New York Giants Week 7 Report Card: Hey! A Win!
Grading the New York Giants' 14-7 Week 7 win over the Washington Commanders.
Offense: C
New York recorded seven explosive plays of 20+ yards, three alone on the eight-play scoring drive that ended at the top of the second quarter with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor to tight end Darren Waller to take a 7-0 lead on their first offensive touchdown in just over 221 minutes of play and their first touchdown of the first half of any game this season.
The Giants also stuck with the running game, rushing 32 times for 106 yards (versus attempting 29 passes, 18 of which were completed for 279 yards). While the offensive line wasn't perfect--it allowed four sacks against Taylor--it was better than it had been in recent weeks despite the revolving door of linemen who have had to play due to injury.
Speaking of Taylor, he threw two touchdowns in this game, the first time a Giants quarterback did that since Week 2 when Daniel Jones threw two in the team's comeback against the Cardinals. While the starting job remains Jones's for when he is cleared to return from a neck injury, Taylor has done a fine job holding down the fort while Jones rehabs from his injury.
The Giants had two good drives to speak of and did nothing on the rest of them. Not counting their final drive of the game, in which they went into the victory formation, the Giants had six three-and-out drives plus the backbreaking fumble by running back Saquon Barkley on the Washington 10-yard line, which was recovered by the commanders, thus snuffing out a scoring opportunity.
Defense: A
The Giants, who finished with six sacks in this game against a Washington team that led the league in sacks surrendered coming into this game, doubled their season sack total of five coming into this game in the first half alone, with three of those five sacks coming on 3rd-and-long.
Guess defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who had been advised by former NFL head coach/defensive coordinator turned analyst Rex Ryan to dial back the blitzes because "they ain't working," knew better.
Meanwhile, the Giants made Washington one-dimensional by limiting the rushing game to 76 yards in 19 carries, with one long run of 11 yards. New York also held "Scary Terry" (Washington receiver Terry McLaurin) to no receptions on only one pass target in the first half.
McLaurin did finish with six catches for 90 yards but didn't have a score, as the young Giants cornerbacks (Tre Hawkins, in for Adoree' Jackson, and Deonte Banks) played sticky coverage throughout in helping to limit the Commanders to just 249 yards of passing offense and no touchdowns.
Want one more positive from the Giants defense? They held Washington to one of 15 (6.7 percent) on third downs and one of three in the red zone.
Special Teams: C
Just when you thought this unit turned the corner, it does something stupid. In this case, there were at least three. The first was punt returner Eric Gray's muffed punt, which he misjudged. Fortunately, on that one, Nick McCloud fell on it to keep the ball for the Giants.
The Giants weren't so lucky on the second muffed punt, this one by Sterling Shepard, din for Gray, who exited the game with a calf injury. Shepard tried to basket catch one of Tress Way's punts to no avail, the ball falling through his hands and recovered by Dyami Brown to give Washington 1st-and-10 at the Giants' 21-yard line. Six plays later, Washington was on the board thanks to a 4-yard touchdown run by Brian Robinson to cut the Giants lead to 14-7.
Shepard was replaced the rest of the way by Darius Slayton, who secured the ball the rest of the way.
The other notable blips by the Giants special teams? The Giants seemed confused regarding their personnel on a Washington punt, lining up just nine on that particular play. Fortunately, it didn't hurt them at the time, but these are the kinds of mistakes that this team cannot commit if they want to win games.
And then there was kicker Graham Gano, who last year missed three field goals all year, missing his fourth this year when, on the Giants' first scoring attempt, he was wide right on a 41-yard attempt.
The good? Leonard Williams got a mitt on kicker Joey Slye's 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to block it and preserve a 14-7 Giants lead with 13:23 left. It was the Giants' first blocked field goal in six seasons.
And Jamie Gillan continues to be an asset for this unit, mixing that rugby style of kicking in with normal punting as the situation calls for it. Gillan averaged 49.4 with a net of 45.3, placing two of his eight punts in the 20 as the coverage team limited Jamison Crowder to just 33 yards on six returns.
Coaching: B+
Give credit to head coach Brian Daboll for keeping this team together and sticking to the processes he so strongly believes in. A loss against the Comamdners would have pretty much doomed what's left of the Giants' 2023 season, but New York prevailed, and now it's up to Daboll and his staff to parlay the confidence gained from a win this week to the bigger and better things.
Credit Wink Martindale, who had backed off the blitz the last two weeks, for upping the ante against Washington quarterback Sam Howell, playing behind the league's worst offensive line as far as sacks surrendered.
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