Arizona Cardinals vs New York Giants: Full Report Card Grades for New York
The 2014 New York Giants tasted victory in Week 2 but had the Arizona Cardinals steal it from under their tongues in the final frame of action.
New York first overcame a 10-point deficit to take a 14-10 lead into the fourth quarter. From there, the Giants fell apart, surrendering 15 unanswered points, losing 25-14, in a complete and utter collapse.
Several of the Giants' positional units improved Sunday compared to their overall performance in the season opener. The defense did not give up as many big plays to the Cardinals as it did to the Detroit Lions. The offense finally showed signs of life.
Read on for a more specific, position-by-position report card for the Giants' offensive units, defensive units, special teams and coaching.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Eli Manning bounced back from a Week 1 performance like a 2013 nightmare to have a strong showing versus the Cardinals on Sunday.
Manning overcame an early error to put together an efficient afternoon. In the first quarter, Manning threw a hurried interception to Cardinals linebacker Sam Acho. He went on to complete 26 of 39 pass attempts (66.7 percent) for 277 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw another interception, a meaningless one with the game out of reach on New York's final offensive play of the game.
As productive as Manning was in the stat book, the performance did not earn New York a win. One could easily argue that Manning played well enough for the Giants to win, but a couple of dropped passes could have been a little easier to handle had they been more accurately thrown. Although rushed, the blame for Manning's first interception can be placed on no one but him.
But ultimately, Manning made the throws the team needed him to make. Not all of them were hauled in, but we'll get into that on the "Wide Receivers/Tight Ends" slide.
Grade: A-
Running Back
2 of 10
The Giants ran the ball with sporadic effectiveness; however, even when the running lanes opened, the backs didn't break long runs.
Starter Rashad Jennings logged 18 carries, taking them 64 yards (3.6 yards per carry). His longest carry was 13 yards. What Jennings lacks as a ball-carrier, he makes up for with his pass-catching skills. He added four catches for 45 yards, including a 19-yard scamper.
Jennings was a reliable two-way threat throughout the game, but he made two key mistakes—one early and one late.
On Manning's first interception, Jennings did not pick up the blitz, which rushed Manning into making the poor decision and throw. Then, on what looked like it was going to be the game-winning drive, Jennings fumbled, while going to the ground without being contacted.
Both mistakes were costly, and the second of which directly killed the Giants' last best shot to tie the game before regulation.
Andre Williams was the less effective runner, carrying the ball eight times for only 12 yards (1.5 yards per carry). The Cardinals were anticipating handoffs to Williams any time he was in the game, but the rookie running back did what he could to keep future opponents honest by making his first two NFL receptions (seven yards).
Grade: C
Wide Receiver/Tight End
3 of 10
New York's pass-catchers made big plays for most of the game but faltered when it mattered most.
Rueben Randle stepped up to make a few plays, including a highlight-reel seven-yard touchdown catch. With Patrick Peterson in coverage, Randle fended off the All-Pro cornerback to make a juggling, one-handed catch. Randle must have been satisfied with that snag, because he was shut down for the remainder of the game, briefly appearing once more just to drop a beautifully thrown bomb from Eli Manning late in the fourth quarter.
Victor Cruz got his wish and was awarded more targets in Week 2. He made the most of five of them, racking up 60 receiving yards. It'd be nice, however, to see Cruz catch more than half of the 10 targets he enjoyed versus Arizona. He had three big drops in the fourth quarter, when the team needed him most.
Jerrel Jernigan was not featured nearly as much in New York's passing game against the Cardinals. Targeted only twice, Jernigan made both catches, gaining just 15 yards. Preston Parker saw some action and made the most of his limited playing time, catching one crossing route and turning it upfield for a 29-yard gain in the second half.
The surprise standouts were the tight ends. It was no fluke for Larry Donnell to lead the team in receiving last week—he did it again in Week 2 with eight catches for 81 yards. Donnell is quickly becoming New York's most dynamic pass-catching threat. His ascendance will make it easy for teams to forget about his backup Daniel Fells, like Arizona did when Manning found Fells for a one-yard score in the third quarter.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The line was still the weakest point of New York's offense in Week 1.
The Giants' O-line could not open holes for the running backs with any degree of consistency—and getting downfield to block at the second level? You can forget about it for now.
The New York front five can't fire off the ball and win the battle at the line of scrimmage. The unit is not physically dominant enough to field a true power running game, but the backs have been able to slip through a few fleeting gaps from time to time. On the ground, the Giants don't beat anyone around the edge, and there is never time for a back to hesitate, make a move or set up a block.
The Giants ran the ball 26 times for 81 yards (3.0 yards per carry).
The pass-blocking was much improved from last week.
The linemen, working in coordination with the backs and tight ends, picked up Arizona's pressure with some consistency. Manning looked a little more comfortable in the pocket, even though he was sacked twice.
Right tackle Justin Pugh was called for a 15-yard personal foul due to some after-the-play pushing and shoving. Center J.D. Walton was flagged for holding later in the game.
Still far from a strength, the Giants' offensive line took major strides toward serviceable.
Grade: C+
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Giants' defensive line had its most disruptive day in recent memory.
Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul got off to a hot start, setting the tone with a tackle for a loss, a sack and a pass deflection all on the Cardinals' second drive of the game. JPP finished the game with four tackles (two solo), 1.5 sacks and two pass deflections.
Mathias Kiwanuka was active on the other side, registering a half-sack, a tackle for a loss and two QB hits. Behind Kiwi and JPP, the reserves haven't exactly played out as planned. Robert Ayers Jr. now has a sack in two consecutive games, while none of Damontre Moore's three tackles on Sunday came behind the line of scrimmage.
More impressive than the ends were the tackles. Johnathan Hankins took over the Giants' run-stuffing role, while also making his mark as a pass-rusher. Hankins finished the game with six tackles (two solo) and a sack. Jenkins was in on another sack but was only credited with a QB hit. Rookie Jay Bromley even made it into the game and made his first NFL tackle against the Cards.
The pass rush finished with four sacks and 10 QB hits.
Grade: B-
Linebackers
6 of 10
As disruptive as the linemen were playing in front of them, the Giants' linebackers were subpar in run support.
The Cardinals ran the ball 28 times for 124 yards (4.4 yards per carry). Arizona's Andre Ellington, who averaged 6.1 yards per carry, was particularly successful running against the Giants' defensive front.
As expected, Jacquian Williams, Jon Beason and Jameel McClain were the team's busiest 'backers, each with four tackles. Not one made a play in the backfield or defended a pass, although Beason did register one QB hit.
With rookie Devon Kennard inactive, nursing a hamstring injury, fourth-year linebacker Mark Herzlich saw extensive time after Beason injured his toe. McClain slid over to assume Beason's role in the middle, while Herzlich took up outside responsibilities. Beason was in a walking boot after the game and his timetable for return is unknown, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
Although the linebackers did allow Jonathan Dwyer to plunge into the end zone from one yard out, they did not allow any completed routes underneath the defense to sneak in for a score. Four times, they stalled a Cardinals drive to force a field goal.
Grade: C-
Secondary
7 of 10
The secondary has been disappointing through two games this season.
They were supposed to be a redefined unit, the strongest New York would field on either side of the ball. Instead, the defensive backs have left much to be desired.
Now, it's not like they were torched by Cardinals backup Drew Stanton. Filling in for an injured Carson Palmer (shoulder), Stanton only completed 14 of 29 attempts (48.3 percent) for 167 yards, and he didn't throw a touchdown. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was also kept in check—more so than Megatron, at least—with just 51 yards on six catches.
More troublesome than the coverage was the sloppiness of the secondary's play. Too often they were penalized for excessive contact, keeping crawling Cardinals drives alive with automatic first downs. Although no individual stood out as a weak link in the secondary, the group, as a whole, is not a shutdown unit.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is a spotty performer. Twice on one drive he stood out, breaking up one pass with a big hit then tackling Fitzgerald short of the first-down marker, only to disappear for the remainder of the contest. Opposite him, Prince Amukamara led the team in tackles with nine (eight solo).
From the safety position, Antrel Rolle contributed a hard-fought, eight-tackle day, while Stevie Brown made just one tackle and defended one pass.
Stanton did not exploit the Giants' secondary the way Matthew Stafford did in Week 1, nor should he have. The Giants need their highly touted members of the secondary to take the ball away in games like Sunday's. A timely interception could have been the difference.
Grade: D+
Special Teams
8 of 10
A team can play a perfect game on offense and defense, but all it takes is one error on special teams for that effort to be for naught.
So, when the Giants committed two major special teams errors, the scapegoat for this week's loss was sealed.
The first miscue was allowing Ted Ginn to return one of Steve Weatherford's punts 71 yards for a touchdown. The second miscue occurred on the following kickoff, when Quintin Demps fumbled the return and Arizona recovered.
Before those two plays, the Giants led 14-13 in the fourth quarter. A few plays after Demps' fumble, the Cardinals took a 22-14 lead.
The two special teams mistakes were the difference in the game.
Grade: F
Coaching
9 of 10
When the Giants lose a game the way they did Sunday, the coaching staff must accept a considerable degree of blame.
Although the Cardinals were awarded the win, the Giants beat themselves. They were up against a backup quarterback who did not know he would start until hours before kickoff. New York was unable to take advantage. Instead, they were penalized heavily, careless with the ball and out-performed on special teams.
The Giants were flagged nine times for 70 yards. Of the Cardinals 21 first downs, six were granted via New York penalty (28.6 percent).
The turnover margin sloped heavily in Arizona's favor, with New York giving away possession four times (not including a turnover on downs) and not taking it away at all.
The fact that special teams coordinator Tom Quinn still has his job is mind-boggling to me. He has presided over tactless return teams and capricious coverage units over the last eight seasons, including a particularly terrible 2010 platoon that featured Matt Dodge at punter.
Grade: F
Overall
10 of 10
| Position | Grade |
| QB | A- |
| RB | C |
| WR/TE | B |
| OL | C+ |
| DL | B- |
| LB | C- |
| Sec. | D+ |
| ST | F |
| Coach | F |
Kevin Boilard covers the New York Giants for Bleacher Report.
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