New York Giants Week 2 Report Card
At some point, the losing has to stop, right?
I mean it’s all well and good that the Giants are showing flashes here and there of being on the verge of turning the corner, and I get it that this is a new coaching staff, new schemes, and only the second real game they’ve played.
But whereas the Giants started strong in the first half against the Steelers last week, the opposite seemed true this week, a frustrating development as it seems that every time a leak on the ship is plugged, another develops.
With that said, I’m not ready to write off the season yet. But at this point, talk is cheap. I need to see the mistakes—and some of them appear to be repeating themselves like the ball security issues, the timing of passes, etc. --being cleaned up once and for all.
I’m ready to turn the corner. Are the Giants?
Well, we’ll find out in the coming weeks.
Rushing Offense: C-
Overall the group was a little better statistically speaking than last week, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. But let’s not kid ourselves. The injury to Saquon Barkley hurts—really hurts, as not only do the Giants lose a generational talent, but they lose some power at the position as Barkley was able to push a pile.
The running backs themselves are only part of the problem; the run blocking by the offensive line, which was better than last week, needs to continue trending upward.
Passing Offense: C
I’m not sure how long it takes for a new offensive line to jell, but Daniel Jones has now been sacked seven times in two games. Not all of those are on the offensive line—Jones still takes a smidge too long in holding the ball in that he's not throwing as the receivers make their breaks. This is leading to more incompletions and off-target balls that could be cleaned up with better timing.
Another annoying trait of Jones is when he's back in the pocket looking for a receiver, he seems to pat the ball nervously. You pat the ball that means you're taking that second hand off it for a split second.
If you take your hand off it and a defender buzzing around the area just so happens to get a hand on it---well, you know the rest of the story.
And yes, it happened again this week as Robert Quinn timed his strip-sack of Jones just when that second hand came off the ball.
Run Defense: B
Another tale of two halves, though to be fair, I'm not sure why defensive coordinator Patrick Graham decided to use an amoeba defense in which he put more defensive backs on the field at the expense of his defensive linemen.
The Giants defensive line just so happens to be the unit's strength, so why Graham felt the need to swap members of that unit out rather than linebackers is beyond me. Regardless, the Giants paid for it, especially on the Bears' first drive when they gained 23 yards on nine carries.
The run defense was a little better--key words "little better" in the second half even though the numbers tell a slightly different story. Chicago rushed 16 times for 100 yards in the second half, but 23 yards came on one run by David Montgomery in the fourth quarter. Regardless, there's still room for improvement in all phases of the ball, run defense included.
Pass Defense: C
The only big pass play in this game from a purely statistical point was Montgomery's 28-yard reception for a touchdown. But with that said, the Giants continues struggles with zone coverage continued.
The good news is that it looks like Logan Ryan is gaining more of a comfort level in the defense, as per the game snap counts, he saw 55 of the 65 snaps on defense, while Corey Ballentine, who has been the starter at right cornerback the last two games, only saw 29 snaps.
Ryan not only offers more experience, but his versatility should allow the Giants to do far more on defense as he continues to get up to speed in the system.
Special Teams: B+
Once again, special teams was the most reliable unit on the team. However, this week, there were just a few tiny warts, such as Brandon Williams being flagged for illegal touching, nullifying a beautiful Riley Dixon punt downed inside the 20.
(Speaking of Dixon, his net average was 44.7, which is yet another fine showing.)
Graham Gano missed a 50-yard field goal attempt, and Jabrill Peppers didn’t have many opportunities to return punts, his lone punt return going for 11 yards.
And how about the job the coverage team did on the dangerous Cordarrelle Patterson, who managed just three kickoff returns for 83 yards, and a long of 30—not too shabby considering head coach Joe Judge specifically mentioned Patterson as someone that concerned them last week.
Coaching: C
Give head coach Joe Judge credit for lighting a fire at halftime under his players' backsides, who responded with a much better second half.
With that said, why were they so out of synch in the first half considering that Judge has been on them every day about the fundamentals, about playing with good energy, and doing all the little intangibles that come with winning?
Could it be the lack of a crowd to feed their energy, or was it the fact that this was the first road trip? It's tough to say.
And what was with some of the coaching decisions such as Patrick Graham’s not throwing more men at Mitchell Trubisky to generate more than just a whisper of a pressure?
Why play safety Nate Ebner, a special teams ace who has played one defensive snap in the last three seasons, as part of that big nickel package?
