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Don't worry, Eli. It's almost over.
Don't worry, Eli. It's almost over.Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

Giants vs. Vikings: New York Grades, Notes and Quotes

Dan FerraraDec 27, 2015

The New York Giants played like a team with nothing to play for in their Sunday night matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

The result was a game to forget in a season to forget for the Giants, as they were blown out by the Vikings, 49-17.

Playing without suspended wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants offense never stood a chance, even against one as average as the Vikings'. On the road in the first real cold game they have played this year, the Giants played as if they had never played football before.

Missed connections, poor blocking, awful route-running and untimely turnovers doomed Big Blue, who still hold that nickname despite a 6-9 record and a road jersey that is white and red.  

At one point, the Vikings scored on seven straight possessions, which is utterly embarrassing considering star running back Adrian Peterson was benched in the fourth quarter. 

Luckily for the Giants, their dreadful season will finally end next week when they play the equally inept and dysfunctional Philadelphia Eagles

Position Grades for New York Giants

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Rueben Randle had a long touchdown in garbage time.
Rueben Randle had a long touchdown in garbage time.
PositionGrade
QB F
RB B
WR D-
TE C
OL D
DL B+
LBC- 
DB
Special Teams C
Coaching F

Quarterback

At one point in the game, Eli Manning was 1-of-8 with three interceptions on passes longer than five yards, per ESPN Stats & Information

Manning was brutal in the first half, throwing for only 77 yards and two interceptions. His rating was a dreadful 19.2.

When he finally got going it was far too late, as the game was practically over in the third quarter. His final line read 234 yards and a touchdown, but his three picks were most important.

Running Backs

Rashad Jennings was the only running back who actually showed up on Sunday night, though his numbers don't exactly send anyone into back flips from excitement.

Jennings rushed for 74 yards on 14 carries and added 62 yards through the air in what can be considered his third consecutive solid game.

It was far too little, as Jennings is perfectly incapable of winning a game on his own. The rest of the running backs proved they aren't worthy of touches, and some, such as Andre Williams (5 yards on 3 carries), may have proven that they don't belong in the NFL

Wide Receivers

The Giants found out that life without Beckham Jr. is painful.

A receiving corps that lacked depth (to say the least) struggled to get open and make plays with consistency.

Though Randle had a long 72-yard touchdown reception, he proved that he is not a reliable No. 1 receiver. He had a huge opportunity to prove himself and couldn't capitalize on it, hauling in just two passes on the night.  

Tight End

Will Tye's touchdown streak ended at two games as he failed to find the end zone against the Vikings. It was also his first game with under 30 yards receiving since Nov. 8 against the Buccaneers.

Don't read too much into his stat line against Minnesota, as the Giants offense struggled mightily. Tye has still been one of the few bright spots this season for the Giants.   

Offensive Line

Manning was sacked four times on the night and was knocked down a bunch of other times.

The offensive line didn't play well at all, though the Vikings had the benefit of lining up and licking their lips at passing downs once the Giants were trailing by a big-enough margin.

For a unit that passed on running back Todd Gurley in the draft for offensive lineman Ereck Flowers, the Giants don't really have a tremendous group in the trenches. 

Defensive Line

Credited with 1.5 sacks against the Vikings, defensive end Robert Ayers now has six sacks in his last four games.

It's about time he got healthy and woke up, but it was too little, too late for a group that struggled mightily all season long. 

The Giants sacked Teddy Bridgewater three times on Sunday night, but it didn't have much of an effect on the result of the game. At the very least, it's nice to see this group start playing a bit.

Linebackers

I wish this category wasn't required because there's never anything good to say about this group. If I could just put "they are terrible" and end the section, I would, but people might get mad.

The Giants gave up another touchdown to a tight end on Sunday. This time it was Kyle Rudolph, who hadn't scored since Nov. 22.

On the bright side, Jonathan Casillas led the team with 11 tackles. He also added a sack on the evening. 

Defensive Backs

The Giants didn't have much trouble limiting the Vikings passing attack, holding Bridgewater to 168 yards and just one touchdown. With the Vikings holding a controlling lead for most of the game, however, they didn't need to air it out.

Minnesota also doesn't have a very good receiving corps, as its two primary receivers are an inconsistent rookie in Stefon Diggs and underachieving veteran Mike Wallace.

Special Teams

Dwayne Harris botched a punt but recovered without turning the ball over in the first quarter.

Not a whole lot happened in the return game, and Josh Brown hit his only field goal, though it was meaningless.  

Coaching

Though the Redskins clinched the division on Saturday night with their victory over the Eagles, the Giants still shouldn't have gotten embarrassed in Minnesota.

It's tough when it looks like a team isn't competing, and that's what happened in the first half. The turnovers doomed the Giants, but they looked a step slow and the Vikings looked much hungrier.

"Playing for pride" is a cliche, and realistically, Giants fans should hope their team loses so they get a better draft pick. Still, they shouldn't get destroyed and become a laughingstock around the league.  

Important Note No. 1: Pick-Sixes Everywhere

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Eli Manning is seeing purple after Sunday night's blunders.
Eli Manning is seeing purple after Sunday night's blunders.

Red and blue make purple. Perhaps that's the reason for all of Manning's interceptions against the Minnesota Vikings.

Manning has thrown five interceptions returned for touchdowns in his career against Minnesota, which is the most by any active player against any team. 

Beckham Jr. didn't play, but that can't completely excuse the poor performance by Manning. He has struggled against the Vikings throughout his career, which is odd because they're a team that hasn't necessarily been a defensive juggernaut over the years. 

Manning was actually pulled for backup Ryan Nassib in the fourth quarter when the game was completely out of hand. Nassib looked good, but obviously Manning is in no danger of losing his job anytime soon. 

Quote No. 1: Coughlin on Turnovers

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Could Tom Coughlin be coaching his last game as the Giants coach next week?
Could Tom Coughlin be coaching his last game as the Giants coach next week?

The Giants aren't a talented enough team to be able to still win when they recklessly turn the ball over.

"The turnovers started us off on the absolute wrong foot. We put our defense in terrible positions," head coach Tom Coughlin said, per the Giants' official Twitter account. 

In a game without Beckham, chemistry was a huge issue, as well as an absence of talent. Still, Manning can't throw three interceptions on the road and expect to win a ballgame. 

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Quote No. 2: Eli's Grand Thoughts

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It was a long night for Manning and the offense.
It was a long night for Manning and the offense.

Manning has become famous for his confused face when he's on the football field. It's a timeless classic: Every time something goes awry on the field, Manning's reaction is usually quite epic.

He seemed to be a little confused about his vision for the offense.

"I thought we'd be able to move the ball, put up points and run our offense," Manning said, according to the Giants

It's what he had to say, but it's another thing if he actually believes that. Manning should know better than anyone that Beckham is their entire offense, and without him, he's largely throwing the rock to players that nobody has ever heard of. 

To think that the Giants could go on the road against a playoff-bound team and move the ball in 11-degree weather without their best playmaker is just silly. 

Non-Playoff Teams That Dominated NFL Draft

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