New York Giants Studs and Duds After Week 2 Loss to Arizona
There was good and bad in the New York Giants’ 25-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2.
Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough good to come out of the Giants performance, as a litany of mistakes resulted in a sold-out home crowd being sent home disappointed and angry with Big Blue’s latest mistake-filled performance.
As hard as it might be, let’s take a closer look at three studs and three duds behind the outcome of this game. Feel free to list your "studs and duds" in the comments section below.
Stud: QB Eli Manning
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Quarterback Eli Manning won’t win any weekly NFL honors based on his numbers alone, which were a pedestrian 26-of-36 for 277 yards, with two interceptions (one of which came late in the game when Manning was trying to make a play) and two touchdowns.
However, football is not a one-man sport. Had at least five dropped balls by his receivers not victimized Manning, his numbers probably would have looked much different.
More importantly, though, for the first time this year, Manning actually looked comfortable dropping back in the new system.
A closer look at his performance shows that he was able to make a variety of short throws, deliver sound decisions with his calls and adjustments based on what he was seeing, and direct an offense that averaged 5.0 yards per play.
Take away the mistakes, and Manning’s showing is probably a winning performance. Unfortunately, it takes all 11 players to make the machine hum. This week, Manning didn’t have that.
Dud: LB Mark Herzlich
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When starting middle linebacker Jon Beason had to leave the game after reaggravating the toe on his right foot—the same toe that caused him to miss all of training camp—the thought was that Jameel McClain might move to the middle with Spencer Paysinger coming in at the strong side.
The Giants instead went with Mark Herzlich, who in four NFL seasons has shown repeatedly that he doesn’t have the requisite foot speed to be a factor on defense.
Herzlich, who judging by the photo above is still bothered by a preseason shoulder injury (note the harness on his left shoulder in the picture), who was a marked man from the moment he came into the game on defense.
The Cardinals seem to direct every play they could in his direction, some with success, such as the 15-yard, fourth-quarter run by Arizona running back Andre Ellington or the 16-yard pass completion to rookie tight end Troy Niklas.
Herzlich might have finished the game with one fewer tackle (three) than Beason (four), but when looking at a linebacker’s tackle production, it’s important to see just where he’s making the plays.
If they are several yards away downfield, that’s not solid production.
If Beason has to miss any time—and Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News indicates that there is indeed worry within the organization—the Giants will have an interesting decision to make.
They’re already without rookie Devon Kennard, who told me after the game that, while he’s progressing with his hamstring injury, the Giants don’t want to rush him back onto the field before he’s ready, lest he risk a setback.
Stud: P Steve Weatherford
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Trying to perhaps inspire his teammates that one can overcome adversity if they focus on the goal, punter Steve Weatherford, who suffered four torn ligaments in his left ankle (his plant foot), donned his Superman tights and did his job as best as he could.
While it’s true that the one punt that was returned for a 71-yard touchdown by Ted Ginn Jr. didn’t have the best hang-time, and while Weatherford shouldered the blame after the game, the fact remains that his teammates let him down on the coverage, just as they did last week when they failed to protect him.
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Dud: WR Victor Cruz
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Not only did receiver Victor Cruz have three drops in the game, including the critical third-down pass play that preceded Steve Weatherford’s ill-fated punt that was returned for a touchdown (which swung the momentum back in the Cardinals’ favor) the fan-favorite shrugged when asked if he heard the boobirds who had paid hard-earned money to watch the Giants fall to 0-2.
"I could care less," he told reporters after the game.
The fact is that Cruz, who earlier in the week told the media that he felt the team needed to get the ball into his and the hands of other playmakers more often, wasn't , and hard to argue with.
However, Cruz just hasn’t been much of a playmaker since signing his five-year contract extension, and that’s troubling.
Last year, an argument could be made that Cruz drew all of the attention, which resulted in double-teams, and him only scoring four touchdowns, the last of which came in Week 4.
You could probably make a similar argument this year, as both Rueben Randle and Jerrel Jernigan have been inconsistent.
This year, however, the drops for Cruz are coming at an alarming rate. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Cruz had two drops last week against the Detroit Lions.
That's already five drops through two games, which makes him in danger of hitting double digits once again in that category, as he did in 2011 and 2012.
What happened out there?
"Just concentration. I own up to all my mistakes and everything I've done wrong," said Cruz, who caught five (out of 10) balls for 60 yards.
While Cruz’s candor is appreciated, why is there a concentration issue in a game played once a week?
Stud: TE Larry Donnell
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All those preseason concerns about the Giants tight end position appear to have been for naught, as second-year man Larry Donnell has consistently cashed in on his opportunities to make plays for the offense.
Once again finishing as the Giants’ leading receiver, Donnell caught seven passes for 81 yards, Donnell’s 137 receiving yards on the season are just 27 less than the combined yards of receivers Victor Cruz (84), Rueben Randle (40) and Jerrel Jernigan (40).
While Donnell’s blocking still needs a lot of work, it’s at least nice to know that the Giants have what appears to be a consistent option.
Dud: KR Quintin Demps
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To say that kickoff returner Quintin Demps didn’t have one of his better nights is putting it mildly.
In addition to his most egregious gaffe, the fourth-quarter fumble that led to the Cardinals second field goal of the game which made it a two-possession contest, a look at the Giants’ ball possession and drive chart in the official game book shows that not one of Demps’ kickoffs made it past the Giants 22-yard line.
The result? The Giants lost the field position battle by a wide margin, their average starting field position being their 19, while the Cardinals’ average starting field position was their own 33.
Rounding out Demps’ poor showing was his penalty for illegal hands to the face on the Giant’s blocked punt in the third quarter. On that play, the Giants, who would have started the drive at their own 28 (which would have been their best starting field position of the night) were instead backed up to their own 18.
Patricia Traina is the senior editor for Inside Football and a credentialed New York Giants beat writer. All quotes and information obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted. Follow me on Twitter, @Patricia_Traina.
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