New York Giants vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Full Report Card Grades for New York
As the old saying goes, "all good things must come to an end."
After starting the season at 2-3, the New York Giants rattled off six straight victories. Now standing at 8-3, Big Blue—record-wise—weren't only one of the top teams in the NFC, but they also put themselves in a prime position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
Despite playing lowly opponents, the Giants, however, never won in convincing fashion during their six-game winning streak. With the Pittsburgh Steelers being their best opponent in more than a month, Week 13 was going to be a true litmus test for New York.
Unfortunately, the Steelers did their best to further those narratives, as they handily defeated the Giants by the score of 24-14.
When running down the loss, it's obvious that it fell on the shoulders of the offense. From the first possession, it was clear the offensive line was overmatched by the Steelers front seven as they were in Eli Manning's face throughout the evening. But when the veteran did have time, he didn't reward them for their efforts, as Manning had arguably his worst game of 2016.
The defense, meanwhile, continued to play at an extremely high level. Sure, they weren't perfect—not only were there missed tackles and blown coverages, but Le'Veon Bell recorded the first 100-plus-yard rushing performance against the Giants this season. But their collective effort was on display and they did their best to keep the team in the game.
At 8-4, New York is still in second place in the NFC East while also still firmly in the hunt for a postseason berth. But their schedule doesn't get easier, as they host the 11-1 Dallas Cowboys next week.
But before we look ahead, let's take a look at the performances against Mike Tomlin and company.
Quarterback
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As stated in the opening slide, it's hard to deny that this was Eli Manning's worst performance in 2016. Did he get any help from his offensive line? Hardly. But he still didn't do enough to propel the Giants to their ninth victory.
The Streak is Over
After two straight games without throwing an interception, Manning was picked off twice by the Steelers defense—and they were two ugly ones.
The first came in the second quarter as the Giants trailed the Steelers 5-0; as Manning was leading the offense to the end zone, he lobbed a pass to Larry Donnell, only to have linebacker Lawrence Timmons leap and snag the pass in mid-air. The second interception came in the fourth quarter when Manning threw across his body when planting on his back foot. The ball was well short of receiver Sterling Shepard and was intercepted by Sean Davis.
Inefficiency
Head coach Ben McAdoo has been risky all season long, and he continued to go for it on fourth down on Sunday—three times, to be exact. Unfortunately, however, the Giants failed to convert on all of their attempts. While Manning wasn't protected well on the first and third attempts, the second go on fourth down ended on the aforementioned interception to Davis.
Post-Bye Success
Not everything was bad for Manning on Sunday. Since the team's bye in Week 8, the quarterback hasn't thrown fewer than two touchdowns in any game. That streak continued, as Manning connected on two scores—one to Rashad Jennings and one to Shepard. He also finished his game completing 24 of his 39 pass attempts, good for 195 yards.
Could Manning's teammates help in his efforts? Yes. But the veteran is the leader of this team. And when he's off, the Giants will struggle.
Grade: C
Running Backs
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When looking at the stat sheet, the running backs of the Giants had an underwhelming performance. The two-headed tandem of Rashad Jennings and Paul Perkins split carries and combined to rush for just 57 yards on 13 attempts. But for the first time in weeks, the duo wasn't limited to one- to two-yard rushes.
The Vet Takes a Back Seat
When Jennings has been active, he's been the lead back for the Giants. Sunday, however, was a different story, as the veteran carried the ball just six times, just one handoff shy of Perkins' number of rushes. While he did record a haul of six catches (34 yards) and a touchdown, Jennings' 19 rushing yards were a disappointment.
A New Workhorse?
While Perkins had just one more carry than Jennings, he was clearly the better runner on Sunday. Despite rushing for only 38 yards, the fifth-round pick continued to show his elusiveness and vision every time he took a handoff. It'll be interesting to see if Perkins receives a majority of the carries as the regular season comes to a close.
Three-Headed Monster?
For weeks, Ben McAdoo has used just Jennings and Perkins out of the backfield. The duo may turn into a trio, however, as Shane Vereen told ESPN.com's Jordan Ranaan he hoped to make his return next Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. While his addition to the rotation will hinder Perkins' growth, he will add a new dimension to the offense.
The running backs have caught a ton of flack this season, and rightfully so. But they've done a better job in recent weeks, and that may bode well for the offense.
Grade: B-
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
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Once again Eli Manning did a good job of spreading the ball around, as six different players recorded at least one reception. But when the opposition knows passes are mostly going to one player, it's easy to game-plan.
The Odell Beckham Show
When you have one of the best talents in football, you have to utilize him. Manning did just that, as Odell Beckham caught 10 passes—which easily paced the team—and recorded an even 100 receiving yards. Unfortunately, Beckham's efforts weren't enough to overcome the struggles of the rest of the Giants' offense.
Making up for His Apology
After failing to target rookie Sterling Shepard against the Cleveland Browns, Manning told reporters he had apologized to the receiver. The quarterback doubled down on his words, as he connected with the second-round pick for 21 yards on four catches and a score.
But With That Being Said...
Manning didn't target a certain receiver for the second straight week, but this time it was veteran Victor Cruz. While it was hard enough for the New Jersey native to split playing time with undrafted free agent Roger Lewis Jr., he also never had a chance to make any sort of impact in the game.
No Jump Balls for Him
During the first drive of the game, Manning scrambled in the pocket on 3rd-and-4 and heaved the ball downfield. As the camera panned, many were hoping the pass was heading towards Beckham. Instead, it was targeted to rookie tight end Jerell Adams, who had a hard time locating the football and failed to make the catch despite having a distinct size advantage.
Nice to See You!
After losing his playing time after the bye week, tight end Larry Donnell made an appearance against the Steelers. It was, however, a forgettable one, as his only target came on Manning's first interception of the game.
Between the wide receivers and tight ends on the roster, the Giants could have one of the best pass-catching units in all of football. They did their best on Sunday but unfortunately came up short.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
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Over the last few weeks, the offensive line had made some strides in the right direction. Unfortunately, they took a massive step back against the potent defense of the Steelers.
Woof
Going into Sunday's game, one of the biggest matchups to watch was second-year offensive tackle Ereck Flowers lining up against veteran pass-rusher James Harrison. That battle firmly worked in the Steelers favor as Flowers was called for a holding in the end zone while also receiving a flag for a false start.
Flowers Wasn't the Only One
Veteran linemen John Jerry, too, had a rough outing. Not only did he garner a holding penalty of his own, but his failed pickup of blitzing linebacker Lawrence Timmons led to Eli Manning forcing a fourth-down pass to Will Tye, one that was incomplete.
Don't Forget the Positives
For the most part, the offensive line—as a whole—had a bad game. But the Giants may have found the right position for veteran Marshall Newhouse, as he—once again—performed admirably as Justin Pugh's replacement at guard. Meanwhile, Bobby Hart continues to be a quality right tackle as he held his own against a bevy of Steelers' defenders.
With Pugh hopeful to return next week, the offensive line will get better. Unfortunately, however, Flowers will still be a problem—and that won't change this season.
Grade: C-
Defensive Line
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If there is one common theme about this season, it's that the defensive line of the Giants has been their biggest strength. In what was a surprise to no one, the front four had another quality outing.
Beast Mode
Because of his lack of sacks, many were quick to write off the Olivier Vernon signing as a bust. The defensive end, however, is doing his best to silence his critics; and he did so, once again, against the Steelers.
The $85 million man was playing with a motor different from anyone else on the field as he collected four solo tackles while also registering two sacks. The pass-rusher now has eight on the season, just 3.5 sacks shy of his career high.
Uh Oh
While Vernon has had a terrific season, Jason Pierre-Paul has been just as dominant. But on Sunday, he went down with a groin injury, taking him out of the game. While the severity isn't known, the last thing the Giants need is for JPP to miss time. And if that is the case, the defense will take a massive step back.
First Time for Everything
Due to the presence of Vernon, Pierre-Paul and two fantastic run-stuffers in Damon Harrison and Johnathan Hankins, the defense has yet to allow a running back to record 100 or more yards this season. Well, that was the case until Sunday, as Le'Veon Bell—arguably the best player at his position—rushed for 118 yards on 29 attempts.
There were many reasons why the Giants lost on Sunday. The defensive line was not one of them.
Grade: B
Linebackers
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The Giants don't have a game-changer at the linebacker position. While that hasn't been much of a problem in 2016, it was noticeable on Sunday.
Swing and a Miss
There were a ton of missed tackles against the Steelers, and a lot of them came from the linebackers. Defensive captain Jonathan Casillas especially struggled; despite pacing the team with eight solo tackles, he also whiffed a number of chances, including letting Antonio Brown get by him for a first down despite being there when the ball was caught.
Top 10
While 18 different players recorded at least one tackle, all four of the Giants linebackers finished within the top 10. As mentioned, Casillas led the way with eight tackles while Kelvin Sheppard (four solo, four assisted), Keenan Robinson (four solo, two assisted), and Devon Kennard (two solo, two assisted) followed suit.
The group of Casillas, Sheppard, Robinson and Kennard have done an above average job this season. The hope is that they will revert back to their ways next week.
Grade: B-
Defensive Backs
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If it isn't the defensive line that is doing wonders for the Giants, it's the secondary. While Ben Roethlisberger did have a strong outing (24/36, 289 yards, two touchdowns, one interception), the defensive backs had a quality game against the Steelers.
Living Up to the Hype
Many Giants fans were confused when the team selected cornerback Eli Apple with their first-round pick during the 2016 draft. While he's been inconsistent at times, the youngster had a very good game Sunday evening. On two separate occasions, he tried to help the Giants offense—the first came when he recovered a Le'Veon Bell fumble, and the second came when he intercepted a Roethlisberger pass.
Living Up to the Hype, Part Two
Like Olivier Vernon, many were perplexed at the money given to cornerback Janoris Jenkins. Thus far, he's largely lived up to the hype—and that continued on Sunday. The man known as Jackrabbit shadowed star wide receiver Antonio Brown all game long. Despite allowing an acrobatic touchdown, he was limited to six receptions for just 64 yards.
The Return
Like Larry Donnell, defensive back Leon Hall, too, lost his spot after the bye week. With Nat Berhe out with a concussion, the veteran made his way back to the field against the Steelers. Unfortunately, however, he struggled—in what was supposed to be double coverage on the aforementioned Brown touchdown, Hall didn't follow the receiver and instead looked into the backfield, leading to the score.
Rare Mistake
After being named the NFC's Defensive Player of the Month, Landon Collins had another strong game as he had seven total tackles and multiple pass breakups. He did, however, directly contribute to a Steelers touchdown as he blew his coverage on Ladarius Green in the third quarter.
Despite the two passing touchdowns, the secondary did their best to keep the Giants in the game.
Grade: B
Special Teams
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Thus far, the Giants special teams play has been largely inconsistent. For better or worse, it didn't have much of an effect in the loss.
Revenge Game
Prior to the start of last season, Brad Wing was traded from the Steelers to the Giants. Playing his first NFL team for the first time in his career, Wing punted four times with a long of 57 yards.
Finally Perfect
Since making his way to the Giants organization, kicker Robbie Gould has had trouble booting extra points. Fortunately, there were no issues on Sunday, as he converted both of his attempts.
N-Odell
After showcasing what he could do as a punt returner, there was no Odell Beckham Jr. on special teams against the Steelers. While he did go back for one punt, it was returned by Dwayne Harris. Outside of that, he star receiver had no impact on special teams.
Grade: C+
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