New York Giants Week 4 Stock Report
The New York Giants avoided an 0-3 start by holding off Washington last week, despite yet another poor showing in the fourth quarter. New York, up 25-6, allowed Washington to score 15 points, making the game closer than it should have been.
But hey, a win is a win, so let’s run down where things stand regarding the personnel stock report as the Giants get ready for a trip up north to meet with old friend Rex Ryan and his Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Stock Up: WR Victor Cruz
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The smile is back, and the return is on! Receiver Victor Cruz has finally turned the corner from his bout with a calf injury and has vowed to make his 2015 season debut on Sunday against the Bills.
While it’s virtually certain Cruz will be on a pitch count if he does indeed make it back, his return will be a tremendous emotional lift for a Giants team coming off of a win and needing to keep the train rolling forward if it’s to erase the stench of an 0-2 start to the season.
Last season, the Giants averaged 26.6 points per game with Cruz in the lineup and 21.5 without him.
While it still remains to be seen if he has the same explosiveness that made him so special to begin with, his mere presence at practice this week has already had a positive effect on his teammates.
“We’ve seen flashes of him in training camp, and we’re just excited to see him on the field,’’ cornerback Prince Amukamara told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
“We’re excited to see him dance a little bit, so hopefully he gets in the end zone.”
Stock Down: TE Larry Donnell
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Tight end Larry Donnell did very little to raise his stock from last week, starting with the two dropped passes that Pro Football Focus credited him with, his continued inconsistency in blocking and his rather peculiar looking somersault mid-air—a dangerous maneuver that could have resulted in a shoulder or, even worse, a head injury.
According to NFL Game Statistics and Information System, the Giants running game is averaging 3.4 yards per carry with Donnell on the field and 4.0 yards per carry without him.
The thing is that Donnell has the talent and the tools to be an above-average tight end. Why that hasn’t transferred over yet this year is a mystery. Is it because he had to miss some spring OTAs due to Achilles tendinitis?
Whatever the reason, the Giants need to get more out of Donnell moving forward—and sooner would be much preferred than later.
Stock Up: “Slash” Nikita Whitlock
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Nikita Whitlock, the Giants’ modern day version of the “slash” player who can fill multiple roles, has come a long, long way from the days when he was widely believed to be camp fodder.
Whitlock, the fullback, has been solid as the lead blocker. Per NFLGSIS.com, New York is averaging 3.7 yards per carry with Whitlock on the field. That's a somewhat misleading stat in this case, as Whitlock has mainly been on the field for short yardage and touchdown rushes.
In addition to fullback and special teams, last week Whitlock showed that he can do his thing at defensive tackle despite not having anywhere close to the desired size for an NFL interior lineman.
Because Whitlock is so quick, he’s able to get lower to the ground, put his spin move on an offensive lineman and slip through the creases he gets.
It remains to be seen if Whitlock will continue to get snaps on defense, but thus far, he’s proven his value.
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Stock Down: CB Trumaine McBride
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Two years ago, cornerback Trumaine McBride, who was another one of those players initially thought to be a camp body only to rise up and earn a roster spot, was pretty impressive for the Giants.
According to Pro Football Focus, that season, McBride finished with a team-best 57.4 NFL Rating among Giants cornerbacks, this in 621 snaps. Within that rating was two interceptions, eight pass breakups and only two touchdowns allowed.
These days, McBride is either off to a slow start, or he’s lost a step. Through three games, he’s allowed 13 of 19 pass targets to be completed for 112 yards with one touchdown and one interception for a 79.3 NFL Rating.
What’s more, it says quite a lot that when Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie had to miss last week’s game while recovering from a concussion, it was Jayron Hosley, and not McBride, whose number was called to start.
Stock Up: DT Johnathan Hankins
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Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins doesn’t get a lot of credit, but he probably should.
For the second year in a row, Hankins has been the Giants’ best defensive lineman. Per Pro Football Focus, Hankins, who leads the Giants defensive tackles with 55 run-game snaps through three weeks, has a 7.3 percent run-stop percentage, the best of the defensive interior linemen.
Per NFL GSIS, the Giants run defense is giving up 2.98 yards per rush with Hankins in the lineup, and 3.18 yards per rush without him, reinforcing his value to the run defense.
Hankins’ pass rushing productivity, which currently stands at 4.4, has taken a dip from last year’s 8.3 mark, but that is probably due to the absence of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul alongside of Hankins in that pass rushing package.
Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.
Follow me on Twitter, @Patricia_Traina.
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