Houston Texans vs New York Giants: Full Report Card Grades for New York
The New York Giants claimed their first win of the season Sunday, taking down the Houston Texans, 30-17, in their best full-game performance to date.
The offense was chugging along, moving the ball downfield methodically on most drives. It produced more points (30) than it did in any game in 2013 other than the season-opener versus Dallas, in which they put up 31. Could it be a sign of good things around the corner for Ben McAdoo's recently implanted offensive scheme?
The defense was aggressive, totally dismantling the Texans' offensive game plan. The defensive line was as disruptive as ever, forcing Houston's Ryan Fitzpatrick to make most plays on the move from persistent pressure.
The Giants took advantage of more of the game's unpredictable bounces, winning the turnover battle and making the plays that ended up providing the margin for victory.
See which positional units graded best/worst in this report card.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Eli Manning was exceptional, completing 21 of his 28 pass attempts (75 percent) for 234 yards and two touchdowns in the Giants' first win of the season.
The outing was one of Manning's most efficient as a pro. He looked comfortable in the pocket throughout the afternoon, enjoying solid protection from his offensive line. Mostly, he took what the Texans gave him, picking his shots and targeting only five pass-catchers.
Although he spent a lot of snaps managing the game, a few of his throws were devastating strikes. One pass that stood out was Manning's perfectly placed, nine-yard toss to Daniel Fells for a score in the fourth quarter. Another was a well-timed pass Manning fit in to Preston Parker near the right sideline for a 13-yard game, converting a 3rd-and-11.
Most importantly, Manning kept the ball out of harm's way. He wasn't forced to win the game with his arm, so none of his decisions were made under duress. The result was a productive, clean showing from New York's oft-criticized passer.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
Winning games will come easy if Rashad Jennings continues to run the way he did in Week 3.
After fumbling late in the fourth quarter of the Arizona Cardinals game, Jennings came out and ran with a purpose against the Texans. He was a workhorse for the Giants' offense, finishing the day with a career-high 176 yards on 34 carries. Jennings also scored on a goal-line carry for his second touchdown of the season.
From the running back position, Jennings set the tone and controlled the pace for New York on offense. He was rarely caught in the backfield, consistently gaining big chunks of yardage on early downs to set up manageable third-down situations.
Jennings fought for extra ground on almost every run, breaking several tackles and gaining much of his yardage after he had already been contacted by a defender. The determination with which Jennings ran was key to keeping several Giants' drives alive.
While Jennings established himself as a bell-cow, Andre Williams did little to distinguish himself as a useful change-of-pace back. The rookie managed just 18 yards on six carries, none of which came on the goal line.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver/Tight End
3 of 10
The Giants receivers made enough plays to win the game.
Victor Cruz produced New York's only outstanding plays from the receiver position. He showed excellent burst on a 61-yard sprint through the heart of Houston's defense. Although he was caught from behind on that play, a few snaps later Cruz made an excellent move after a catch to shake free for a 26-yard Salsa.
Cruz finished the day with a team-leading 107 yards on five catches.
The best catch of the game was tight end Daniel Fells' nine-yard touchdown, which was just as much a great throw as it was a breathtaking grab.
The rest of the plays made by New York's pass-catchers were standard, well-executed routes. Rueben Randle did a good job working the outside, making Houston pay when they gave him too big of a big cushion. His contributions went beyond the five-catch, 27-yard stat line he posted by the end of the game, as his early influence stretched out the Texans defense for Jennings to exploit on the ground.
Preston Parker looked precise in his first game filling in for Jerrel Jernigan at third wide receiver, catching three passes for 33 yards.
Tight end Larry Donnell led the team with six catches, churning out 45 yards but also losing a fumble in the first quarter. Donnell is still making inexperienced mistakes, but he improved as a blocker in Week 3 and continued to show promise as a receiving option.
Grade: B+
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The Giants offensive line put together its most complete performance to date against the Texans.
The O-line dominated the point of attack, allowing Jennings to carve up the Texans' defense for a career day on the ground. The linemen kept the pressure off Manning, letting him pick his passes wisely en route to a 75 percent completion rate.
What was most impressive, however, was the line's management of Houston's J.J. Watt, who is notoriously disruptive from his end position. While he wasn't completely kept in check, collecting seven tackles (two for a loss) and a sack, Watt was not able to make a difference in the game's outcome.
When Watt lined up on the right side, he was handled, for the most part, by guard John Jerry and tackle Justin Pugh. The same was true when he lined up on the left, as guard Weston Richburg and tackle Will Beatty limited Watt's highlight plays.
If New York is to turn this win into a streak, the O-line must continue its consistent play.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Giants defensive line, more so than any other unit, set the tone for the game.
Although the team, as a whole, was hot to start, the game was still 0-0 at the end of the first quarter. While New York was shooting itself in the foot on offense, the defensive line was keeping Houston off the scoreboard with a ferocious front four.
End Jason Pierre-Paul looked like his old self, leading the D-line with seven tackles (one for a loss) and one pass batted down at the line. If the Giants are to return to winning form, JPP needs to be dominant again.
Cullen Jenkins and Johnathan Hankins were both productive from the tackle position, each collecting four tackles and Hankins getting in on a sack for the second straight week.
Although starting end Mathias Kiwanuka rushed the passer well, forcing Ryan Fitzpatrick to scramble several times, his backup on the right side Robert Ayers had the better day on the stat sheet, bringing down three Texans to Kiwanuka's one.
The defensive line kept Fitzpatrick uncomfortable all afternoon, forcing him to make bad throws, including three that were intercepted by members of the secondary.
The line was stingy against the run with the exception of one Alfred Blue run that went for 46 yards.
Grade: A
Linebacker
6 of 10
The key to New York's defense staying together was the performance of Jameel McClain filling in for Jon Beason at middle linebacker.
McClain stepped up to the challenge, leading the team with 11 tackles (nine solo), a tackle for a loss and half a sack. He was all over the field, whether it was making stops in the running game, dropping back into coverage or stepping up to down a scrambling Ryan Fitzpatrick who had escaped the pocket.
The class of 2011 linebackers—Jacquian Williams, Mark Herzlich and Spencer Paysinger—were used in a committee-like approach aside McClain. Those three combined for 11 tackles (seven solo), with one of Herzlich's being a tackle for a loss.
Although the linebackers racked up a lot of tackles, that's because most of the plays were completed passes right in front of them. That was the only area of New York's defense Fitzpatrick was able to exploit with consistency.
The underneath defense did not come close to costing New York the game, but it is one area in which the Giants defense must improve.
Grade: B+
Secondary
7 of 10
The secondary did what the team needed it to do: create turnovers.
The members of the defensive backfield were opportunistic, jumping in front of three errant Ryan Fitzpatrick passes. Cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, as well as safety Antrel Rolle, each grabbed an interception. Rolle returned his pick all the way to the goal line.
Trumaine McBride, who is now the team's top slot corner with Walter Thurmond III on injured reserve, was credited with a sack for making a stop on Fitzpatrick before he got back to the line of scrimmage.
Safety Stevie Brown was involved in a big play of his own, but his was a blown coverage that resulted in a 44-yard Damaris Johnson reception. Rookie reserve Nat Berhe got an extended look at safety in place of Brown and could see more snaps in the future.
Although most of his catches were made underneath and taken upfield, the secondary had no answer for Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who finished the game with 116 yards on six catches. He was the only effective offensive weapon Houston had with running back Arian Foster out of the lineup.
Above all, the takeaways created by the secondary gave New York the boost it needed to win.
Grade: B+
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Giants overcame an early blunder on special teams to gain a massive advantage on a special teams play later in the game.
When attempting a first-quarter field goal, long snapper Zak DeOssie dribbled his snap past holder Steve Weatherford, resulting in an embarrassing 29-yard loss in field position and a blown opportunity at three points.
Then, later on, Damontre Moore redeemed the unit by getting loose on a punt rush and blocked Shane Lechler's attempt, allowing the Giants to pounce on the ball for possession deep in Texans territory.
If these two plays cancel each other out, the rest of New York's special teams were pretty solid. Although Weatherford nearly had one blocked, he downed all four of his punts inside the 20-yard line—on a bum ankle.
Josh Brown saw his first action of the season, hitting all three of his field-goal attempts, distances of 39, 31 and 29 yards.
Preston Parker returned one punt 12 yards, and Quintin Demps was smarter with his decisions to take a knee in the end zone.
The only other negative play New York had on special teams was a fake punt Houston converted on its first offensive possession.
Grade: B-
Coaching
9 of 10
The coaching gets a great—but not perfect—grade for Sunday's game.
The Giants were better prepared for the Texans than the Texans were for the Giants. Even when the team was making early mistakes, New York was executing at a level Houston couldn't match.
Head coach Tom Coughlin's most critical call was his challenge of a spot on the field, originally called a first down, then overturned to force Houston to punt on fourth down. Damontre Moore blocked the punt on the following play.
The game plan for the Texans was a simplified one with running back Arian Foster and outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney out of the lineup. The Giants put the pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick with Foster out and ran away from J.J. Watt with Clawney out—both efforts were successful.
The one place New York can really afford to improve is in the red zone, where the team scored a touchdown on only two of its seven trips.
The Giants have looked significantly better from Week 1 to Week 2 and again from Week 2 to Week 3. That is a sign of good coaching.
Grade: A-
Overall
10 of 10
| Position | Grade |
| QB | A |
| RB | A |
| WR/TE | B+ |
| OL | A |
| DL | A |
| LB | B+ |
| DB | B+ |
| ST | B- |
| Coach | A- |
Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.
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