New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Full Report Card Grades for New York
Despite not suiting up in Week 8, the New York Giants were able to go from fourth place to second place in the NFC East. But with the bye week in the rearview mirror, Big Blue once again had to fight for their place in the division on Sunday.
When the Philadelphia Eagles come to the Meadowlands, fireworks are always bound to go off. This matchup was no different, as fans of both teams had their anxiety go through the roof at MetLife Stadium.
Fortunately, however, it was the Giants who came out on top. After dropping the last four matchups against their rivals, they were able to escape Week 9 with a crucial 28-23 victory.
It was a tale of two halves for the offensive attack. Throughout the first and second quarters, the Eli Manning-led offense looked better than it has all season. With the playbook reworked, different schemes, formations and rotations led to 21 points before halftime. In the second half, however, the offense stalled. The result? A nail-biting finish that ended in the Giants' favor.
But while the offense struggled with consistency, the defense continued its theme of being a stout, well-rounded unit.
Sure, one could argue that the defensive backs let up a number of long passes to both the wide receivers and tight ends. But as a whole, the unit stood strong. It stopped the Eagles 12 times on third down, three (out of four) times on fourth down and had two interceptions, two sacks and a blocked field goal to boot. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s attack was potent, to say the least.
Not only are the 5-3 Giants the sole owners of second place in the NFC East, but they’re also tied with the first-place Dallas Cowboys with a 2-1 divisional record.
How did the team get there? Let’s take a look and find out.
Quarterback
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Just like the offense as a whole, Manning had two different performances.
The first half was the best he’s looked in 2016. Not only did he have time in the pocket, but Manning was able to find the end zone three separate times. He could’ve had a fourth touchdown pass if he didn’t overthrow Odell Beckham Jr. as time was winding down in the second quarter.
The second half, however, was different. As the Eagles ramped up the pressure, Manning looked less comfortable in the pocket.
While he found Sterling Shepard in the end zone in the third quarter, he also threw two interceptions. Sure, one of them occurred because Nolan Carroll wrestled the ball out of Beckham’s hands. But the second one could’ve cost his team the game, as a tipped pass was picked off by Jordan Hicks, giving the Eagles a chance to take the lead with less than two minutes to go.
All in all, Manning had a strong game. He finished the contest with 22 completions in 36 attempts, good for 257 passing yards. But because he put his team in a bad position at the end of the game, it brought his grade down a notch.
Grade: B+
Running Backs
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The Giants' rushing attack continues to be the weakest link. While the offensive line has a lot to do with its struggles, it doesn’t help that the team lacks an elite, game-changing talent at the position.
For the first time since Shane Vereen went down with an injury, head coach Ben McAdoo used just two running backs against the Eagles: Rashad Jennings and Paul Perkins.
Jennings, who played in his third straight game, gained just 26 yards on the ground on 11 carries. Although the Giants opened up the game with a quick snap for six yards, that was his longest run of the day.
Perkins also received 11 carries. Unlike the veteran, however, he gained 32 yards on the ground. No, six more yards with the same amount of carries isn’t much of a difference. But Perkins continues to look comfortable in the run game, and his hard-hitting and elusive ways are starting to be seen.
While Bobby Rainey is typically used as a third-down/receiving back, an injury limited him to just one snap. In his place, Jennings caught three balls for 13 yards, while Perkins had three catches for 15 yards.
It’s amazing to see what position the Giants are in with so little production from the run game. If they want to make true noise, however, they’re going to need to get more out of their running backs.
Grade: C-
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
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Coming into Sunday afternoon, one of the most talked-about matchups was between the Giants receivers and the Eagles defensive backs.
Once the game ended, it was obvious who got the better of the battle.
Manning led his new-look receiving corps to a balanced game, as eight different players caught at least one pass. Beckham was a game-changer early on as he caught two touchdowns in the first half, hauling in four catches for 46 yards along the way. Outside of being outwrestled for the football, it was a strong game for the team’s top weapon.
Shepard, meanwhile, paced the team with 50 receiving yards. He caught three balls en route to that number, one of which went for a touchdown. Fans have been clamoring for McAdoo to feature the rookie in a bigger role. Having his first touchdown grab since Week 3 should give the youngster some confidence back.
In what was one of the more surprising moves, it appears as though Roger Lewis has taken the spot of veteran Victor Cruz. While both receivers caught just one pass (Cruz’s went for 46 yards, while Lewis scored a touchdown on his 30-yard grab), the undrafted free agent took a bulk of the snaps. The move, however, makes sense, as Lewis is more of a vertical threat, while Cruz is better suited in the slot.
But the changes didn’t stop at wide receiver. While Larry Donnell has started every game that he was active in this season, he entered Week 9 at No. 3 on the tight end depth chart. Both Will Tye (four catches, 33 yards) and Jerell Adams (three catches, 24 yards) spent time as receivers and blockers, and both men had strong outings.
While there were some dropped passes, it was an overall strong game from the pass-catchers.
Grade: A-
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Offensive Line
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In what has been a theme all year long, the offensive line continued its above-average pass blocking while failing miserably in the run game.
As a whole, Ereck Flowers, Justin Pugh, Brett Jones, Weston Richburg, John Jerry and Bobby Hart allowed just one sack against the vaunted defensive front of the Eagles. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t pressure, as both Flowers and Jerry were hit with holding penalties.
The biggest problem came when Pugh’s knee bent awkwardly. Sure, he was able to walk off the field with little aid, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see the guard miss time. While Jones did an admirable job in Pugh’s place, there’s no denying that the former first-round pick won’t be missed. By and large, Pugh has been the Giants' best lineman this season.
Despite using veteran Marshall Newhouse as an extra blocker for a good portion of the game, the unit still struggled at times. Since there are no outside reinforcements who can come in and help, the team has to go with what it has.
It’s yet to be seen how that’s going to work out.
Grade: C
Defensive Line
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Coming into the season, McAdoo and Spagnuolo were hoping that their defensive line could be a difference-maker. With eight games in the books, Jason Pierre-Paul, Damon Harrison, Johnathan Hankins and Olivier Vernon have justified the hype.
Once again, the unit didn’t make much of a dent in the sack column. Only Vernon notched a takedown, his second in blue. But both he and Pierre-Paul continued to be dual-threat forces, as their pressure on the quarterback was just as impactful as their play against the run. In addition, Pierre-Paul contributed on special teams, as he blocked a field goal in the second quarter. The edge-rushers combined for 10 total tackles.
When the Eagles runners couldn’t run outside, they tried to go up the gut. And with Harrison and Hankins manning the middle, the Eagles had little success. Sure, Philadelphia was able to gain an even 100 yards on the ground, but its rushing effort resulted in just two touchdowns. Harrison (five tackles) and Hankins (two tackles) were a big reason why.
Not to mention, the pressure provided by the defensive line was a huge reason why the Eagles went 1-of-4 on fourth-down situations.
The foursome’s efforts are a huge reason why the team is sitting at 5-3. So long as they bring their A-game every week, the team will be in a position to win.
Grade: A-
Linebackers
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After going with a steady rotation of Jonathan Casillas, Devon Kennard, Keenan Robinson and Kelvin Sheppard, Spagnuolo added a new face to the mix: rookie BJ Goodson. While he had a rather quiet afternoon, it was good to see the youngster get his first real taste of game action.
But for the rest of the unit, it was, once again, another strong outing.
Robinson continued his versatile playing style. Despite having the daunting task of picking up Darren Sproles out of the backfield, he did a relatively strong job. His effort in the run game was also noticed, as evidenced by his 10 total tackles on Sunday. That number led the way for all Giants linebackers.
Casillas may have had just three tackles, but the defensive captain has his impact felt in a variety of ways. Not only is he the play-caller on defense, but he has also been an effective blitzer. Meanwhile, Kennard continues to add speed to the middle of the defense. He, too, had three total tackles and also lined up at defensive end on passing situations.
Sheppard, however, had his best game of his brief Giants career. Sure, he may have had just one assisted tackle, but that came in a big situation. With the defense going up against a 4th-and-1 play, the middle linebacker—with the help of Harrison—stopped Sproles from getting to the first-down marker.
There is no true standout player at the linebacker position. But their collective effort has been a huge reason behind the team’s defensive success.
Grade: B+
Defensive Backs
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When it comes to the defensive backs, it has been the cornerbacks who have outshined the safeties this season.
Sunday, however, was a different story.
Landon Collins continues to be the best player on the Giants defense. Currently leading the team in tackles, interceptions and sacks, the second-year safety recorded six solo tackles, six assisted tackles, one pick and one sack. While he’s still facing some struggles in coverage, he’s been a force all over the gridiron.
At the same time, Andrew Adams had his best game—by far—of his career. The undrafted free agent paced the Giants with nine solo tackles and also recorded the first interception of his career. Despite Nat Berhe back and Darian Thompson on his way, Adams is growing into the full-time starting free safety.
Veterans Janoris Jenkins and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had quiet afternoons. While that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, they didn’t have as much of an impact as they’ve had in recent weeks. First-round pick Eli Apple had a poor performance against the Eagles, as mental lapses and missed tackles mired his game. One has to wonder if that has anything to do with his mother being in the media this past week.
In what was another surprising move on the depth chart, Leon Hall was a healthy scratch, while Coty Sensabaugh worked as the fourth-string corner.
On one hand, Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz had 364 passing yards. But on the other, he threw zero touchdowns and two interceptions.
You have the defensive backs to thank for that.
Grade: B+
Special Teams
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As a whole, the special teams unit was all over the place.
Robbie Gould was perfect in extra-point opportunities, while the kickoff team did a strong job containing Wendell Smallwood.
But at the same time, Dwayne Harris had a poor game in all return situations, while the punt-coverage team allowed a 66-yard return to Sproles.
Consistency is key. The Giants need more of that out of their special teams.
Grade: C
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