New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers: Full Report Card Grades for New York
For the New York Giants, the 2016 season was a lot better than many expected.
Did the offense take a step back? Yes. Did the team go through stretches where it looked like it'd be holding a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft? Sure. Did the failure to upgrade the offensive line come back to haunt it? Absolutely.
But at the same time, Big Blue went from having one of the worst defenses in NFL history to arguably the best group in the league. General manager Jerry Reese's high monetary risks paid off and a number of his draft selections became constant contributors. Landon Collins grew from afterthought to star, while Odell Beckham Jr. shined as bright as ever.
The theme of the season was "Defense wins championships." And although that side of the game got the Giants into the playoffs, it was the offensive woes that ultimately held them back.
Despite traveling to Green Bay with some momentum, they ran into potential NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, who led the Packers to a 38-13 Wild Card Weekend victory.
Many expected the Giants offense to turn the corner when the postseason began. Unfortunately, it was more of the same.
The Eli Manning-led attack didn't have much of a problem moving the ball in the first half, but numerous drops and struggles to find the end zone plagued their efforts. Once the team came out of the locker room after halftime, it failed to do much of anything.
The defense, meanwhile, lived up to the hype in the first two quarters. Constantly getting in the face of Rodgers, the Giants had no problem shutting out the high-powered attack of the Packers. But once Green Bay's aerial assault was able to secure two touchdowns before the half could end (including a Hail Mary as time expired), the momentum shifted in the opposite direction.
When the third quarter came around, the defense was clearly gassed. That was reflected on the scoreboard as the Giants allowed more than 30 points for the only time this season.
Despite an 11-5 record, many fans will remember this loss as one of the most disappointing in recent memory. As the offseason looms, let's grade each position one last time.
Quarterback
1 of 8
After looking like a reborn player in Ben McAdoo's system, Eli Manning's regression was a down point of the season. But if one thing is for sure, it's that the veteran isn't fazed by postseason action. Though the offense struggled, none of it had to do with Manning.
On the surface, his stats may be unimpressive. Completing 23 of 44 attempts, the signal-caller fell one yard shy of 300 passing yards and threw one touchdown. He was also intercepted on his final throw of the season.
Manning, however, looked a lot better than his numbers.
Despite playing in freezing temperatures, it had no impact on his throws—an issue that plagued him all season long. Unfortunately, the quarterback's biggest downfall came at the hands (no pun intended) of his receivers, as there were numerous drops from a number of the Giants' pass-catchers.
If Big Blue was going to lose to the Packers, it wasn't going to be because of Manning. His poise and calmness were on full display, and if his wide receivers had been able to help him out, the outcome of the game may have been different.
Grade: B+
Running Backs
2 of 8
As the season went on, one of the biggest revelations was Paul Perkins and his ability to be a legitimate workhorse out of the backfield. After posting 102 rushing yards in Week 17—a season high for the Giants—many were excited to see what the rookie could do on the big stage.
Unfortunately, it wasn't much.
The front line of the Packers simply overpowered the starting offensive line of the Giants, making it hard for Perkins to get anything going. The fifth-round pick gained just 30 yards on the ground while pacing the team with 10 carries.
Rashad Jennings, too, found little success on Sunday. Playing in his first-ever playoff game, the veteran was eager to make his presence felt. The same issues that plagued Perkins affected Jennings as well, as he had just five carries for 29 yards.
One of the more questionable decisions of the game also came out of the backfield.
With the clock winding down in the second quarter, Ben McAdoo decided to ask oft-used Bobby Rainey to pick up a first down on 3rd-and-1. The odd call came to life as Rainey—who is considerably smaller than Perkins and Jennings—failed to get one yard.
The production from the running back position was one of the biggest issues behind the team's offensive struggles. While they didn't have a bad game on Sunday, the lack of a true game-changer showed.
Grade: C+
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
3 of 8
On Sunday, all eyes were on the receivers.
Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, Sterling Shepard and Roger Lewis Jr. were all criticized in the media due to their mini-vacation to Miami on their off day. And with the way they played against the Packers, said criticism will only continue this week.
In his first playoff game, Beckham was a non-factor, to say the least. The All-World receiver negatively set the tone early on, as his dropped pass on third down and dropped touchdown catch on the following drive were two key reasons why the Giants struggled to score touchdowns. The star receiver finished the game with a pedestrian 28 yards on four catches.
Beckham, however, wasn't the only receiver to drop a potential touchdown. While Shepard had a solid evening (four catches, 63 yards), the rookie failed to haul in the scoring reception a couple of plays after Beckham's drop.
Meanwhile, Cruz didn't impact the game, either. In what could have been his last game with the Giants, the Salsa Man had just three receptions for 30 yards.
Coincidentally, the two best pass-catchers weren't in the infamous boat picture.
Tight end Will Tye was a constant in the passing game. Repeatedly finding open holes in the secondary, the second-year player caught four balls for 66 yards.
At the same time, little-used Tavarres King stood out in a positive way on Sunday. The undrafted free agent caught more passes against the Packers (three) than he did all season long (two) and was the recipient of Manning's lone touchdown pass. All in all, he finished with a team-high 73 receiving yards.
Did the trip to South Beach really impact this game? Not at all. But it wasn't a good look for Beckham and company. And unfortunately, they didn't show up when it mattered most.
Grade: C
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Offensive Line
4 of 8
It's been a tough season for the offensive line of the Giants. Once a staple of the offense, the 2016 version of the front five was nothing like the days when Shaun O'Hara, Chris Snee, David Diehl and others were protecting Manning.
Out of each starter, however, it was Ereck Flowers who continued to look like the weakest link.
After having a rough go-around as the full-time left tackle, his final contest of the season came against seasoned pass-rusher Julius Peppers. Despite recording just one sack in the game, Peppers had his way with Flowers throughout the contest, making it hard for Manning to get anything going.
It's unfair to put all the blame on Flowers, though. Justin Pugh, Weston Richburg, John Jerry and Marshall Newhouse also struggled in the run game as Mike Daniels and company had no problem getting in the face of Perkins and Jennings.
It's hard to get far with a mediocre—at best—O-line. With the way it played, it should be no surprise that the Giants didn't make it past the first round.
Grade: C-
Defensive Line
5 of 8
When it comes to making something out of nothing, Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks. But for that to happen, you need a defensive line to cause problems in the backfield—and that's exactly what the Giants did against the Packers.
Prized free agent Olivier Vernon didn't make much of an impact in terms of stats, as evidenced by only recording one tackle. But because he was double-teamed, he was able to open up opportunities for the young talent playing on the other side.
Kerry Wynn and Romeo Okwara—both of whom have played in the place of Jason Pierre-Paul—recorded sacks in their first postseason game.
Meanwhile, both Damon Harrison and Johnathan Hankins were doing their thing on the interior.
The beefy defensive tackles combined for eight tackles (Harrison had five while Hankins had three) and did their best to keep the running game in check. Their work, combined with help from Jay Bromley and Robert Thomas, held the Packers to just 75 rushing yards.
While the defensive line did struggle to get to Rodgers at times, it did its best to keep him in check. The front four was clearly tired as the game went on, which is exactly when the quarterback started to put points on the board.
Either way, the defensive line shouldn't be ashamed of its play.
Grade: B+
Linebackers
6 of 8
Unlike in the regular season, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo primarily used three linebackers throughout the evening: Jonathan Casillas, Keenan Robinson and Devon Kennard. Kelvin Sheppard, meanwhile, was largely relegated to special teams duties.
Casillas—the team's defensive captain and two-time Super Bowl champion—was clearly ready for the postseason test. The veteran linebacker led the Giants with 11 combined tackles and was seen flying all over the field.
Keenan Robinson, too, had a solid game. Unfortunately, one of the things he did right ended up becoming a detriment.
As the clock was winding down in the second quarter, the former Washington Redskin made a nice play to break up a pass that was intended for Packers tight end Jared Cook. Since that play stopped the clock, Rodgers was able to get one more crack at the end zone before halftime—and the touchdown on the ensuing play changed the momentum of the game.
Despite not having any big names at the position, the linebacker corps did a solid job in the final game of the season.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 8
As the regular season transitioned into the playoffs, the Giants secondary—now known as NYPD (New York Pass Defense)—may have embodied this team better than any other position group. Matching up against the wide receivers of the Packers, however, was going to be a big test.
An early blow changed the course of the game, as Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie went down with an injury during the first drive of the game.
While the All-Pro tried his best to get back into the game, the thigh injury was too much to overcome. Rodgers went right to his slot receiver, Randall Cobb, whom DRC would've been matched up on. The result? Five catches, 116 yards, three touchdowns. Trevin Wade had a bad game, to say the least.
At the same time, rookie Eli Apple struggled mightily against the Packers. The first-round selection was picked on by Rodgers all game long. Apple and Coty Sensabaugh allowed eight catches (on 16 targets) for 142 yards and three touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus.
On the other hand, All-Pros Landon Collins and Janoris Jenkins finished the season like they started it—on top of their game.
The man known as Jackrabbit hardly had action as Rodgers looked elsewhere to complete passes. When he did look Jenkins' way, he was only able to complete one pass for 18 yards. Collins was on top of his game as well, as he compiled nine tackles, had one pass breakup and laid a devastating hit on fullback Aaron Ripkowski.
When looking at the stats, it looks like the secondary was outplayed by a mile.
Those same stats, however, don't always tell the story. The defensive backs did their best, but they just didn't have enough left in the tank to keep it close.
Grade: B
Special Teams
8 of 8
For special teams coordinator Tom Quinn, this was not the way to end the season.
Sure, Robbie Gould successfully converted both of his field-goal attempts and his lone extra-point opportunity. Outside of the veteran kicker, however, the special teams were as bad as it gets.
Dwayne Harris consistently struggled when fielding punts. Brad Wing unexpectedly had a below-average game. The coverage teams failed to contain Packers returners, while Bobby Rainey inexplicably fielded a kickoff close to the sideline and his momentum took him out of bounds at New York's 3-yard line.
When playing football, all three phases need to be on point. Unfortunately, special teams were far from it.
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