Panthers vs. Giants: New York Grades, Notes and Quotes
The New York Giants beat themselves as much as the Carolina Panthers beat them on Sunday afternoon. Not only are they a bad football team, but they are bad in the most frustrating, gut-wrenching way possible.
Though the final score read 38-35 Carolina, the Giants should get a win for destroying themselves and their playoff hopes yet again.
I'll break down all of the miscues and missed opportunities on a later slide, but it all started on their opening drive when Odell Beckham Jr. dropped an easy 52-yard touchdown reception. Rather than coming out with a big haymaker with his playmaking, Beckham was then forced to actually throw haymakers to try and blow off some steam.
Though the Giants scored 28 unanswered points in the second half to tie the game at 35, their late rally came up short, as they let the Panthers march up the field for a game-winning field goal as time ran out. It was just another Giants loss inside of a minute remaining.
It was yet another frustrating loss for the Giants (6-8), who now need a lot of help to get into the postseason. The Redskins beat the Bills on Sunday, at the very least making the Giants trail one NFC East team by a game.
MVP candidate Cam Newton put together a magnificent all-around stat line on Sunday, making plays routinely with his big arm as well as his legs. Newton finished 25-of-45 with 340 yards and five touchdowns against the putrid Giants defense. He added 100 yards on the ground and became the first QB in NFL history to post 300-plus passing yards, five-plus TDs and 100-plus rushing yards in a game, per Randall Liu, the NFL's director of NFC football communications.
"Big" Blue will head to a tough environment in Minnesota to take on the Vikings on Sunday Night Football next week with their season undoubtedly on the line.
Position Grades for New York Giants
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | B |
| RB | A |
| WR | D |
| TE | B+ |
| OL | A |
| DL | B |
| LB | F |
| DB | F |
| Special Teams | B |
| Coaching | F |
Quarterback
Eli Manning's performance on Sunday is hard to make sense of, as his first half was riddled with huge drops on the part of his receivers and his second half numbers were buoyed by the fact that the Giants were getting destroyed and had to throw the ball in order to have a shot.
Manning should get credit for rallying the Giants back to an improbable fourth-quarter tie, and it's a real shame he doesn't have more to work with in terms of talent. Imagine what he could do if he had a receiving group like they have in Pittsburgh.
Running Backs
Rashad Jennings rushed for 107 yards, marking the first time that he has hit the century mark on the ground this season. The veteran has solidified his spot as a No. 1 RB after two straight solid performances.
While the Giants had their first good game on the ground, they couldn't get as many rushing attempts as they would have liked due to the huge deficit they faced in the third quarter.
Shane Vereen added a receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter, his fourth of the season. Vereen also had a team-high eight receptions on the afternoon.
Wide Receivers
I'll get much more into Beckham's performance on the next slide, but he should be utterly embarrassed by everything that he did on Sunday.
Beckham had a down game to say the least and Rueben Randle, though he caught a touchdown, was mostly a non-factor. Dwayne Harris and Hakeem Nicks were nonexistent, marking a complete loss for this group.
Beckham's final numbers looked respectable, but his performance was much worse than his stat line indicates. It's actually a miracle that the Giants scored 35 points on the afternoon.
Tight End
Will Tye caught a touchdown pass for the second straight week, and he really shouldn't be surprising anyone at this point.
Though his undrafted status and unlikely emergence made him a shocking find, he has done nothing but consistently produce in recent weeks. Tye has become one of the most reliable players on offense for the G-Men.
Offensive Line
The Giants averaged six yards per carry on the ground and Manning wasn't sacked on the afternoon. Both marks against what is a really tough Panthers defense make this an excellent day for the offensive line.
Though they've struggled in recent weeks due to key injuries, this unit should hold its heads high after Sunday's performance.
Defensive Line
The defensive line found ways to get pressure on Newton and actually sacked him three times on the afternoon.
Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul made his presence felt, getting his first sack of the season, which likely took a large weight off his chest. Cullen Jenkins also rocked Newton in the second quarter, delivering a huge hit to his chest, though Newton stayed in the game and still dominated.
Linebackers
Though the Panthers didn't get much production from their running backs, the Giants left gaping holes for Newton to run through, giving him 100 yards rushing on the afternoon.
The Giants linebackers also got killed again by an opposing tight end, as has become customary this season. Greg Olsen caught six passes for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Maybe when the Giants get rid of GM Jerry Reese, the new guy calling the shots will finally get a linebacker. Fingers crossed.
Defensive Backs
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie continues to disappoint. He's one of the most overrated cornerbacks in football and had yet another brutal game on Sunday, notably dropping an easy pick-six.
The Giants were destroyed deep repeatedly by Ted Ginn Jr. on several occasions and let an otherwise pedestrian group of receivers make some plays as well.
On the plus side, safety Landon Collins has really progressed into a solid football player in his rookie season, leading the Giants in tackles again on Sunday.
Special Teams
Though Josh Brown didn't attempt a field goal on Sunday against the Panthers and nothing happened in the return game, at least the Giants blocked a field goal.
That alone bumped them from a "C" to a "B" and allowed the Giants to come back to tie the game.
Coaching
How many times can the Giants get killed by running QBs before it falls on the coaches and not just the personnel?
The coaching staff also gets the blame for yet another game blown with under a minute left. The Giants have been demolished in two-minute drills this season and Sunday was no exception. The inability of the coaching staff to make adjustments as the season goes on is literally unacceptable.
Important Note No. 1: Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Josh Norman Gets Physical
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It was really fitting that Beckham wore "Joker" cleats this week because on Sunday, he came off as the biggest clown in the NFL.
There's nothing wrong with being physical or showing you aren't intimidated. There is, however, a huge problem with repeatedly getting into scuffles as part of an apparent temper tantrum and inexcusably delivering a helmet-to-helmet hit to an unsuspecting player, even if Josh Norman wasn't completely innocent in the back-and-forth throughout the game.
Beckham's actions were disgraceful, an embarrassment to himself, the organization and the league. It was ridiculous that he wasn't thrown out of Sunday's game, and it'll be questionable if he isn't suspended and fined for his antics.
He's a terrific talent, but I lost a lot of respect for Beckham on Sunday.
Important Note No. 2: Missed Opportunities
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The Giants' first half was absolutely dreadful, as missed opportunities had them trailing 21-7 at the half.
Beckham dropped a 52-yard touchdown pass that was perfectly thrown, hitting off his hands while he was wide open and prancing toward the end zone. Penalties routinely took the Giants out of the field-goal range of kicker Josh Brown, and Jennings' fumble led to a Panthers touchdown.
Defensively, Rodgers-Cromartie dropped an easy interception that he would have been able to walk into the end zone.
The Giants are an undisciplined team who beat themselves each Sunday. They find a new way to lose each weekend.
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Quote No. 1: Can't Bench Beckham
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Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has lost all control over his team and knows his job is on the line. He practically admitted that he's letting his place on the hot seat determine how he coaches in his post-game press conference.
"You want me to take him out of the game?" Coughlin asked, per Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
Yes, Tom, we do.
This is the problem with the NFL. Bad behavior is casually overlooked if the player is a star, like Beckham. Stars bring viewers and fans, and they bring money. And that's what the NFL is all about.
Coughlin left Beckham in the game when it was 35-7 for what reason? He threw a punch at Cortland Finnegan and launched his helmet into Norman's head. Coughlin wanted to win, but he lost anyway.
Quote No. 2: Josh Norman Wants Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham Gone
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Panthers cornerback Josh Norman is understandably upset.
"Players like that don't deserve to be in the game. I mean, it's ridiculous," Norman said, per Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
Beckham should have definitely been ejected, there's no doubt about that. How many personal foul penalties do you have to get before you're done for good? If Norman had been a quarterback and Beckham put a helmet-to-helmet hit on him after the play, he would have been gone for the rest of the season.
The NFL has to draw the line somewhere.
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