Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants: Full Report Card Grades for New York
The New York Giants overcame a second-half deficit to beat the Washington Redskins, 24-13, at MetLife Stadium in Week 15.
Rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. caught all three of New York's touchdowns, exceeding 90 yards receiving for the seventh consecutive game. Several defenders, including end Jason Pierre-Paul, tackle Johnathan Hankins and linebacker Devon Kennard, also contributed heavily to the winning effort.
Click through the slideshow to see how each individual positional unit graded out in New York's fifth victory of the season.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Eli Manning had another gutsy outing, which has become his claim to fame during his decade in the NFL. He was hit repeatedly but only weathered one sack—a 12-yard bruiser by an unblocked Ryan Kerrigan.
Yet the many hits Manning suffered hardly affected his performance. By the end of the day, the Giants passer had completed 67.6 percent of his passes, eclipsed 250 yards and tossed three touchdowns. Despite the constant pressure he faced, he did not commit a single turnover.
Manning got minimal support from his running game, so he was forced to win the game with his arm. A few of his passes were next-level, like the fourth-quarter toss he threw to Rueben Randle across his body. Rolling away from the play and throwing into traffic, Manning has earned the right to break all the traditional rules of quarterbacking.
What's been most exhilarating about watching Manning play late this season is witnessing his blossoming chemistry with rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Manning hasn't ever had a consistent receiving threat quite like Beckham, which instills faith in the future of his offense.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
The Giants running game struggled again this week. Rookie Andre Williams looked like he had his breakout performance against the Titans last week, rushing for 131 yards and a 50-yard touchdown. Williams took a step back, however, against the Redskins.
Washington featured a stingy run defense, allowing Williams to only gain 44 yards on 18 carries (2.4 yards per carry), most of which came in the game's final frame with the Giants draining the clock. His longest carry of the game was a measly six-yard stretch.
Still a one-dimensional back, Williams is a noticeable liability in the passing game.
Rashad Jennings wasn't able to provide any relief this week, too, re-injuring his ankle in the early going. He carried the ball just once for three yards. With only two games remaining and Jennings struggling with his health, New York would be wise to shut him down and go with the more youthful Williams for the rest of the season.
Fullback Henry Hynoski also took a couple of short-yardage handoffs. His first attempt converted a 4th-and-1, but the Hynoceros' second carry failed to extend New York's drive.
Grade: C
Wide Receiver/Tight End
3 of 10
The legend of rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr. continues. Against the Redskins, he was the Giants receiving corps, catching 12 passes for 143 yards and all three of New York's touchdowns. His longest and finest play of the game was a 35-yard catch-and-run in which he slipped free of coverage and found the end zone.
Beckham dominated his individual matchup with Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland. When he wasn't burning Breeland for a big catch, he was drawing a penalty on him. By game's end, OBJ had single-handedly yanked a total of 85 penalty yards from the undisciplined Redskins.
Outside of Beckham's dozen grabs, the Giants only got spot receptions from their other seven pass-catchers. Kevin Ogletree was the "best of the rest" with three catches. Backup tight end Daniel Fells had a nice catch, and even Corey Washington got into the mix with a four-yard reception.
The most disappointing player in this unit was Rueben Randle. Although he made that one big catch in the fourth quarter to set up New York's final touchdown of the game, Randle was benched for the entire first quarter—for the second time in three weeks. When he finally got into the game, the third-year wideout dropped the first two passes thrown his way.
I don't know where Randle's head is, but it doesn't seem to be in the game.
Grade: A-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The Giants won this game despite an awful outing from the offensive line. When it came to opening up holes in the running game, New York was hopeless. As for protecting the passer, the cool-headed Manning was under constant duress.
New York gained only 49 yards rushing against the Redskins, averaging a mere 2.2 yards every time the ball was handed off. After failing to pick up a yard on one short-yardage situation, the Giants ran a failed toss to Odell Beckham Jr. the next time they were very close to a first down. The play call was too cute and a sign that the coaching staff has no faith in the line to get the necessary push for a power run.
When Manning dropped back to pass, he was always dancing around Redskins. Although only one sack was surrendered, New York's O-line allowed Manning to be hit five times, quite violently, on Sunday afternoon. If Manning was any less resilient and Odell Beckham Jr. was any less spectacular, this game would have been dominated by Washington's defensive front.
It changes every week, but right tackle Justin Pugh was probably the most cursed member of the line in Week 15. Early in the fourth quarter, a holding call of his nullified an acrobatic, 30-yard touchdown grab by Beckham.
Grade: F
Defensive Line
5 of 10
New York's defensive line has preyed upon subpar offensive lines in recent weeks, with Washington's unit being the latest victim. The Giants' sack-masters brought Robert Griffin III down seven times for a total of 47 yards lost. The 'Skins game marked New York's third straight with at least seven sacks.
Two rushers stood out more than the rest: Jason Pierre-Paul and Johnathan Hankins. Both players, although differently shaped, collected 2.5 sacks and excelled against the run. Combined, they had five tackles for a loss, as the Giants defensive front limited Washington's leading rusher, Alfred Morris, to only 49 yards on 14 carries (3.5 yards per carry).
The hustle of these two men really stood out, particularly for JPP (five QB hits). On a seemingly hopeless play before halftime, the D-end made just enough contact with a diving Griffin to knock the ball loose and turn a touchdown into a touchback.
If not for that pivotal swing in momentum, New York may not have completed its comeback in the second half.
Cullen Jenkins finally looked like his old self with a sack, and Damontre Moore chipped in with a half-sack of his own. Kerry Wynn, an undrafted rookie defensive end, is really coming along late in the season too. He saw a lot of snaps, tying the team lead with seven tackles, one of which was for a loss.
Grade: A
Linebacker
6 of 10
The Giants' linebackers were good but not perfect. Still, for an understaffed unit with key injuries, this group of defenders continues to be the team's most impressive week in, week out.
Devon Kennard defended his NFC Defensive Player of the Week award well. He finished the game tied for the team lead with seven tackles, all of them solo and with two for a loss. He was also credited with a half-sack.
Kennard's most impressive play came early in the game, when the rookie linebacker sniffed out a screen pass and batted it down. It took a great deal of awareness and athleticism for the young player to recognize and make that type of play.
Jameel McClain was all right but not spectacular beside Kennard. None of his six tackles was for a loss. None of his blitzes reached the quarterback for a sack. Also, he was probably at fault for Washington's only touchdown of the game, since he rushed the line of scrimmage, and the back he'd normally be assigned in coverage—Chris Thompson, in this case—was wide open for a walk-in touchdown.
Mark Herzlich contributed admirably against the run, getting in on four tackles (two solo).
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 10
The Giants secondary was solid for most of the game but also suffered its lapses in coverage. The defensive backs were successful in the sense that no Redskin caught more than four passes on Sunday. The main threats were all kept in check.
DeSean Jackson, the most dangerous of Washington's pass-catchers, made only three grabs for 15 yards. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was the cornerback assigned to Jackson for most of the game and had one pretty pass breakup.
Across from Jackson, Pierre Garcon wasn't much more successful against Chykie Brown. He finished the game with four catches for 36 yards.
The oddly terrible member of the secondary on Sunday was usually-reliable safety Antrel Rolle.
He dropped an interception in the end zone. Frustrating.
He took a bad angle on Andre Roberts' 61-yard catch-and-run. Concerning.
He was stiff-armed and told to take a seat by Robert Griffin III, allowing him to escape for a 23-yard run. Embarrassing.
Overall, the play was cohesive enough to keep Griffin guessing. Most of New York's seven sacks were the result of air-tight coverage on the back end, forcing RGIII to scramble and hold onto the ball longer than he would have liked.
Grade: B-
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Giants' special teams had their best outing of the season—and perhaps of the Tom Quinn era—against the Redskins in Week 15. The only blemish was Odell Beckham Jr.'s meaningless muffed punt in the game's waning seconds.
Steve Weatherford might have had his best day punting as a professional. He punted six times, dropping five of them inside the 20-yard line. Weatherford's longest punt was 53 yards.
Josh Brown was only called on once for his field-goal expertise, so his biggest play of the game was an onside kick to start the second half. Washington was penalized before the end of the half, so New York's decision to onside kick from inside Redskins territory was easy and undisguised. The execution was perfect.
Preston Parker also contributed to the special teams extravaganza, returning one kick 45 yards. It was his longest of the season.
Grade: A
Coaching
9 of 10
Let's not get too caught up in the Giants' second straight victory: This Week 15 matchup featured two bad teams. However, New York's coaching staff did enough to make sure its bad team beat the bad team visiting from Washington.
The Giants didn't turn the ball over (aside from Odell Beckham Jr.'s muffed punt at the end of the game) and committed fewer penalties for far fewer yards (nine for 60, compared to Washington's 10 for 135).
The coaching staff was also able to figure out what was working and stuck to it. Of Manning's 23 completions, almost half of them were to Beckham.
Just keep throwing it to him; it's the only thing that works.
The Giants did not abandon the run despite their lack of success on the ground. However, it's not like they pounded the ball into the line incessantly for no gain, either. The offensive balance was key to completing the comeback in the second half.
Some of the play-calling could have been better, particularly on short-yardage plays. Most of the Giants' negative plays, though, were the result of player error—not poor coaching.
Grade: A
Overall
10 of 10
Here are the Giants' overall report card grades:
| Position | Grade |
| QB | A |
| RB | C |
| WR/TE | A- |
| OL | F |
| DL | A |
| LB | B |
| DB | B- |
| ST | A |
| Coach | A |
*Statistics courtesy of NFL.com's box score.
Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.
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