weeks and they were getting torched late in halves. Thanks to a shocking delay of game penalty, pushing NO back to 2nd-and-14 on their own side of the ball and a solid pass rush by Leonard Williams, NYG had the ball back with just over 3 minutes.

Jones spread the ball out, using targets to Kenny Golladay, Toney, Engram, Ross, and Barkley (the latter 2 did not catch those targets, however). The point was, he kept NO guessing and he took what the defense gave. They stalled as they reached field goal range and had to settle on tying the game via a 48-yarder by Gano. NO didn’t have much time left and they foolishly didn’t have any timeouts remaining. The game was headed to overtime.

NYG won the coin toss and obviously chose to start overtime with the ball. Remember the rule is if a touchdown is scored, game over. If the team who starts overtime with possession hits a field goal, the opponent then gets an opportunity to match it or score a touchdown of their own (which would end the game). Want to control your own destiny? Get in the end zone.

A Jones pass to Ross picked up 17 yards for a first down on the first play. Two plays later, he hit him for 8 yards which also netted a first down. They were pushed back to a 2nd-and-14 via a Collin Johnson illegal substitution penalty, but it took just one play, a pass to Barkley, to gain all of that back and more. They were now in field goal range. A collective gasp among NYG fans occurred on the next play where Barkley fumbled. The ball bounced around several times, NO had a shot at recovery, but tight end Kyle Rudolph recovered it. Two plays later, on 3rd-and-5, Jones hit Golladay for a gain of 23 yards. Aggressive play call and throw for an offense that did a nice job of keeping the foot on the gas.

1st-and-goal from the 6. An offense that has been downright terrible in these situations. Touchdown wins it, field goal keeps it alive and open for another potential disaster. This was the opportunity this team was in search for. They needed just one play, a handoff to their running back that is showing signs of returning to his elite ways, to end it. Barkley got over the goal line, barely, and NYG had their first victory of the 2021 season.

NYG wins 27-21.

QUARTERBACK

-Daniel Jones: 28/40 – 402 yards / 2 TD – 1 INT / 108.5 RAT

Jones also added 27 yards on the ground. Keep in mind that the INT was on a Hail Mary attempt at the end of the first half. This could easily be considered the best game we have ever seen out of Jones. Not just because of the career high 402 yards and yards-per-attempt (10.05), but because of the number of high-level throws he made in clutch situations. He had a notable difference in decision making. The confidence level and desire to put this team on his back, on the road in a hostile environment, missing two starting OL and his most targeted receiver, speaks volumes. His downfield passing is impressive and now that there are credible deep threats and the OL appears to have turned a corner, get ready. This may be the starting point for something we always knew COULD happen with this group.

RUNNNG BACK

-Saquon Barkley: 13 att – 52 yards – 1 TD / 5 rec – 74 yards – 1 TD

The game didn’t start off very well for Barkley. His first 4 touches netted -3 yards, and at the end of the first quarter, he had 4 total yards. From the second quarter-on, he had 13 touches for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns. The biggest positive takeaway I had from this game was the different level of movement we saw. The cuts in and out of traffic, combined with his burst and the timing of when to use it, isn’t something we have seen in quite some time. His confidence should be elevated after this game and that could be the final missing component to getting back the player who gained 2,000+ yards from scrimmage as a rookie. The negative? From the All-22 angle, he clearly missed the running lane on two inside zone runs. These were running lanes that I see most NFL backs hit, both good and bad.

WIDE RECEIVER

-Kenny Golladay: 6 rec / 116 yards

Not enough will be made of Golladay and the chunk gains he made to set up scoring opportunities for the offense. He is such a threat in traffic because of how well he comes back to the ball, using his length and strength against cover men. He also made a difference as a blocker and consistently shows high effort in that department. It may not make the highlight reel, but it makes a huge difference when receivers with that kind of size play like that.

-Kadarius Toney: 6 rec / 78 yards

Toney’s coming out party was a huge part of the NYG win and comeback effort. He made multiple big plays after the catch, showing toughness and elite-level quickness. The ways he can cut things back and pick up extra yards were on full display. This is what made him a threat at Florida in the SEC. He can simply play at a different level of speed in short spaces. He couldn’t get behind the secondary on deep routes, but that won’t be his game. His game is what we saw on 3rd-and-18, where he took a short pass and found a way past the chains. He did drop a pass and had another drop nullified by a hold on guard Matt Skura.

-John Ross III: 3 rec / 77 yards / 1 TD

With Slayton and Shepard out and this being Ross’ first game back from being on short-term IR, the opportunity could not have been better for the 9th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The oft-injured speedster made his presence known right away with a 51-yard touchdown. Nearly just as important were his two other catches on the overtime drive. I don’t want to inspire too much over-excitement about one player from one game, but I will say this: Ross has missed 36-of-55 games since his career began. Most (not all) were injury-induced. Plain and simple, we have not seen the best out of the 25-year old Ross, who was drafted the same year as Evan Engram to put things into perspective time-wise.

TIGHT END

-Speaking of Engram, we have another negative to add to the list. He dropped a 3rd-down pass that was thrown a little behind him. He did catch his 5 other targets for just 27 yards total. He was also given a rushing attempt near the goal line that lost 3 yards. He played 68% of the snaps and was in some visible pain at different points of the game. I don’t want to look too deeply into it with my very limited knowledge, but Engram’s body language was very odd in this one.

-Kyle Rudolph caught 2 passes for 24 yards, including 1 for 20 yards. He was given an opportunity on 3rd-and-goal, but he couldn’t out-position the much smaller NO corner Lattimore. He looks like he is playing in slow motion. He is a fine player to have on the side, but he isn’t a feature-player who should be targeted in vital situations. There isn’t enough talent left in him.

OFFENSIVE LINE

-This is some of the best pass blocking we have seen from the NYG offensive line in over 28 games. Zero sacks and just 3 QB hits from defenders who defeated a blocker.

-Another elite-level performance by Andrew Thomas on the blind side. He allowed 1 pressure and that was it. NO rotated a few backup-caliber pass rushers at him and none had any success. His pass protection tape was a clinic on how to get the job done in a variety of ways. Right tackle Nate Solder allowed 1 pressure, a great game for him, and better than what he has been putting on tape since being on this team. They were giving him a ton of help against Cameron Jordan, one of the top-10 defensive ends in the game.

-The interior played a solid game, notably in pass protection. Matt Skura, the fourth starting left guard in 4 weeks. He finished with the worst grade in the group, allowing a TFL, a pressure, and was flagged for a holding penalty. Will Hernandez also allowed a TFL and 1 pressure, but threw a couple of key blocks on big gains. I was most impressed with his effort, hustle, and effectiveness down the field. On three occasions he was 10+ yards beyond the line of scrimmage making blocks that helped gained more yardage. Center Billy Price was clean after a rough first two drives. Much better than a week ago.

DEFENSIVE LINE

-I knew Leonard Williams had a solid game when I watched the live tape. Upon the re-watch and All-22 review, he clearly was the difference maker on this defense. He had 5 pressures in a game where the NYG pass rush didn’t record any sacks. In their defense, NO called just 23 pass plays. Williams also came up with a huge stop in the first quarter on 4th down to force a turnover on downs. What stood out about that play was how far away it was from the snap. Williams nearly reached the sideline to run down Alvin Kamara and then had to work over and around others to complete the play against a back who is always near the top of the league in yards after contact and broken tackles. The defensive tackle had 6 tackles.

-Danny Shelton had a horrible game. He was on the field for just one-third of the snaps, mostly running downs, but his negative plays were a huge part of the success NO had on the ground. He was pushed back multiple yards several times. A nose tackle that big and that ineffective in space needs to, at the very least, maintain the point-of-attack at the line of scrimmage.

-Austin Johnson and Dexter Lawrence were up and down. Lawrence had the better game, finishing with a pressure, TFL, PD, and 6 tackles. He was not the issue when it came to NO running the ball well. Johnson added 6 tackles and played a physical game, but was really hit or miss against the inside run. He was very poor against the pass as well.

LINEBACKER

-Tae Crowder and Reggie Ragland were fighting an uphill battle against a Saints running game that saw their offensive line easily reaching the second level. They both missed 1 tackle (Crowder’s being a lowlight on the first Hill touchdown), but also combined for 17 tackles. For what they had to deal with, I would grade their performance in the positive.

-Make it four weeks in a row for rookie Azeez Ojulari making a stop in the backfield. Also, make it four weeks in a row where he was quiet for the vast majority of the game, notably as a pass rusher. Lorenzo Carter missed 2 tackles, had 1 pressure, and finished with 4 tackles (all were assists). I zeroed in on every Carter pass rush and he just doesn’t have it. No moves, no ability to disengage, and no tight turns around the edge. It has been a poor start for him.

CORNERBACK

-James Bradberry had a big interception and 2 tackles, however he was burned deep and also missed a tackle. While the interception was a needed big play for both him and the defense respectively, I am still a bit worried about the amount of separation we are seeing receivers get on him.

-Adoree’ Jackson got beat on 3rd down two times and also missed 2 tackles. He was picked on often, as seen with his 7 tackles. While Jackson is a better option than what NYG has been marching out there at the position in recent years, he has yet to show he is worth the hefty price tag. I’m not optimistic about this one.

SAFETY

-The safeties were the position group on this defense I was most excited and optimistic about coming into this season. Jabrill Peppers and Xavier McKinney have dampened those thoughts. Peppers allowed a touchdown to Juwan Johnson, a former undrafted receiver who was shifted to tight end. He was injured on that drive and sat out the rest of the game. McKinney missed 2 tackles and was horrible in coverage. He allowed a touchdown that was nullified by a NO holding penalty. His angles in pursuit were very poor as well.

-Logan Ryan and Julian Love, however, played well. Ryan led the team with 9 tackles and Love added 6. They were both all over the field and seem to be better football players than athletes, while the two names above are the complete opposite. I want the instincts and football intelligence at this position more than I want the athlete.

SPECIAL TEAMS

-K Graham Gano: 2/3 (Made 23, 48, Missed 35)
-P Riley Dixon: 4 punts / 39.3 avg / 37.0 net

3 STUDS

-QB Daniel Jones, DT Leonard Williams, OT Andrew Thomas

3 DUDS

-DT Danny Shelton, S Xavier McKinney, OLB Lorenzo Carter

3 THOUGHTS ON N.O.

(1) 2021 will be the biggest test of Head Coach Sean Payton’s career. Since he took over in 2006, the team has finished top 5 in the league in scoring 10 times and top 5 in yards 11 times. Those are stunning numbers. In recent years, however, it is the defense that has stepped up as the team has spent more and more draft resources on the other side of the ball. Four of their past six first round picks have been spent on defenders and they now have the 15th most expensive defense while they have the 26th most expensive offense. Things have changed so much, and the question will be whether or not Payton can pivot well enough without Brees. It hasn’t panned out so well in New England so far.

(2) How good can this Saints team be? Jameis Winston at the helm leaves me overly skeptical they can be a true NFC contender. My thoughts won’t go beyond there even though I think the defense is more than solid. Winston has thrown the ball 20, 22, 21, and 23 times. Those aren’t completions, those are attempts. He ranks 30th there. 18 QBs have completed more passes than he has even attempted. You can only ride Alvin Kamara for so long and at some point, they won’t be able to protect the quarterback forever. His bonehead decision-making is going to show up at some point and that delay-of-game penalty in the 4th quarter was a microcosm if who he is. I projected them to miss the playoffs prior to the season and I still believe it to be true.

(3) The one hope NO can rely on is the mere fact a huge portion of their starting lineup is injured (and due to come back). Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith, Erik McCoy, Terron Armstead, Marcus Davenport…are just a few names they will have back in the coming weeks.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

(1) The passing game on play-action. More specifically, the passing game on first down play-action. Jones went a perfect 7 -or-7 for 84 yards (11.0 YPA). First down play-action is one of the most well-known and proven strategies to enhance a passing game and early-down offense in general. Defenses are more prone to playing the run and will “bite” more easily. Even if they don’t bite, it slows down the initial pass rush, putting the offensive line in position to succeed more often and easily. We need to see more of this, it works as well as anything on this offense.

(2) So, is it time to turn around expectations for this team? Not quite. Just like it was foolish to write them off at this time a week ago. NYG has a tough slate of games in the coming weeks, very tough. Arguably most-difficult-in-the-NFL tough. However, momentum and confidence in sports are something that cannot be objectively measured by fans and media. As smart as some people think they are, it cannot be measured or accounted for from our perspective. Don’t try. Winning matters. Winning tight games matters. Coming from behind matters. Even when you want to lose games so you can draft Chase Young who is, by the way, NOT one of the 191 players in the NFL who have a sack this season. His 2 QB hits, however, are indeed tied for 102nd in the NFL along with the likes of former Giant Kyler Fackrell, Chiefs safety Daniel Sorenson, and Jets cornerback Bryce Hall.

(3) Last week I wrote that the NYG offense was not performing poorly. Not to the level that some were acting. They were awful in the red zone and awful inside the opponent’s 5. I didn’t feel like getting into a back-and-forth with emotional NYG fans who throw more unnecessary tantrums than my 1-year old. However, now that most are under a better mindset. Some of the most objective numbers I look at from a team offense perspective in relation to the other 31 teams:

Yards Per Play: 8th (6.2)
Turnovers: 3rd (3)
1st Downs: 20th (82)
Penalty Yards: 12th (207)
Score percentage: 12th (41.5)

This is an above average offense trending toward a top 10 offense. Get on board.

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