New York Giants: Madden 19 predicts Week 11 home cooking

It was a sigh of relief for all New York Giants fans after Week 10’s victory over the San Francisco 49ers, their first win since Week 3 against the Houston Texans.

What was promising was how the New York Giants secured the victory as they were the most in sync they have been all season coming from behind on the road thanks to a vintage Eli Manning fourth-quarter drive with less than two minutes on the clock.

Wideout Sterling Shepard was able to beat his man on a three-yard out at the goal line, and Manning threw a perfect high ball to the front pylon that only Shepard could grab to put the G-Men ahead with 0:53 seconds left in the final quarter. It was a lead the team would not relinquish as New York was able to secure the 27-23 victory on Monday Night Football.

Afterward, it was clear that Manning deservedly secured his starting spot under center for at least a few more games after a night where he completed 19 passes for 188 yards, three touchdowns and a 110.7 passer rating.

Monday’s game was the first time Eli threw at least three touchdown passes since Week 15 of 2017 against the Philadelphia Eagles. It was also the first time he had three or more TD throws and no interceptions since Week 12 of the 2016 season when he last accomplished the feat in a victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Superstar wideout Odell Beckham Jr. made it clear that he expects Big Blue to win out the season, which is more a revelation of OBJ’s confidence in the talent on the roster than it is a suspected case of over-optimism.

The goal for the New York Giants moving forward is to remain consistent. Head coach Pat Shurmur and the rest of the staff called their best game of the season last week, and the offensive line looked the best it has all year only surrendering one sack.

The only question is whether the team can keep their momentum going against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that is trending in the wrong direction behind shaky quarterback play and a non-existent defense.

EA Sports Madden 19, which has been incredibly reliable in its predictions all year, weighs in on what it thinks will happen for Sunday’s matchup at MetLife Stadium.

Passing stats

• Eli Manning –  20/27, 226 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 135.7 QBR
• Ryan Fitzpatrick – 34/49, 426 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 92.7 QBR

The unsung heroes of Week 10’s game against the 49ers were the New York Giants offensive linemen, who only allowed the immobile Manning to be dropped once all game.

Expensive offseason free-agent acquisition and left tackle Nate Solder, who has had a roller coaster season thus far, looked exactly like the guy GM Dave Gettleman expected him to be when the organization lured him away from the New England Patriots with a four-year, $62 million contract.

His Pro Football Focus grade was the highest among Giants offensive players in Week 10.

The team also received production from another 2018 free agent, this time, a recent signee who cleared waivers on Oct. 31 after being cut by the Los Angeles Rams. Right guard Jamon Brown stepped up in place of failed experiment and ex-Giant guard Patrick Omameh and played admirably in his first start with his new team.

Brown’s ability to pick up the 49ers stunt during a red-zone opportunity on third-and-eight led to Manning’s first touchdown strike of the night to OBJ in the first quarter of action. Watch Brown (No. 78) clear space for Eli to step up and deliver the clutch throw.

It’s not often we see Manning have that much time in the pocket, and he might have a tougher time against former teammate and New York Giants great, Jason Pierre-Paul. The Bucs new defensive end has made it clear he is looking for revenge after getting traded this offseason for 2018 third- and fourth-round picks, which the Giants used to acquire promising rookie defensive tackle B.J. Hill and potential future franchise quarterback Kyle Lauletta.

The good news for the G-Men is that Tampa Bay ranks near the bottom of the league and tied for 23rd in sacks this season with just 21, per ESPN. If New York’s offensive line can gel this Sunday as they did in Week 10, maybe the unit can keep Manning off the ground for good something they haven’t accomplished all season.

Rushing stats

New York Giants:

• Saquon Barkley – 15 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD
• Elijhaa Penny – 8 carries, 21 yards

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

• Peyton Barber – 21 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD
• Jacquizz Rodgers – 3 carries, 11 yards

The only consistent part of the Giants offense has been rookie sensation running back Saquon Barkley. For the eighth time this season in nine games played, Barkley eclipsed the 100 yards from scrimmage mark with 67 rushing yards on 20 carries and 33 receiving yards on four receptions.

Manning did a great job last week to refrain from eagerly checking down to Barkley in the flats for pointless yardage, and that’s because the Giants offense avoided a lot of third-and-long situations while also making the effort to push the ball down the field.

If opposing safeties and linebackers are forced to play deeper to account for OBJ and Shepard over the top or across the middle of the field, that should open space up front for Barkley to pick up chunk gains on the ground.

Saquon has not totaled 100 yards or more rushing since his explosion against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 on Thursday night, and although Madden 19 expects that drought to continue, the Bucs’ leaky run defense won’t be able to contain the second-overall pick for long in this one.

Receiving stats

New York Giants:

• Odell Beckham Jr. – 5 rec., 63 yards, 1 TD
• Sterling Shepard – 5 rec., 73 yards 
• Saquon Barkley – 3 rec., 21 yards
• Evan Engram – 7 rec., 69 yards, 1 TD

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

• DeSean Jackson– 10 rec., 99 yards
• Chris Godwin – 8 rec., 127 yards
• Mike Evans – 8 rec., 89 yards. 2 TDs
• O.J. Howard – 5 rec., 43 yards
• Peyton Barber– 4 rec., 68 yards

We mentioned last week that Shurmur’s goal was to get Beckham involved as much as possible, and although OBJ only caught four passes against the 49ers in Week 10, he made the most of his chances compiling 73 yards and two scores—his first multi-touchdown receiving game of the year and first since Week 2 of the 2017 season against the Philadelphia Eagles.

What’s most important is the targets he received last week and where on the field he got his looks, compliments of NextGen Stats.

Shurmur had OBJ running routes all over the field and on every level from short to intermediate to deep and from sideline to sideline. There is not a corner on the Bucs defense who can keep up with Beckham, who is well on his way to another Pro Bowl year and possibly All-Pro season if he can keep his play at a high level for the rest of 2018.

Madden 19 has him finding the end zone again this weekend, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he finds paydirt more than once.

Also an interesting note, the Bucs have allowed six touchdowns to tight ends this season. With Evan Engram 100 percent healthy and increasing his yardage totals in the past three games since his return from injury, this could be the week the sophomore and former first-rounder finally breaks out.

Total team stats

New York Giants:

• Total offense: 302 yards
• Total team: 326 yards
• Rushing: 76 yards
• Passing: 226 yards
• Turnovers: 0
• Penalties: 7-40
• Time of Possession: 10:42*

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

• Total offense: 500 yards
• Total team: 527 yards
• Rushing: 74 yards
• Passing: 426 yards
• Turnovers: 2
• Penalties: 5-38
• Time of Possession: 13:18*

(*Madden 19 simulation runs six-minute quarters for the most realistic stat outputs)

It’s difficult to put much stock into games when the opponent is having as equally a dreadful season, but the New York Giants are facing a team Sunday that is as unpredictable as they are. The Bucs have defeated serious contenders in the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles and a future one in the Cleveland Browns this year.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown for over 400 yards in four of the seven games he has started in 2018 and has also thrown four touchdown passes in three of those games. He is the most difficult player in the NFL to project and Madden 19 has him going Fitzmagic on a New York Giants defense that has moved on from two starters in defensive tackle Damon Harrison and cornerback Eli Apple.

Yet, EA Sports also has Big Blue and defensive coordinator James Bettcher’s crew playing bend-but-don’t-break football.

Final thoughts

Here is a stat that will depress New York Giants fans who have purchased tickets to a home game in the past couple of seasons. In the G-Men’s last 12 home games, they have struggled to a 2-10 record with their only two victories in New Jersey occurring against the Washington Redskins in Week 17 and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11 of the 2017 season.

With Manning turning back the clock a bit and Shurmur’s offense finally hitting a groove, the New York Giants give the home crowd at MetLife something to cheer about as they take advantage of another lowly opponent who may be drafting within a couple of spots of them come April.

FINAL SCORE: New York Giants 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26

All team and player stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.