New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Full Report Card Grades for New York
Any game that pits two teams from the same division against one another is bound to be eventful. But there's something about the NFC East that stands out above the rest.
While many (including Richard Sherman) aren't fans of the Thursday Night Football format, the rivalry between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles was on full display. Was it a sloppy affair, for both the teams and the refs? Sure. But it was also a competitive, hard-fought battle that went down to the wire.
Unfortunately, however, it didn't go the way Big Blue had hoped.
Despite having a ton of chances to secure the victory, the Giants left Lincoln Financial Field with their fifth loss of the season, as they fell to the Eagles by the score of 24-19.
The offense looked better than it has in recent weeks but still struggled to find the end zone. Despite garnering over 400 yards, the Eli Manning-led attack went just 1-for-5 when inside the 20, a key reason behind their loss.
The defense did its best to catapult the team to victory. Although it was on the wrong end of two poorly called roughing-the-passer penalties, the unit did its best to play at an elite level and keep the Eagles offense under wraps.
While the Giants failed to clinch a playoff berth on Thursday night, they can still do so in Week 16. It won't be as sweet as a win against a rival on the road, but New York will make the postseason for the first time since 2011 if either the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or Atlanta Falcons lose this gameweek.
It's likely that the Giants will be playing football beyond Week 17. But instead of looking ahead, let's take a peek at what led to their loss.
Quarterback
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Consistency is the key to victory—and since both the good and the bad Eli Manning were on display, it made it hard for the Giants to overcome an early deficit.
Career and Season Highs
With 63 passes, Manning didn't only reach a career high in attempts but also threw the most balls by any quarterback this season. The veteran finished the game converting 38 of those attempts, good for 356 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
Costly Picks
Speaking of interceptions, two of the three that Manning threw couldn't have come at a worse time. The first came on the second drive of the game after the defense was uncharacteristically steamrolled. Instead of picking up the teammates who have been carrying the offense, Manning threw a pick-six to put the Giants in an early 14-point hole. His second came in the fourth quarter; as the Giants were looking to cut into the Eagles' lead, Manning threw into double coverage downfield.
Missed Chances
It wasn't only interceptions that hurt the quarterback. Manning's arm looked weak throughout the contest, and it showed on three potential touchdown passes—one to Sterling Shepard, one to Roger Lewis and one to Odell Beckham Jr.
Grade: C-
Running Backs
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For the first time in a long time, the Giants rushing attack played like a legitimate threat. Since the early deficit hurt their carries, both Paul Perkins and Rashad Jennings had strong nights.
Winds of Change
While the two-back tandem has seen nearly identical snaps in recent weeks, Perkins was the clear workhorse of the bunch against the Eagles. The fifth-round pick out of UCLA paced the Giants with 15 carries and rushed for 68 yards. The 22-year-old's ability was on display, as his vision, elusiveness, and shedding of tacklers was visible all game long.
Long Time No See
Bobby Rainey lost playing time recently, but Shane Vereen's return put the kibosh on his offensive touches. But with Vereen back on the shelf, Rainey got another chance out of the backfield on Thursday night. While it came in the fourth quarter, the veteran running back did gain 13 yards on his lone catch.
A Shift in Power?
It's going to be hard for head coach Ben McAdoo to continue to give Jennings a high number of snaps. Use him as a change-of-pace runner? Sure. But Perkins has proved that he can do it all—run, catch and pass protect—and the Giants are a better team when he's on the field.
Grade: B
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
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Coming into the matchup, many experts believed New York's aerial attack was going to take advantage of Philadelphia's weak secondary. The numbers were gaudy, but Manning's ineffectiveness hurt their overall impact.
Cruuuuuuuz
As Giants fans have come to know, Victor Cruz has never been the same after tearing his patellar tendon in Philadelphia over two years ago. Back in the stadium that changed his career, however, the veteran had his best game since returning from the injury. In an emotional performance, Cruz hauled in eight catches and recorded 84 receiving yards, both season highs.
Who Else?
Sure, Cruz had an impressive evening. But is there any doubt who was the best? Beckham didn't find the end zone on Thursday but did do his best to get the Giants on the scoreboard. The elite wideout led the team in receptions (11) and receiving yards (150).
Up and Down
Shepard showed the football world why he could be a great complement to Beckham but also demonstrated that he's still a kid. The second-round pick did catch the lone touchdown of the evening (seven catches, 61 yards) but dropped two crucial passes. While his fourth quarter, fourth-down drop was due to a non-pass interference call, his third-down drop in the second quarter halted an impressive drive.
Why Tye?
During the final play of the game, one would expect Manning to target Beckham, Shepard or even Cruz. Instead, he looked towards tight end Will Tye for help—and that didn't work out. Not only did Tye's inability to fight for the ball result in an interception, but even if he took in the pass, he would've been short of the goal line.
Grade: B-
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Offensive Line
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Surprisingly, the Giants offensive line did a decent job lining up against the Eagles' impressive front four. Unfortunately, one penalty ruined its entire performance.
Getting Better
There isn't another Giant who has been more frustrating, more disappointing and more aggravating than Ereck Flowers. The left tackle, however, surprisingly held his own, and that bodes well for the team moving forward. Effective in both the run game and passing attack, the left tackle did a quality job in handling the athletic Connor Barwin.
Another Game, Another Penalty
It wouldn't be a Giants game without a penalty on the offensive line. On Thursday, the culprit was Justin Pugh. The guard was flagged for a holding on their first play of the second half.
The Killer
John Jerry is far from a great lineman, but he has been a stable, veteran presence in 2016. That's why his costly false start on 4th-and-2 in the fourth quarter was infuriating. While the defense was able to get the ball back for one last drive, the Giants surely could have found the end zone during that series.
Grade: C+
Defensive Line
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For the first time since Jason Pierre-Paul's injury in early December, the Giants defensive line missed his presence. The unit, however, still had a quality game on Thursday.
Wait! What?
Although Olivier Vernon had the tall task of lining up against premier tackle Jason Peters, he did get to rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. Unfortunately, he wasn't rewarded for his efforts. While Vernon began to hit the 23-year-old when the ball was still in his hands, the defensive end was flagged for a roughing-the-passer penalty that gave the Eagles an important first down. Nearly all of Twitter agreed that the call against Vernon was terrible.
Making Plays
Backup defensive end Kerry Wynn may not be on the field often, but when he is, his presence is felt. The Giants defense was facing a 4th-and-goal play, and the powerful Ryan Mathews was ready for the handoff. Among a slew of white jerseys, Wynn was able to penetrate Eagles tackle Lane Johnson, resulting in a goal-line stand.
Slippery or Scared?
There's no denying that Wentz showed off his ability to maneuver out of the pocket. But it seemed as though the Giants were scared of trying to take down the quarterback because of the previous calls. All in all, Vernon failed to capitalize on two sacks while the defense as a whole missed three.
Grade: B+
Linebackers
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While New York's linebacking corps hasn't been special in 2016, it has been consistent. Those positive efforts continued on Thursday.
Standing Out
While not one of the four linebackers could be characterized as a "star," Devon Kennard is starting to play at a higher level than his teammates. The third-year defender paced all linebackers, with four total tackles, was a key part of the 4th-and-inches stop and continued to impress as a pass-rusher.
Heart on Display
Working through a knee injury, defensive captain Jonathan Casillas almost came up with a huge play when the second half began, as he nearly picked off a scrambling Wentz on third down.
Surprising Struggles
Keenan Robinson has been such an underrated piece for the Giants defense in 2016. His performance on Thursday, however, underwhelmed. Not only did Johnson manhandle him during the first play of the game, but he also failed to take Dorial Green-Beckham down behind the line of scrimmage, a drive that ended in a touchdown.
Grade: B-
Secondary
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When looking at groups of wide receivers, the players who suit up for the Eagles won't scare anyone. But at the same time, they have the ability to make big plays—and that happened at times against the Giants.
The Replacement
With Janoris Jenkins ruled out before the game, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie got the nod as his replacement. Though the veteran has impressed as a slot corner this year, he showed the world he can still play on the outside. For the second game in a row, DRC recorded an interception, and Pro Football Focus rated him as the team's best overall player (91.4).
U-G-L-Y
First-round pick Eli Apple has exceeded expectations in 2016. But for a stretch of plays, he definitely looked like a rookie. In the second quarter, Apple failed to take down Green-Beckham to force a punt, was hit with a phantom roughing-the-passer penalty and allowed a touchdown pass on three consecutive plays.
Surprise!
While Flowers is catching flak for his flaws on offense, it's usually Trevin Wade who is getting the same treatment on defense. The cornerback, however, looked sharp in an increased role and had a strong game on Thursday. Wade made a tremendous stop on a screen pass to Darren Sproles, recovered the football when Dwayne Harris fumbled on a punt return and broke up a third-down pass in the fourth quarter.
What Else is New, Part 2
Tell me if you've heard this before: Landon Collins balled out. In what has become a theme, Collins dominated in every facet of the game against Philadelphia. The safety led the entire team, with nine solo tackles, was a force at the line of scrimmage and held his own in pass defense.
Grade: B
Special Teams
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If it weren't for the efforts from New York's kickers, who knows what the final score would've been?
Money
Punter Brad Wing continues to be the most underrated player on the roster. While he only punted three times on Thursday, one of those landed on the two-yard line.
Goulden Boot
Through the first eight weeks of his Giants career, kicker Robbie Gould netted just four field goals. He matched that total on Thursday night, as the veteran converted all four of his attempts, giving his team 12 of their 19 points.
Grade: A
Dan Federico is a Featured Columnist for the New York Giants. You can follow and interact with him on Twitter.
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