Bears vs. Giants: Report Card for the New York Giants Starters

The New York Giants face a stout Chicago Bears team that will offer a barometer for future success. The telling grades are in for their first step in the long road to perfection.

The second preseason game for the Giants will go a long way to answer questions. The biggest has to be on offense, which looked rusty in the first week. 

If Manning does indeed wish to be elite, he will need to force some modicum of chemistry on the field. Here is a breakdown on the performance of the Giants' starters in their Monday night endeavor against the Chicago Bears. 

We are highlighting the starters that demanded to be so by their play on Monday night. 

OFFENSE

Eli Manning: Peyton's little brother was not elite on Monday night. He was downright pedestrian at times. It is one thing to hit a wide-open Mario Manningham, it is another to thread the needle through tiny windows. 

Manning had his receivers looking like bumbling idiots at times. A simple check-down in the first quarter was off the mark. Another pass was well above Hakeem Nicks' head. When does the Tom Brady-esque performance start?

Stats: 8-for-16 / 78 yards / 64.1 QB rating

Grade: C-     

Ahmad Bradshaw: It was tough to decide which running back gave the Giants a bigger boost. Brandon Jacobs was just as effective as making his presence known. 

I enjoyed seeing the top-end speed of Bradshaw wreak havoc against the Bears secondary. He showed early on that he is a great threat on a swing pass as a check-down option. He ran very well along the sidelines, with the Bears struggling to limit his production.

Stats: 15 yards rushing / 19 receiving 

Grade: B-

Brandon Jacobs: Bradshaw got the nod to start the game, but this could have easily been Jacobs' game. So, I am including him as a starter. Hell, he was just as effective as one.

Stats: 48 yards rushing / 1 TD

Grade: B+ 

Bear Pascoe: I am unsure if this was a poor matchup for Pascoe, or a sign of things to come. He was timid on the block and was forever the weaker athlete against the Bears linebackers.

The Giants need a fullback that will push the rushing game forward, not meet it at the line of scrimmage.

Grade: C 

Hakeem Nicks: It became clear that Hakeem Nicks was not on Manning's radar all day. He did, however, draw a great deal of the Bears' concentration to his side of the field. You are very welcome, Mario Manningham.

He only saw the ball twice, one of which was called incomplete for illegal touching of a forward pass.  

Stats: Just one reception for a loss of yardage.

Grade: C- (Although I flirted with an "Incomplete" here)  

Mario Manningham: I hate to say it, but he was Not-So-Super Mario tonight. The issues of a plodding offense started with Eli Manning, but they were exacerbated by Mario Manningham. 

He bounced one of his hands near the sidelines, failed to get get his feet in fair on another reception and dropped one on the goal line. Someone should get some Stik-um.

He found a rhythm by the second quarter and was the difference in driving the Giants downfield. He was the best thing to happen to Eli Manning at that point.

Stats: 4 receptions/ 39 yards / long of 20 yards 

Grade: B

Offensive Line: Things did not start out well as the line was called for a penalty on the initial drive, forcing a 3-and-out. After that, they were a stout line that opened up holes for their two-headed monster of Bradshaw and Jacobs. 

Manning did have to get a little creative out of the pocket, but was a strong showing against a tough defense. 

Grade: B+

David Baas: The man was an unrelenting monster. Instead of concentrating on protecting Manning, he was pushing forward—one instance led to a fantastic block that even I felt.

He showed a great deal of leadership for his new team. That is precisely the reason he is highlighted here.

Grade: A     

DEFENSE

Michael Boley: Boley came out aggressive from the start. Jay Cutler had to have a touch of deja vu as Boley breached the offensive line on the very first play.

Grade: B+

Aaron Ross: Ross did everything you want from a corner. He covered inside very well. He showed no issue with being physical off line. Ross even saved the Giants from a Devin Hester touchdown by making his presence known.

It is one thing to be spry and aggressive, but Ross was effective at rattling the Bears. That is what matters in the end.

Grade: A 

Justin Tuck: Devin Hester was well on his way to scoring in the first quarter. After making the entire defense look silly, he was tackled by Tuck, who came out of nowhere. 

Tuck hustled down the field after putting pressure on the pocket. He worked like this was the Super Bowl, and that will matter.

That being said, the Bears were able to stave off a great amount of Tuck's attacks. I would have liked him to get over on rookie Gabe Carimi a bit better, though. 

Grade: B 

Corey Webster: Webster showed that he is good for one thing: getting burned on the outside. If he can't corral the receiver on initial contact, he is done. He did not have the top-end speed to make a difference on the Bears' receivers. 

Grade: D

Jonathan Goff: Goff was a big looming figure in the middle. He asserted himself early, making plays when he was demanded to do so. That resulted in a sack and crucial deflected pass up the middle. He was everywhere, just like a good linebacker should be. 

Grade: A  

SPECIAL TEAMS 

It was an all-around great game for all aspects of special teams. They were even prolific enough to block a punt that resulted in a touchdown. There was, however, a huge star on the day.  

Devin Thomas: This guy really wants to make the team. He proved that the new kickoff placement can still result in stellar returns with good blocking and even better running.

We are only taking into account his first-half production. The numbers make you wonder which team Devin Hester is actually playing for. 

Stats: 3 returns / 138 yards

Overall Grade: B-

As of this writing, the Giants led the Bears 20-3. I really want to give this team a higher grade, but I know what they are capable of. 

The offensive line was erratic at the start, but settled after a while. What really has me worried is the chemistry when Eli Manning had the ball. This is a big part of who the Giants will be this season, and it was not good.

The Giants did a great job with timely defense and pounding the ball on the ground. The biggest question coming in was Manning and the rhythm of the starting offense. That part of the game was suspect at best.