Giants vs. Bucs: New York Grades, Notes and Quotes
The New York Giants got back in the win column and back over .500 with a 32-18 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Despite a rain-filled second half, the Giants managed to hold onto a fourth-quarter lead by moving the chains late in the game and preventing Bucs rookie quarterback Jameis Winston from getting the ball back with any time to make much noise.
Sunday afternoon's tilt actually got off to a rocky start a week after the Giants notably gave up 52 points against the New Orleans Saints.
Eli Manning's first pass of the game was thrown behind Odell Beckham Jr., tipping off his hands and into those of Bucs defensive back Sterling Moore. After the Bucs managed a field goal off the turnover, Winston's first pass of his next drive went for a 68-yard completion to wideout Mike Evans.
Evans would then struggle with drops over the remainder of the game, continuously halting Tampa Bay drives and killing its momentum. It was a sloppy game on both sides, capped off by a failed lateral that was picked up and returned for a touchdown as time expired.
In the following slides, the game will be broken down by player position with grades, analysis, important notes and quotes.
Position Grades for New York Giants
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | C- |
| RB | C |
| WR | B- |
| TE | D- |
| OL | A- |
| DL | D- |
| LB | B+ |
| DB | B+ |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | C |
Quarterback
Eli Manning wasn't as great as he was last week in New Orleans, but he couldn't have been expected to be.
Despite his two interceptions, including one on his first pass of the game, Manning still managed the clock and led the Giants to a road victory in inclement weather.
Running Backs
Once again, Shane Vereen is saving the grade for this group.
The Giants tried using a true "running back by committee" approach, rolling with four different RBs. The issue, however, is that the unit failed once again to scrape past the four-yards-per-carry marker, only clocking in at 3.5 on the afternoon.
Vereen, however, was excellent once again in the passing game, making four catches and scoring another touchdown out of the backfield. He's proving to be exactly what the Giants thought they were getting in free agency.
Wide Receivers
The good news is that Rueben Randle, who was questionable to play, suited up and caught a touchdown. The bad news is that Odell Beckham had as many targets (17) as the next four receivers in the box score, making for a very one-dimensional attack.
Dwayne Harris sunk back into oblivion, catching just one pass for one yard on the afternoon.
Still, Beckham drew attention and Randle pitched in a score, making the overall effort from the position something to be happy with.
Tight Ends
Will Tye and Jerome Cunningham, filling in for injured tight end Larry Donnell, totaled a combined four catches for 29 yards. Tye was especially ineffective, catching just two of six balls thrown his way.
It's probably time to realize that this position is going to be a black hole all season long. Whether it is Donnell or someone else, the Giants can't rely on any tight end to give them consistent production this season.
Offensive Line
Though the running game still lacked big plays, this offensive line played a solid game all around against Tampa.
Originally expected to be a major weak link of the team before the season, the line has been the biggest surprise on the squad by far. The Giants have been winning the war in the trenches and keeping their quarterback upright, something they struggled with in seasons past.
Manning wasn't sacked at all on the day.
Defensive Line
The issue, however, remains that the Giants didn't have a sack either. And if the broadcast had mentioned one more time that Jason Pierre-Paul is getting "real close" to one, I would have broken my TV.
Yes, Pierre-Paul returned, wearing a bizarre cast of tape that looked like a giant silver oven mitt. No, he didn't record a sack or make too great of an impact overall in his first game back in action. He looked strong and had some pressure at times, but the unit as a whole struggled once again.
Though Winston stood in the pocket and took some good hits, the Giants have to figure out a way to start bringing the opposing QB down behind the line of scrimmage soon.
Linebackers
Surprisingly, this group was solid against Tampa Bay. Missing starters Jon Beason and J.T. Thomas, the three leading tacklers on the team (Jasper Brinkley, Jonathan Casillas and Devon Kennard) were all linebackers.
The Giants stuffed Doug Martin enough times to get him benched, and despite giving up a 59-yard run to backup Charles Sims, they held him to 19 yards on seven carries.
Defensive Backs
Trevin Wade has been on three teams in as many seasons and didn't play at all last season. And though he came into Sunday's game with no fumble recoveries in his career, he had two against the Bucs to make a huge impact.
Truth be told, however, Mike Evans was the Giants' best defensive back on Sunday. Though his first reception went for 68 yards, he was brutal for most of the game, dropping easy passes thrown right in his breadbasket.
Though Evans amassed 152 yards, he hauled in just eight of his 19 targets. Additionally, his five drops were tied for the most in the last 10 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Special Teams
Kicker Josh Brown was a perfect 4-of-4 kicking, and the Giants' lone punt of the game went for 64 yards.
There's not a whole lot to complain about with the Giants special teams right now, which is a lot more than can be said than in recent years, when it was a huge issue.
Return man Dwayne Harris has made a real impact since coming over from the Cowboys, as he averaged 27 yards per return on Sunday.
Coaching
At the end of the day, a win is a win, though the coaching staff did nothing spectacular in this contest.
The defense once again showed their potential to give up big plays (68-yard pass to Evans, 59-yard run by Sims) and failed to get to the quarterback. They really need to work on it because Tom Brady will eat them alive if given time next weekend.
Important Note No. 1: More Records for Beckham
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Odell Beckham became the fastest player to reach 150 catches in NFL history.
It was yet another afternoon of broken records for the young superstar, who proves each week that he's a force to be reckoned with.
The start of his career has ranked at the very top of all the wide receivers in NFL history, and there's no reason to think he'll slow down.
Important Note No. 2: Manning Passes Sims
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He has the two Super Bowl rings and many team accomplishments, but quarterback Eli Manning is starting to rack up the franchise records now.
With Sunday's victory, Manning passed Phil Simms with 96 regular-season wins, a Giants franchise record. He's quietly been one of the most underrated and consistent superstars in New York sports, and days like Sunday make you pause and think of just how special he really is.
It may not always be pretty, but few QBs in the league can win and be relied upon each Sunday as Manning can.
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Quote No. 1: Tom Coughlin on Finishing
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"We always preach about finishing. Tonight we did," Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said, per the team's Twitter account.
It was a concerning trend over the first half of the season, but perhaps the Giants have turned a corner. They effectively racked up first downs late in the game to keep the clock moving and the ball out of Winston's hands.
Granted, it was the Buccaneers, but still a positive sign.
Quote No. 2: Tom Coughlin on JPP
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Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul made his long-awaited season debut on Sunday, and his head coach thinks he may have gotten too much work in.
Coughlin said that Pierre-Paul "probably [played] more than he should have," according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
JPP was on the field for 46 of 59 Buccaneers plays on Sunday after it was unclear whether he would suit up at all for the game. He showed some life in a much-needed position and will look to build on it next week against New England.
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