San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants: Full Report Card Grades for New York
The New York Giants allowed victory to escape MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon, and the San Francisco 49ers were the bandits.
Five times the Niners stole Eli Manning passes en route to a 16-10 victory. Manning had only six interceptions in the previous nine games combined, so the usually loose-armed quarterback was probably due for the outing he had on Sunday.
Although the Giants jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, San Francisco was able to wear New York down with its power-running game and attacking defense. Big Blue was in it until the end, even though San Francisco seized momentum in the second quarter and wouldn't give it back.
To see each positional unit's report card grade for the outing, click through this slideshow.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Don't say I didn't try to warn you.
Manning's ball security suffered against the 49ers on Sunday. Although he made several outstanding passes, Manning can't throw five interceptions and expect a passing grade from me.
That figure tied a career high for Manning. Not all five picks were totally his fault. Poor protection forced him into many rushed decisions. And even after throwing so many errant passes, Manning still had a handful of chances to pull out a win late in the game.
Manning's outing did have a couple of bright spots. The Giants' first offensive drive of the game was one. Manning made expeditious work of the 49ers, completing two in a row to Rueben Randle, then a third one to Larry Donnell for a 19-yard touchdown.
Later, his success was more sporadic. Mind-bending snares by Odell Beckham Jr. were laced with completely deflating interceptions, preventing New York from ever attaining a controlling rhythm.
Perhaps what's most depressing about Manning's overall game right now is his spotty connection with Randle. We may never know who's most to blame for this disconnect, but Manning must shoulder some degree of it. Why can't Manning reach a breakthrough with Randle, now in his third NFL season?
Manning completed only seven of the 15 passes he threw Randle's way (46.7 percent).
Manning's outing deserves a failing grade because too many of the Giants' opportunities to win the game were dashed by his interceptions.
Grade: F
Running Back
2 of 10
Rashad Jennings' return had a minimal impact on the Giants' running game. New York's starter carried the ball 18 times for 59 yards in his first game back from a knee sprain.
Jennings was better than Andre Williams had been as his replacement. Although Jennings averaged a meager 3.3 yards per carry, his 15-yard spurt in the second half was evidence of what could have been had the Giants been more committed to the running game. For the second week in a row, the Giants featured a pass-heavy game plan (21 runs, 47 passes).
A lot of times, Jennings had no chance. His blockers allowed 49ers to leak into the backfield, disrupting several of Jennings' runs before he could even reach the line of scrimmage. But if there was one attempt on which New York desperately needed an extra effort from Jennings, it was on a 4th-and-inches in the fourth quarter that could have completely changed the game.
The Giants didn't get it.
Williams was essentially benched until late in the game. After starting each of the past four games, Williams was a rare sighting on Sunday. He finished the game with just two carries for two yards and a four-yard catch.
Grade: C-
Wide Receiver/Tight End
3 of 10
I grumbled about Rueben Randle's lack of a connection with Manning on the quarterback slide, but I can't fault the man for his effort against the 49ers. For most of the afternoon he was matched up against a solid cornerback in Chris Culliver, and Randle still led the team in catches (seven) and yardage (112).
Although Randle was Manning's most targeted receiver, he had to work hard for every yard he gained. A couple of times Randle was hit hard, yet he always came back for more.
Imagine how good he'd be if he shared a trace of chemistry with his quarterback.
Beckham contributed his usual theatrics, catching six balls for 93 yards—seven yards shy of a third consecutive 100-yard outing. His best play was a highlight-reel catch in which he leaped over a Niner along the right sideline, tipped the ball up to himself and secured the catch before touching his backside down in bounds.
It would have been nice to see Beckham get involved earlier in the game; only four of OBJ's 13 targets came in the first half.
Donnell made a couple of spectacular grabs, including the Giants' only touchdown of the game. Thirty of his 54 yards came on an acrobatic, leaping grab in the second half. While that pass stuck in his hands, one in the end zone on a fourth-quarter fade did not.
The pass-catchers put in a good day's work, but they ultimately fell a few plays short of changing the outcome of this game.
Grade: B+
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
New York's ability to properly protect Manning was shot the moment starting right tackle Justin Pugh was lost to a quad injury. Charles Brown came in to replace him, and, wow, was he awful. I now understand why he was benched in New Orleans. The Giants are putting Manning's health in jeopardy if they do nothing to improve the protection on that right side moving forward.
The rest of New York's O-line wasn't much better. John Jerry creates no push at right tackle, and I believe he is the unit's weak point when it comes to the running game. He is far from the road-grader Chris Snee was in his prime. Things sort of improve as you move to the left, but it doesn't get any better than Will Beatty's mediocrity on the left edge.
The line allowed two Niners to sneak in for sacks, as well as seven more who laid a hit on Manning after he had released the ball.
The root of New York's offensive woes lie in the Giants' inability to run the ball effectively; they averaged a paltry 3.1 yards per carry against San Fran. With the Giants moving away from the ground game and turning to the air, Manning is putting the ball in harm's way more often.
What we're witnessing is the subsequent unraveling.
Grade: F
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The defensive line wasn't ever dominant, but I suppose it did its job. Robert Ayers Jr. continues to be the most exceptional member of this unit; why is he still a backup?
Mathias Kiwanuka is an established defensive leader, I understand that. Still, the eye test tells us Ayers is obviously the more effective defensive end. Despite limited snaps, Ayers was the only Giant to record a sack against the 49ers. He leads the team with an unsensational total of 5.0.
Kiwanuka finished the day with four tackles, one of which was for a loss. He stood out on one play, showing nine years worth of wear on his tread as Colin Kaepernick scooted past him after breaking contain.
Frankly, Ayers brings fresher legs to New York's pass rush.
The interior rotation was missing Cullen Jenkins. Johnathan Hankins, Mike Patterson and Markus Kuhn were quiet without him. They weren't invisible, though. That adjective best described Jason Pierre-Paul, who finished with just one tackle and did nothing to help his case for a new contract. Only six games remain for him to do so.
Where the heck is Damontre Moore? He had one of the two QB hits New York recorded on Kaepernick, but he has hardly become what the Giants drafted him to be.
Grade: C
Linebacker
6 of 10
The linebackers were instrumental in the limited success New York experienced on Sunday. The Giants dedicated an extra man to the box and played with three linebackers more than usual, stretching the defense out a bit over the middle when the 49ers dropped back to pass.
We saw this in action as the Niners mostly moved the ball with ease in between the 20s. They racked up a considerable amount of yardage, but the Giants defense would stiffen up every time it reached the red zone. It was classic bend-but-don't-break defense.
Against a tough running team, New York's starting linebackers racked up impressive stats:
- Jameel McClain: 14 tackles, 11 solo, TFL
- Devon Kennard: 9 tackles, 7 solo, TFL
- Mark Herzlich: 9 tackles, 6 solo, TFL, PD
Jacquian Williams being injured may have been a blessing in disguise for the Giants, as he's not a very formidable run defender. The Giants went with the better downhill defender in Herzlich over Spencer Paysinger to replace him, even though Paysinger is more experienced in the starting role.
Although the linebackers surrendered a lot of rushing yardage, they didn't get a ton of help from the linemen in front of them. The unit was at its best when it mattered most, keeping the 49ers out of the end zone and the Giants in the game.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 10
New York's secondary did its job well, with the exception of one play.
With so much attention dedicated to the 49ers' running game, the Giants needed to hold up in single coverage. For the most part they did.
It was one play, however, that made all the difference. In the third quarter, already leading by two, San Francisco's Michael Crabtree exploded past the Giants secondary for a 48-yard score. Safety Quintin Demps took a bad angle on the play, and he was the only player in position to make the tackle.
Crabtree was able to run past everyone else.
All New York needed to do was avoid giving up the big play. The Giants ended up losing by six points, so that one, seven-point slip-up made all the difference against the 49ers. Sounds familiar: a single play directly altering the outcome of the game.
Since I failed Manning for his game-changing interception against the Seattle Seahawks last week, I'm also failing the secondary this week for consistency's sake.
Grade: F
Special Teams
8 of 10
The only "A" of the game goes out to New York's special teams.
The best special teams play of the game was a recovered onside kick, even though it didn't lead to any points. The call was totally unexpected and led us to believe that maybe—just maybe—the Giants coaching staff isn't sleepwalking on the sidelines.
Preston Parker gave the Giants a lift in the return game, taking five kicks back a total of 129 yards (25.8 yards per return). Parker's finest return was a sizzling 38-yarder. Beckham wasn't so shabby returning punts either, covering 25 yards on one and averaging 13.0 yards per return for the day.
Josh Brown extended his perfect season with a converted 43-yarder in the third quarter. He also knocked the ball free on that onside-kick recovery.
Grade: A
Coaching
9 of 10
Missed opportunities come to mind more than anything else when reflecting on Sunday afternoon. The Giants only lost by six points, so one touchdown could have changed the outcome of the game. Why couldn't New York punch it into the end zone just one more time?
Looking back, no blown chance was bigger than the one the Giants had in the fourth quarter, four yards away from the goal line. Beckham made an exceptional play to get them that deep, but the Giants' magic had run out by the time they lined up for the next play.
On first down, Manning predictably threw a fade to Beckham, which fell incomplete. On second down, Manning threw an unsuccessful fade to Randle. Then, on third down, Manning threw—you guessed it, a fade—to Donnell, again to no avail.
Then, forced to go for it on fourth down, Manning tried jamming it into Preston Parker on a poorly designed goal-line play, resulting in an interception—Manning's fifth and final of the game.
This goal-line series wasn't the coaching staff's only shortcoming of the contest, but it was certainly the staff's most blatant. The play-calling was unimaginative, stubborn and completely ineffective.
This instance illustrates the overarching fact that injuries and personnel aren't deserving of all the blame for New York's troubles; the coaching staff is flunking, too.
Grade: F
Overall
10 of 10
Here is the Giants' overall report card for Week 11:
| Position | Grade |
| QB | F |
| RB | C- |
| WR/TE | B+ |
| OL | F |
| DL | C |
| LB | B |
| DB | F |
| ST | A |
| Coach | F |
Statistics courtesy of ESPN box score.
Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.
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