New York Giants vs. St. Louis Rams: Complete Week 16 Preview for New York
The New York Giants will take their two-game winning streak to St. Louis this weekend and put it on the line against the Rams at the Edward Jones Dome.
The Giants (5-9) and Rams (6-8) have been eliminated from playoff contention, but both teams have strong selling points. St. Louis features a highly athletic defense, ripe with a premier set of pass-rushers. Conversely, New York features one of the best budding connections in the one shared by quarterback Eli Manning and receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Although the Giants have claimed victory in five straight contests against the Rams, the latter franchise owns a 26-15 advantage in the all-time series dating all the way back to its Cleveland days in 1938.
Which football club will come out on top this time?
Read on to get the latest news, injury updates, matchups to watch and more.
Week 15 Recap
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The Giants took down the Washington Redskins, 24-13, completing the season sweep of their division rivals.
First Quarter
6:47—The Redskins take the first lead of the game on a 35-yard field goal from Kai Forbath, but starting quarterback Colt McCoy aggravates an old neck injury. Robert Griffin III comes in and finishes the game at QB for Washington.
1:40—The Giants convert a 4th-and-1 on the following drive, setting up a 10-yard touchdown strike from Eli Manning to Odell Beckham Jr. a few plays later.
Giants 7, Redskins 3
Second Quarter
8:19—The Redskins reclaim the lead on a nine-yard touchdown toss from Griffin to Chris Thompson. A couple drives later, Griffin fumbles while diving into the end zone, keeping Washington within arm's reach at the half.
Redskins 10, Giants 7 (Half)
Third Quarter
13:18—The Giants recover an onside kick to start the second half and turn it into three points, courtesy of a 32-yard Josh Brown field goal.
3:27—Washington breaks the tie with another Forbath field goal. It would be the Redskins' final score of the contest.
1:22—Beckham breaks free for a 35-yard catch-and-run, resulting in his second score of the game. New York takes the lead and never looks back.
Giants 17, Redskins 13
Fourth Quarter
4:41—The Giants score one more insurance touchdown. Fittingly, it's a six-yard catch by Beckham, capping off a commanding, 12-play drive.
Giants 24, Redskins 13
News and Notes
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What's Up With Rueben Randle?
For the second time in three games, wide receiver Rueben Randle was benched for the first quarter. After the Jaguars game, Randle's quarter-game suspension was clarified as punishment for his being late to a Friday meeting, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
The Giants weren't so candid in their explanation of Randle's most recent absence.
"That's between him and me," head coach Tom Coughlin told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Coughlin is clearly frustrated with Randle's "issues," as he calls them. In the case of New York's 2012 second-round pick, the talent is there but the work ethic may not be.
Last week, after sitting out the first quarter, Randle dropped the first two balls thrown his way. He did eventually recover to catch a tough, 18-yarder in the fourth quarter, converting a 3rd-and-8 and setting up the Giants' final touchdown of the game.
Randle finished the game with just two catches for 30 yards.
New York's Offense Still A Work In Process
The 2014 season is almost over, and Eli Manning admitted this week that he is still in the process of learning Ben McAdoo's new offense, per Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.
It's a reminder of how complex New York's offensive rebuild has been. The Giants front office and coaching staff must have realized the magnitude of this project upon hiring McAdoo as the new offensive coordinator; immediate success was highly unlikely. With the fanbase growing impatient (three-straight seasons without a playoff berth), some are wondering why such a drastic change was made.
One such critic is former offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
Gilbride's argument: The personnel was more to blame than the scheme. He has a valid point. McAdoo has changed every little thing about the Giants offense, right down to Manning's footwork. And the result? Another poor season, due in large part to an offensive line that cannot block.
Odell Beckham Jr. Setting Several Receiving Records
Members of the Redskins secondary claim they weren't impressed with rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (per Steve Politi of NJ.com), but they might be the only ones. Beckham is having one of the best rookie seasons of all time.
Reminder: Beckham missed all of training camp and the preseason with a hamstring injury.
This week, Dan Hanzus of NFL.com pulled six impressive marks set by Beckham so far this season. Here they are in bullet-point form:
- Beckham has five 100-yard receiving games this season, the most by a Giants rookie in franchise history.
- Beckham finished Sunday with 972 receiving yards, passing Jeremy Shockey (894) for the most for a rookie in franchise history. Beckham did it in 10 games, Shockey in 15.
- Beckham has three games with at least 10 receptions, which ties him with (the other) Steve Smith (2009) for the most by a Giants wide receiver in one season.
- Beckham is the first rookie in NFL history with at least 12 receptions, 140 yards and three touchdowns in a single game.
- Beckham has 61 receptions for 866 yards and six touchdowns in the last seven games. That is the most receptions ever by a rookie in a seven-game span and the second-most receiving yards by a rookie in league history.
- Beckham is the first player with 10-plus receptions, 100-plus yards and a touchdown reception in three separate games of a four-game span.
Amazing.
Quote of the Week
Punter Steve Weatherford on playing for Tom Coughlin and whether the real potential to win a Super Bowl beats making the playoffs but coming up short every year (h/t The Doug Gotlieb Show, CBS Sports Radio):
"Absolutely. I would much rather sit at home in January knowing I’m not going to win the Super Bowl than know that my destiny is predetermined I am not going to win the Super Bowl. Do I love football? Absolutely. Do I love playing for Coach Tom Coughlin? Without a doubt. I’ve played for four franchises, and he’s 100 percent the best man that I’ve ever played for. His ability to motivate (and) inspire (is unbelievable).
We almost made the playoffs last year (after) starting 0-6. You have to have a head coach—and you have to have a team believe in your head coach—to do something like that. Should we have lost our first six games? Absolutely not. But you play with the cards you’re dealt.
"
Injury Report
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Here's the Giants' injury report for Week 16, courtesy of NFL.com:
| Player | Injury | Practice | Game |
| RB Rashad Jennings | Ankle | DNP | -- |
| LB Jameel McClain | Knee | Full | -- |
*LB Jacquian Williams and OL James Brewer were put on injured reserve this week.
It's a short list this week, mostly because the Giants added two players to injured reserve. Jacquian Williams and James Brewer (both with concussions) became the 21st and 22nd New York players to have their seasons end prematurely.
Other notable names on the injured reserve list are Victor Cruz, Jon Beason, Prince Amukamara and Mathias Kiwanuka. If you have a free afternoon, you can read the full list of Giants on injured reserve here.
As for the injured Giants who still may play this week, there remains hope. Rashad Jennings has battled knee and ankle injuries all season. However, after weaning his way back into the mix over the last month, Jennings may have suffered his final setback of the season. Since carrying the ball 26 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns against the Jaguars, the first-year Giant has only recorded three carries for eight yards (two games).
Jameel McClain, on the other hand, has battled through his knee injury to stay on the field. An imperfect warrior, McClain is not 100 percent reliable to carry out his proper assignment but plays with intensity and contagious energy.
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Matchups to Watch and X-Factor
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I wrote in depth about the Giants' matchups to watch this week in an article you can find here.
If you choose to click the link, you'll see a brief film breakdown of Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who is slated to matchup against John Jerry; a table breaking down the week-by-week performances of Odell Beckham Jr., who should be covered by St. Louis' Janoris Jenkins this weekend; and a poll to vote for either linebacker Devon Kennard or running back Tre Mason as the player you expect to win that individual matchup.
X-Factor of the Week: Johnathan Hankins
An X-factor is usually a player who flies under the radar but ends up making a big difference on game day. I can't think of a player for which the term "X-factor" is a better description than second-year defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins.
Hankins didn't start a single game as a rookie in 2013. In fact, for a handful of games, the second-round selection wasn't even activated. Now, the 320-pound Ohio State product is making his presence felt in the middle of New York's defensive line.
So far in 2014, Hankins has been the anchor. One of New York's most consistent D-linemen, he hasn't missed a game (or a start) yet this season, collecting 48 tackles and a mind-numbing 7.0 sacks. For perspective, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is the only Giant with more sacks this season (9.5).
The Giants' pass-rush has really taken off in recent weeks (19 sacks in first 11 games and 22 sacks in last three). And suddenly, New York has the fourth-most sacks in the league.
Granted, those 22 sacks came against the offensive lines of Jacksonville, Tennessee and Washington—three of the worst teams in the league—but Hankins' influence has a lot to do with the recent surge. The big man has demanded a double-team as of late, setting up rush lanes for blitzers and favorable matchups for his teammates on the edges.
Against the Redskins, however, Hankins did it all himself with a career-high 2.5 sacks.
Predictions
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Alright, gang, time for Boilard's Bullet-Point Predictions:
- 3.5. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will enjoy his most dominant performance since 2011, registering 3.5 sacks on St. Louis' Shaun Hill before the final whistle blows. This will be the game that earns him a new contract with the Giants.
- 2. There will be two defensive scores in this game. Both may be scored by the Rams, who feature a ferocious defense this season.
- 7. Eli Manning will be sacked at least seven times by the St. Louis pass-rush. Consider it retribution, since the Giants' pass-rush has recorded at least seven sacks in each of the past three games and may do so again against the Rams.
- 60. Odell Beckham Jr. will be held under 60 yards receiving for the first time since Week 7. However, he will crack 1,000 receiving yards for the season and carry the ball once for a gain of at least 10 yards.
- Andre Williams will average less than two yards per carry against a stingy St. Louis defense. The offensive line won't offer much relief, in terms of blocking, for the struggling rookie.
- Turnover Machine. Devon Kennard will cause a turnover, whether it's an intercepted pass or a forced fumble. The rookie linebacker has turned into a major playmaker on the defensive side of the ball in recent weeks.
- Coming Up Short. The Giants will try a two-minute drill to tie the game before the end of regulation, but the Rams will stop the drive short on a fourth down attempt near midfield.
Be sure to include your own predictions, including final score, in the comment section below.
My prediction: Rams 17, Giants 10.
Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.
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