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.

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.

Eli Manning – © USA TODAY Sports

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Los Angeles Rams 51 – New York Giants 17

RECAP

Two teams heading in completely opposite directions. Two teams with completely different approaches to game day. The Los Angeles Rams, armed with their new, young, hot shot head coach and a second-year quarterback who was selected #1 overall in 2016 marched into East Rutherford with the limping, aging, broken Giants organization approaching a near-low point in its history. This game had “ugly” written all over it during warm-ups.

Initially, the Giants we saw in Denver 3 weeks ago appeared to be back. They were aggressively and consistently running the ball up the middle with plenty of success. Orleans Darkwa gained 35 yards on 3 running plays, moving the Giants across midfield. However, a 3rd-and-4 that turned in a 3rd-and-9 thanks to a D.J. Fluker false start. Aaron Donald then sacked and forced Eli Manning into a fumble for the first of three NYG turnovers on the day. Spurred by a 36-yard run by Todd Gurley, it took LAR just 4 plays to score via a Jared Goff-to-Tyler Higbee 8-yard pass.

NYG was not deterred, initially anyway. They put together a quality 14-play drive that resulted in a Manning-to-Tavarres King touchdown. It was 7-7 at the end of the first quarter before the wheels started to fall off, hard.

Landon Collins, who had arguably his worst game as a pro, had his first blunder of the day after the Giants forced the Rams into 3rd-and-7. His unnecessary roughness penalty put the Rams near midfield and even though the Rams were shooting themselves in the foot via penalties, a 2nd-and-18 deep pass down the right sideline to a rookie tight end burned Collins badly, putting them at the 8-yard line. The Giants defense was able to hold them to a field goal, however.

Wayne Gallman gave the ball right back on the next drive on a 1st-and-10 run near midfield. Two Rams penalties ended up pushing the Rams back behind midfield with 3rd-and-33 staring them in the face. Then, we saw one of the most pitiful, downright disgusting plays in Giants history. A wide receiver screen to Robert Woods resulted not only in a first down, but 52-yard touchdown. The angles and effort showed by the Giants defense was that out of a JV vs…..actually Freshman team vs. Varsity practice film. This was the turning point that abruptly reminded everyone watching that that Giants 2017 season will go down as one of the most disappointing in franchise history.

The air was sucked out of the team, the fans, and the stadium. Another 3-and-out by the Giants gave the ball back to LAR on their own 29-yard line and on the second play, Goff launched a deep ball to Sammy Watkins for a 67-yard touchdown. Landon Collins, who this Rams team was obviously targeting from the beginning, was burned yet again.

The Giants went into halftime down 27-10, but might as well stayed in the locker room instead of coming out for the second half. With the stadium already emptying, the Rams made it 48-10 within the first 12 minutes of the third quarter. Watching the minutes go by was truly more difficult than watching paint dry. The Giants did score one more touchdown on a Manning-to-Engram pass but the game ended with Geno Smith at quarterback and a 51 spot put up by the surging Rams. The most points NYG has allowed at home since 1964 and it had the feel of something we will likely see again this year. Giants lose, 51-17.

QUARTERBACKS

• Eli Manning: 20/36 – 220 yards – 2 TD/1 INT – 80.8 QBR. When it comes to the 2017 season, it was just about an average performance for the 14th year veteran. With the pass blocking a tad better than what it has been, Manning was able to drop back, read the defense, and throw the ball downfield. He overshot several receivers who were open and just hasn’t had the accuracy on that deep ball. His interception thrown to Trumaine Johnson was a hair late and behind his target.

RUNNING BACKS

• Orleans Darkwa: 17 att/71 yards – 2 rec/8 yards. Darkwa started off on fire, surging hard through the middle of the Rams defense. The Giants were controlling the clock early thanks to his aggressive, assertive running style that was consistently breaking tackles. His usage diminished as the game wore on because of the score and once again, he dropped another pass.
• Wayne Gallman – 9 att/41 yards. The one play that stands out from Gallman’s OK day was a 2nd quarter fumble that eventually led to a Rams touchdown. With the rain coming down hard, the ball had some slickness to it and Gallman simply didn’t keep the ball tight to his body when engaged with tacklers. Otherwise he continued to show elusiveness and vision in his limited action.

WIDE RECEIVERS

• Sterling Shepard: 5 rec/70 yards. In his first game back from an ankle injury suffered a month ago, Shepard led the team in catches and was second on the team in targets. He continues to show value over the middle with his ability to quickly get open. He looked rusty, however, with 2 drops.
• Tavarres King: 3 rec/33 yards – 1 TD. About 6 weeks ago, King was unemployed but because of the slew of injuries to the position, the smooth fifth year veteran is back and able to get plenty of snaps. He scored the Giants first touchdown of the day on their second drive and could have had another if it weren’t for an overthrow by Manning. He has always been an efficient route runner with the ability to get open in short areas. He isn’t overly dynamic or explosive, but he should get plenty of looks at the season wears on. This will be a huge opportunity for his career moving forward.
• Roger Lewis: 1 rec/4 yards. Lewis has been facing some of the league’s best cornerbacks. Aqib Talib, Richard Sherman, Trumaine Johnson. A 3-week run doesn’t get much tougher than that for an NFL receiver. With that said, Lewis hasn’t been able to get even close to open and his physical presence at the point-of-attack has been very poor.

TIGHT ENDS

• Evan Engram: 4 rec/70 yards – 1 TD. If I had to choose one bright spot from the entire team, it’s Engram. We already knew about his talent from what he has shown all throughout training camp and the regular season. But know we are seeing this guy is a competitor in every sense. He plays hard all the time and a guy with his physical gifts combined with that approach can do big things in this league. His long speed was too much for cornerbacks to handle and he was ripping through tackle efforts by safeties. There is a ton to get excited about with him.
• Rhett Ellison: 2 rec/21 yards. Ellison played about 60% of the team’s plays, most of which were earlier in the game when the Giants were dominating the ground game. A player like him simply won’t make a huge impact when a team is playing catch up football. However his value as a fullback and tight end should be something that sticks to this team long term.

OFFENSIVE LINE

• Tackles: Ereck Flowers continues his above average performance on the year overall. He allowed one TFL and was responsible for 1 pressure, even though it wasn’t an obvious 1-on-1 beat. His pass blocking actually graded out higher than his run blocking, which is rare for him. Bobby Hart continued his 2017 campaign to let the league know he can’t be a starting tackle in this league. His reaction, coordination, and hand strength is just so low-level that I’m not sure he should even be a backup in this league. He allowed a sack to Connor Barwin where he literally didn’t touch Barwin. A simple inside move was all it took and Hart couldn’t even get a hand on him. The unfortunate part about it is that as long as Justin Pugh remains sidelined with an injury, there isn’t anyone that can replace Hart. Chad Wheeler simply isn’t ready.
• Guards/Center: The last time John Jerry faced off against Aaron Donald, Donald was a rookie and Jerry dominated from start to finish. This time, the result was the complete opposite. Jerry’s 2.47 grade was among the lowest the Giants have had this year on the OL. There were two separate plays where Donald lined up across from Jerry and went untouched into the backfield despite Jerry’s efforts to block him. It was a combination of Donald being the best in the game and Jerry simply not being in the same league. Jerry was responsible for a sack, a TFL, and 2 pressures. Brett Jones and D.J. Fluker had positive grades, as they were paving lanes and moving defenders with ease early in the game. While both are limited in the pass game, they held it together for the most part.

DEFENSIVE LINE

• Ends: Rookie Avery Moss got the start with the injuries to Vernon, Okwara, and Wynn. The 5th-round rookie out of Youngstown State who has struggled to play against the strength of the power of the NFL to this point put in an exceptional effort. He was an impact player against the run, finishing with 6 tackles. He added 2 pressures and a pass deflection. While there is still a great need for more power and strength here, he is showing the grit, hustle, and on-field awareness that you can really work with. Jason Pierre-Paul finished with 3 tackles, 1 of which was for a loss. He didn’t make much of an impact against Andrew Whitworth in the passing game.
• Tackles: The most consistent performers week-to-week on the team reside along the interior of the defensive line. Damon Harrison, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Jay Bromley finished with a combined 14 tackles – a very high number for the position. Tomlinson is showing more and more presence each week. His athletic ability that stems from top tier balance, body control, and agility combined with his man-strength can make him a weapon for this defense. He is one guy I enjoy watching week in, week out. He is a keeper. Damon Harrison continues to bring it each week and my hope is some of these young guys take in what he is putting out there. The immovable object is very active and fully capable of changing a game by himself. Having him here for Tomlinson is huge.

LINEBACKERS

• Another unit that is becoming depleted by injuries. Jonathan Casillas and B.J. Goodson were both out, opening the door for Curtis Grant and Calvin Munson. I’ll tell you what, when it comes to Grant, he belongs. I’m not sure I see a guy who should be starting, but his size, speed, and physical brand is a welcomed sight for this stagnant team. He still does and probably always will struggle with quick-twitch change of directions and reactions, but he played hard on Sunday. He and Munson both finished with 6 tackles a piece. Munson struggled mightily to get off blocks; they take so much out of him and the recovery speed isn’t half of what it needs to be.

CORNERBACKS

• Janoris Jenkins was suspended for the game for missing practice on Monday, the second veteran of this position group to be suspended by the team this season. The first, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, was in uniform and played a good game. His effort was top notch and he made two of the more physical tackles on the day in addition to sticking to his coverage assignments all over the field. He still has plenty in tank. Eli Apple, once again, looks the part and showed some quality coverage. However, lapses in concentration and an overall lack of effort were apparent and it’s getting really old, really fast. You don’t win with guys that have this kind of approach. He has become one of the players on this team who I think needs to go – as in trade or cut this offseason.

SAFETIES

• I am trying to recall a game where Landon Collins was beat this many times. As of now, I am still drawing a blank. Collins lack of long speed and overall athletic ability in coverage and in space was attacked all afternoon. His bone-headed penalty followed by being beat deep by tight ends, wide receivers, and players after the catch was about as bad as I’ve seen out of a position that the Giants have had a lot of bad performances over the past decade. Collins has earned the right to have a bad game here and there, but he needs to bounce back. And the defensive scheme needs to make sure they aren’t making him drop into deep coverage responsibilities too often. Darian Thompson and Andrew Adams played solid games respectively. Thompson is moving well in coverage with fluid hips and light feet, less hesitation. Adams could use more playing time, as he is making an impact as a tackler and force over the middle.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• K Aldrick Rosas: 1-2 FG (made 50, missed 45). His 50 yarder had about 8-10 yards left on it, but he pushed his next attempt wide right. The rest of this season will be a tryout for him.
• P Brad Wing: 4 Punts – 53.3 avg. Wing had a punt blocked, but it wasn’t his fault. The Rams special teams outplayed NYG in every phase from execution/spacing to hustle.
• Return: Ed Eagen and Shane Vereen made minimal to no impact.

3 STUDS

• TE Evan Engram, DT Dalvin Tomlinson, DE Avery Moss

3 DUDS

• LB Calvin Munson, S Landon Collins, OG John Jerry

3 THOUGHTS ON LAR

• What a turnaround this team has made. They have always had solid personnel on defense, but a few acquisitions via free agency, trades, and the draft, along with the maturation of Jared Goff, all of the the sudden this offense is leading the league in scoring and their defense still has some dominant traits. Watch out NFC…for a long time.
• Aaron Donald was my choice for the NYG first round pick in 2015. NYG still struck gold with Odell Beckham but there is still an interesting debate that can be had. Who would you rather have? Beckham has more impact on games when he is fully on, but is it enough to make up for some of the issues he potentially brings with the “diva-ness”? Donald has had several games where he just absolutely wrecks games, ruins them, for opposing offenses. The contract holdout was a red flag, however.
• Are there many, if any CBs, that have the size of Trumaine Johnson in the league? There are plenty of guys with height and length, sure. But this kid looks like a safety that can shut down almost any WR in the league by himself. As LAR becomes an NFL spotlight team, expect the rest of the media and fans to catch onto him as one of the best, if not the best.

3 CLOSING THOUGHTS

• What the Rams have done to turnaround their franchise keeps the glass half full for NYG fans. Draft a new young quarterback for the future; hire a fresh, young voice who keeps players motivated and hungry; fix the OL with a veteran signing even if the price tag is steep; and perform well with your first few picks in the draft. The Giants can do all of this in the next year or two, no doubt. But ownership needs to be bold; they’ve been loyal enough. They need to get a new regime in here to run the show.
• Perhaps the biggest question that needs answering is how to handle the Eli Manning situation. I think it would be in his best interest to allow a trade to a team like JAC in the offseason. Play with a defense that is among the best in the league, hand the ball off to a strong rushing attack, and make a few plays per game himself. I don’t think Manning is done entirely, much like Peyton wasn’t done when he left IND. But if things don’t look up the rest of the way, he and NYG both may be best suited with a break up.
• The defense has been just as, if not more, disappointing in 2017. The approach for the rest of the year should be a tryout. A key eye on Apple, Casillas, Goodson, Cromartie, Thompson. All of these guys have not met expectations and while some of it is injury based, this team needs to know who these guys are and how hard they push though tough times. They need to go into the offseason knowing that these guys will always put forth top notch effort. If not, goodbye.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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Game Preview: Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants, November 5, 2017

THE STORYLINE:
While my last preview was well received by some, others correctly pointed to the fact that it really wasn’t a “game preview” about the upcoming opponent. To be honest, given the abyss the Giants find themselves in, I don’t really see the point of doing traditional game previews other than the impulse to routinely go through the motions. So right or wrong, I intend to use this spot to provide a weekly “state of the Giants” article as we move closer and closer to incredibly important January decisions to be made by the Mara and Tisch families.

The sense of “blah-ness” among New York Giants fans (1-6 record) and the NFL in general (empty stadiums, declining ratings, injured stars) is palpable. I’ve never seen anything like this. There have been periods in recent years where the NYG fan base felt the Giants were on the wrong track and far away from a championship, including ironically, a couple of times before the Giants last two Super Bowl wins. But even during these dark periods, the fans cared. They screamed, hollered, bitched. Something has changed and I can’t really put my finger on it yet.

Unfortunately, the Giants too appear to simply be going through the motions. No one seems particularly angry or upset… owners, team management, coaches, players. I don’t really know what I want them to do, but Jerry Reese’s press conference seemed more-of-the-same bullshit as does McAdoo’s repeated claims that “we are practicing well” and “we are playing hard.” Again, this isn’t a roster filled with Dave Browns and Jeremy Lincolns. The 2017 New York Giants are not supposed to be 1-6. They were supposed to be a contender. And regardless of what others are claiming, players don’t appear to be afraid of Coach McAdoo, with two Pro Bowl corners simply not showing up to work. And as I predicted, the injury list is growing and players don’t appear to be returning very quickly. We’ve seen this before (see Jim Fassel’s last year).

When things don’t go well, the immediate fan reaction is to call for change. Sometimes that is a mistake. And I’ve been guilty of that as well. I remember saying the Giants were going nowhere with Tom Coughlin in 2006. Imagine if the Giants had fired him then? Same with Bill Parcells after his disastrous 1983 season. On the other hand, the Giants clearly stayed with Dan Reeves a year too long. My point? How much of a problem is Ben McAdoo and his staff? Is it premature to fire him? Or is sticking with him for another year, while making cosmetic changes to the assistant staff, doubling down on a bad decision to promote him to head coach in the first place?

Then there is Jerry Reese. Right now, Reese and his staff are entering the final stages of scouting 2018 NFL Draft prospects. Reports are being written and analyzed. Do you fire Reese in January when the bowl games are wrapping up? Same with the scouts? Do the Giants find a sacrificial lamb (Marc Ross)? Who replaces them and what material do they use to make draft-day decisions a few months later? But again, is doing nothing doubling down on a structure that isn’t working?

Complicated business. Monumental decisions.

THE INJURY REPORT:

• RB Paul Perkins (ribs – probable)
• WR Sterling Shepard (ankle – probable)
• OC Weston Richburg (concussion – out)
• OL Justin Pugh (back – out)
• DE Olivier Vernon (ankle – out)
• DE Kerry Wynn (knee – out)
• DT Robert Thomas (calf – probable)
• LB Jonathan Casillas (neck – out)
• LB B.J. Goodson (ankle – out)
• LB Calvin Munson (quad – probable)
• CB Donte Deayon (ankle – questionable)
• S Nat Berhe (calf – probable)

NEW YORK GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
Sometimes we lose sight of the forest through the trees. When Tom Coughlin hired Ben McAdoo as offensive coordinator in 2014, I was intrigued to see the New York Giants employ the West Coast Offense and join the ranks those teams that had high-powered passing offenses. Plus, it was becoming obvious that Eli Manning was suffering in a 5- and 7-step drop passing offense behind an offensive line that could not protect him. When Kevin Gilbride was “fired”, the overwhelming reaction on BBI was one of relief. And McAdoo’s early impact on Manning was very positive. Manning enjoyed a career renaissance as he approached his mid-30s.

Now for my side tangent. With my son entering high school and playing in the marching band, I have been attending quite a few Friday night high school games this year. Our local team started off 5-0, using a pistol-type, pass-heavy offense with a variety of formations and personnel groupings. The coach is very unconventional, taking chances I cringe at (i.e., going for it on 4th-and-5 on their side of the field with a 6-point lead). “Maybe this is the direction the league really is going,” I thought. “More like the Arena League and less traditional.” That all changed in Week 6 and our team’s home-coming game. My folks were in town and I said, “Wait to you see how good our 5-0 team is!”

The first thing I noticed was how big the linemen were on the opposing team. “Holy crap, those guys look like college players.” (When I got home that night, I checked their roster, and yup, their linemen were all in the 6’3”, 260lb-range). They just abused our 5-0 team up front. It was smash-mouth personified. They ran, ran, ran and our team couldn’t stop it. And it got worse as the game went on. They hung 50 points on us and had they not called off the dogs in the 4th quarter, it could have been 70. On the other side of the ball, we couldn’t run and became completely one dimensional. Our only points came on a kick return. The other team was just bigger, tougher, more physical, and nastier. We never had a chance.

My point is we sometimes get caught up in the jazzier aspects of the game… the one-handed catches, the 8-yard slant pass that goes for a 70-yard touchdown. But no matter how much the game changes, the game really is still won or lost in the trenches. Yes, you need a good quarterback. Yes, you need to be able to pass the ball in 2017. But if you can’t run the football, you are a finesse team. And the Giants have been a finesse team for far too long. That’s where the offensive inconsistency, including short-yardage and red-zone issues come from. Nothing is really going to change with the Giants until they become a physical offensive football team again.

As for this week’s game, Justin Pugh being out complicates issues on the offensive line. Bobby Hart, who has struggled mightily this year, will regain his starting job at right tackle. John Jerry and D.J. Fluker will be the guards. Weston Richburg has now been absent for over a month. And Pugh is hurt yet another year. The Giants offensive line is even more of a mess than it was a year ago. How is that possible?

It will also be interesting to see how effective or ineffective Sterling Shepard will be with no Odell Beckham on the field.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
I know I’ve sounded very critical of the defense this year. Yes, I hold them to a higher standard than the offense because a greater investment has been recently spent on that side of the ball. Coming into 2017, we all knew the Giants still had issues on the offensive line and potentially at running back. But most of us figured the defense would pick up where they left off. They didn’t. Worse, the minor mutinies have been on that side of the ball. Ben McAdoo is receiving a lot of justified criticism for players not respecting him, but what about Steve Spagnuolo? What does it say about him that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins felt they could just walk out like that? And very troubling was this line from ESPN writer Jordan Raanan earlier this week:

“Players who spoke to ESPN about the situation have offered up explanations ranging from some players not caring anymore now that the season is lost to a lack of overall respect for McAdoo and some of his coaching staff, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.”

Is it merely a coincidence that the suspensions involved two Pro Bowl players in the defensive backfield? Perhaps. But something smells fishy. And this bears watching – especially by those who think Steve Spagnuolo might be a viable candidate to replace McAdoo.

What I will be looking at moving forward is how many defensive players are skipping games with injuries and how hard are these guys still playing in the 4th quarter of games, regardless of the score. Note that Olivier Vernon – who had never missed a game before this year – has now been out for over a month. His replacement – Kerry Wynn – is now out too. So are two of the starting linebackers. It’s disconcerting that B.J. Goodson keeps getting hurt. If you can’t rely on your middle linebacker to be there every week, you need a new middle linebacker.

NEW YORK GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
Regardless of what transpires in January, Tom Quinn must go.

FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH:
Head Coach Ben McAdoo on if a good week of practice should translate to good football during games: “Absolutely.”

Coach McAdoo on why that has not happened: “That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

THE FINAL WORD
The Giants should be 1-7 by 4:15PM on Sunday.