The NY Giants put themselves in a position to be playoff contenders with a win in Cincinnati thanks to the help of key players.
They didn’t make it look pretty, but the NY Giants beat the Cincinnati Bengals to put themselves into first place in the NFC East.
This also marks the third straight win for the Giants, the first time they’ve accomplished this feat since 2016.
Unfortunately for Giants fans, these positive notes are overshadowed by uncertainty; Starting quarterback Daniel Jones tweaked a hamstring during the win. But while we wait to see what comes next, let’s review who helped them get to this point.
K Graham Gano
Grade: A-
After testing positive for COVID as the Giants entered their bye week, and being forced to practice in his quarantine hotel room, Gano proved once again that he’s been one of the best acquisitions in this offseason. He’s also been one of the team’s most prolific scorers.
Gano went 4/4, with a long of 49, and 1/1 on extra points. That brings his stats up to 25/26 for field goals and 17/17 for extra points this season. He’s been nothing but consistent since picking him up this offseason, in a position that is becoming more and more determinate of a team’s fate.
That he manage to be perfect without real practice even as he still suffered from symptoms is impressive. But his A- is also for how he stepped up when backup quarterback Colt McCoy took over. McCoy was unable to get the Giants going offensively, but Gano made sure to give the ball enough push to make up that lack of yards.
His leg is one of the key reasons the Giants are currently playoff bound. But his missed tackle on Brandon Wilson’s kickoff return allowed the touchdown that kept the Bengals in the entire game, and knocked off a few points on his grade.
RT Cameron Fleming
Grade: D
It’s easy to pick on a lineman when they do bad, and I’m not above doing just that.
Despite the Giants playing a team that has just two wins, who’s playing with a backup quarterback, and despite more than doubling that team’s total yards and out-possessing that team by nearly a full quarter, the Giants almost lost to the Bengals. One big reason was penalties.
Fleming was called for offensive holding on the second drive in the game. The Giants ended up punting that drive. He was called for a false start on the Giants’ third drive, which again resulted in a punt. Then on the Giants’ final drive Fleming was again called for holding, which you guessed it, resulted in a punt.
But that final drive also gave the ball back to the home team, with enough time left on the clock for a game-winning score. Don’t forget, the Bengals started that drive around midfield. If they didn’t fumble on the very next play, it’s likely the Giants lose that game.
Fleming would have been directly responsible for Cincinnati’s comeback. Even dodging that bullet, he made up three of the Giants five penalties. Not a great outing under his new offensive line coach.
Special Teams
Grade: F
This was an embarrassing game for the Giants special teams. And head coach Joe Judge, whose pedigree is that of a special teams coordinator, will be sure to remind them how vital this facet of the game is.
By all metrics, this game should have been a blowout. The Giants won the turnover battle (1 vs. 3). They had more first downs (19 vs. 11). They had WAY more yards (386 vs. 155). They had far more time of possession (37:26 vs. 22:34).
But the Giants only managed one touchdown, and giving up a special teams touchdown kept the Bengals in the game.
After scoring their only touchdown on the first drive, the Giants kicked the ball off to Brandon Wilson, who promptly returned the ball 103 yards to score the longest touchdown in Bengals’ history.
Then in the second half, the Bengals line up for a punt and caught the Giants sleeping. A direct snap to Shawn Williams allowed the Bengals to extend the drive.
Not to be outdone, on the final drive the punt team allowed the Bengals to return the ball to midfield with enough time on the clock to move into field goal range.
Luckily the Giants defense helped bail the special teams out. But the special teams almost cost them the game. I would not like to be involved in their film sessions this week.
S Jabrill Peppers
Grade: B+
As stated on the last slide, it was the defense that stepped up to help win this game, or at least not lose it.
The defense gave up only 155 total yards. A big part of this was loading the defensive box with up to nine players at times, which completely took away the Bengals’ rushing game. They rushed for only 40 yards.
The Giants clearly did not respect Bengals’ starting quarterback Brandon Allen’s ability to throw the ball, and he couldn’t do much about it. He threw for 115 yards.
Peppers led the defense with six tackles, one of which was for a loss, and led the team in pass deflects with two. His ability to play both the pass and the run helped the defense shut down what little momentum the Bengals could muster up.
Peppers continue to prove his worth to this team.
MVP: RB Wayne Gallman
Gallman has had to wait patiently for his opportunity to prove his worth and ability. And since taking over as the lead back this year with injuries to Saquon Barkely and Devonta Freeman, he’s proved both.
As good as he’s been in every game, Gallman earned this week’s MVP for showing how good he can still become.
Though he’s clearly been the lead back with Alfred Morris helping to shoulder the load, Gallman was the workhorse this week. He had 24 carries (Morris had just four) for a season- and career-high 94 rushing yards. He also scored the Giants lone touchdown, bringing his consecutive games with a rushing touchdown to five.
Whereas opposing defenses normally have to worry about rushing attempts from Daniel Jones and Morris, this week the Bengals only had to stop Gallman. But they couldn’t. He ran tough in between the tackles, moving piles of bodies to truck ahead for first down after first down. He averaged 3.9 yards per rush, and each one of those yards was hard earned.
It’s been fun watching Gallman get a well-deserved opportunity to play. He runs the ball the way the Giants like their backs to, hard. And while it’s not a surprise to see a back like Derrick Henry truck his way through an offensive line, it is to see Gallman do it. At 6’ and 210 lbs, he’s built more like a slot receiver.
But he runs like a starting NFL running back. He’s been a spark, a fresh breath of life into a offense devoid of weapons. And he was this week’s MVP.