Monday night was not what New York Giants’ fans expected. Not what the Giants expected. Not what anyone expected. You know that famous line in Anchorman, “Well, that escalated quickly.” Yeah, whatever the opposite meaning of that line is, that’s what happened to the Giants after their first drive.
Eli Manning looked sharp, Odell Beckham looked healthy, and it turned out to be all for naught. The Philadelphia Eagles’ defense seemed to have Ben McAdoo’s number the rest of the way. Turnovers and miscues marred the Giants the all night. While the Eagles generally play the Giants tough, Monday night’s performance had to leave Giants’ fans asking themselves a few questions.
Do the Giants have the talent to keep up with the Eagles? Will the Giants’ defense generate enough sacks to compete? Is this a sign of things to come for the offense?
Well, we can answer all three.
The answer to the first question is yes. I’m not sure if the Giants have as much talent as Philadelphia, but I do think they can and will keep up with the Eagles. One of the reasons is the Giants’ coaching.
For all the criticism Tom Coughlin has received early this season, the Giants are exceptionally coached, and that will carry them through this year. Jon Gruden made a great observation during last night’s broadcast. He said that Steve Spagnuolo gets the most out of players you’ve never even heard of. An example would be Jayron Hosley, who stepped in Prince Amukamara’s place to intercept a pass. Before Monday night, Hosley had just one career pick in three seasons. Well, there you go.
No, Sam Bradford didn’t play a good game. Spagnuolo’s scheme was excellent last night. If the defense wasn’t on the field as much, I don’t think they would’ve given up as many points.
As for Ben McAdoo, the offense put up a real stinker last night. Eli Manning has 41 touchdowns to 18 picks in his last 22 games—most of those games are without Victor Cruz. I’ll take it and I’m sure most Giants fans would too.
As for the next question. That pass rush is a little tougher to decipher.
Dec 28, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez (3) is sacked by New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (90) in the first half during the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Jason Pierre-Paul’s absence is beyond noticeable. It’s changed the whole defensive scheme. The team just doesn’t create the same type of pressure and it really puts a toll on a secondary that’s held it’s own despite having a number of question marks entering the season. Their league-low passing defense ranking doesn’t only reflect the play of the secondary. The Giants’ pass rush is also very responsible for allowing those big chunks of yards.
I thought Damontre Moore had some good moments last night. He registered the only sack of the game for the Giants. He has maybe the most ridiculous, ill-timed, yet greatest post-sack dance in the history of American sports. He seems to always do it when the team’s down by at least two scores. So there’s that.
I digress. The rest of the front seven is failing to create pressure, and while I think Spagnuolo will find a way to get the unit going, I’m just not sure they have the talent to ever really post big sack numbers. It’s something that will hurt them come the final weeks of the season.
As for a sign of things to come for the offense. I think last night’s performance is indicative of some things, but not all things. When I say things, I mean those “things” that we panic about. Like the Giants will never score a touchdown again, Ben McAdoo is a fraud, and everyone stinks.
No, none of that’s true. It’s not time to panic.
However, that’s not to say we should toss last night’s performance aside. There are some real concerns about the Giants’ offense that were exposed Monday night.
For one, they still can’t seem to find Victor Cruz’s replacement. Dwayne Harris is a special teams ace, but not a viable slot option. He’s a big downgrade form Cruz. Rueben Randle and Larry Donnell are kind of what we suspected they were at the beginning of the season. They are very talented, but inconsistent. I was particularly disappointed with how they performed last night because they could be so much better, yet they continue to prove otherwise.
Where are all the offensive miscues coming from? Rashad Jennings is not much of a fumbler. He fumbled five times in total in his career, so I’ll call that one an anomaly. However, the interceptions, stalled drives, and overall poor performance is a bit alarming. I don’t think the offense is heading down a dead end, but I will say that they haven’t proven they could consistently perform at a high level. They will never be elite or even that good really. They need more consistency on the offensive side of the ball.
The Giants are currently 3-3 and still have plenty of time to bounce back from Monday’s ugly loss. I think they will be fine because they have Manning and other experienced pieces that want to take this team to the next level. But they have to prove they can play consistent. After Monday night’s disaster, the jury’s still out on that one.
Next: Offensive Line Was Key In Giants 27-7 Loss
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