"You can’t get discouraged." Perspectives on the Giants Week 5 Loss to the Vikings and Other Takeaways

The Giants loss to the Vikings was an ugly one, but then again, this is a rebuilding team that's undergoing baptism by fire, a process that's not going to finish overnight.

East Rutherford, N.J. -- On paper and in person, the Minnesota Vikings’ 28-10 drubbing of the New York Giants was worse than the score indicated.

The numbers beyond the point total are all there-- the 490 yards the Giants allowed to the Vikings; the fact that Minnesota only punted one time all game; the four sacks and eight quarterback hits allowed by the Giants offensive line, the head-scratching play-calls; and so on.

But let’s try to put this all into perspective, shall we? This is a Giants team that, no matter how you slice it, is in a rebuilding mode given all the youth it has across the board.

This is a team that has been trying to learn to win. This is a team that has faced different challenges since the season began, some of which worked out and some of which have not.

And although the score looks bad, one has to remember that this Giants team, in only its second season under head coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Dave Gettleman, still has a lot of room to grow before it can stand toe-to-toe with the big boys of the league.

It might not look like it, but there have been signs of progress made. Daniel Jones and his legs are a god-send to this offense--just look at how many times Jones used his mobility to escape from situations that might have otherwise turned into sacks.

Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence once again lit it up, recording five tackles (fourth on the team), a sack, a tackle for a loss, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble. If you don’t think this kid is turning into a stud, well, then I don’t know what else to tell you.

And how about other young players like receiver Darius Slayton, who if he’s not the official No. 3 receiver soon, it would be a significant upset.

Slayton right now seems to be the only receiver the Giants have that can get any semblance of separation, and he did that again this week, catching four out of five pass targets for 62 yards and the team’s lone touchdown.

There are undoubtedly other bright spots that tried to peek from behind the gloom of a lopsided loss, which is why Shurmur is against players becoming discouraged over the team’s record during this rebuild.

“You can’t get discouraged,” he said. “I’m looking for guys who get discouraged--those are the guys we’re going to get out of here.”

He’s right because the minute that feeling of discouragement settles in, the Giants might as well forfeit the rest of the games on their schedule--games they need to continue building up what years of bad drafts and questionable personnel decisions destroyed.

It’s not going to be easy to watch, and certainly, today’s game wasn’t easy to swallow, but it was a clear reminder of how far the Giants have come and how far they still have to go before they can become relevant again.

Some other notes and observations...

I’m still trying to figure out why, on a second-quarter play from their 1-yard line, handed the ball to rookie Jon Hilliman, who was called up from the practice squad recently,

Why not either have Daniel Jones roll out and throw it? Why take the chance that Hillman might be tackled for a safety, which by the way he was by Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr?

“We could’ve thrown it,” Shurmur said. “It was a run play that, in hindsight, we didn’t execute it well enough, and we gave up a safety.”

* * *

How bad was the Giants defense this week?

It allowed 490 yards of offense to the Vikings, but I have a feeling when the coaches put on the tape, they’re going to cringe when they see all the missed tackles (I counted six) and the number of guys who couldn’t get off blocks.

There’s something else that I hope isn’t developing a trend, and that is the Giants pass rush struggled this week when it didn’t have the benefit of having the extra defensive backs they had last week that forced all those coverage sacks.

I don’t think any of the Giants’ three sacks could be considered coverage sacks. That, to me, is a concern because I keep waiting for that defensive creativity coordinator James Bettcher is said to have and how it’s going to be used to generate a pass rush.

I keep waiting for a corner or safety blitz or a charging linebacker through the gap, And I guess I’ll have to continue to wait because for whatever the reason, Bettcher hasn’t included those plays in this year’s playbook and I’m not sure if he plans to.

* * *

There are a couple of other things I can’t quite figure out regarding the defensive game plan today.

First, why the Giants didn’t bracket receiver Adam Thielen on the crossing routes which the Vikings are known to run? Think maybe giving Haley help over the top might have cut down on some of those chunk plays Thielen, who caught seven out of eight pass targets for 130 yards and two touchdowns, had?

Second, I don’t have the final snap counts from this game, but I’m pretty sure Dalvin Tomlinson didn’t play as much as I thought he would. This also perplexed me considering Tomlinson is one of the Giants' best run defenders, and the Vikings are, you know, a run-heavy team.

* * *

Cornerback DeAndre Baker’s unsportsmanlike penalty was inexcusable.

Baker was penalized for what appeared to be taunting of Vikings running back Dalvin Cook after he brought the running back down on a tackle. The alleged taunting, by the way, came with the Giants getting their backsides handed to them.

The 15-yard penalty is bad enough, but to stand there and crow over one play when you’re being manhandled by the opponent just isn’t smart football.

* * *

For as good as quarterback Daniel Jones has been, there are going to be some growing pains that the Giants are just going to have live through.

A perfect example of this was on the third-quarter, 4th-and-2 play from the Vikings’ 3-yard line, a play on which Jones was sacked for a nine-yard loss by Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter.

Jones didn’t look like he recognized the blitz and hence didn’t opt for his hot read, which might have gotten the Giants into the end zone.

Instead, the Giants turned the ball over on downs after having squandered away their last legitimate scoring opportunity of the game.

* * *

The Giants have themselves a dilemma at running back now that Wayne Gallman is to enter the protocol.

Saquon Barkley has been making progress at a rapid rate, so much so that there have been reports that he and the Giants are eyeing Thursday night for his return from a high ankle sprain

I have no idea how Barkley feels physically, but if I’m the Giants, I hold him out of that Thursday night game.

If we learned nothing else this week, it’s that this team is nowhere near ready to challenge the better teams in the league. And I just can’t see pushing Barkley, the team’s best player, as a knee-jerk reaction to the existing circumstances.

Let’s think about the long-term here, for a moment. Do the Giants want to risk Barkley making his injury worse and undoing all his progress, or do they want to be smart with him and let him have the extra two weeks to advance his rehab so that his ankle is strengthened?

If you need a refresher as to what can happen if a player comes back too soon from an injury, I present Exhibit A: Olivier Vernon. In 2017, Vernon suffered a high ankle sprain that probably should have kept him out longer than he was, and he wasn’t anywhere near the player he had been before the injury.

Want a case closer to Barkley’s? How about Exhibit B, receiver Odell BEckham Jr, who was injured in a preseason game against his future team (Cleveland) and tried to push his rehab along faster than perhaps his body was willing to accommodate.

Ultimately a broken ankle did Beckham in, but before that, he wasn’t quite the same once he returned from the high ankle sprain either.

If the Giants were a playoff contender who needed this game against the Patriots, that might be one thing. But they look more like a rebuilding team, so is it a good idea to potentially jeopardize the long-term health of your most important player just for the heck of it?

If I’m the Giants, I sign someone from the workout group from two weeks ago as a temporary solution until Gallman and/or Barkley are good to go.

* * *

I’m getting very concerned with the play of the Giants offensive tackles, who continue to struggle handling speed rushers.

The Giants have allowed nine sacks and 25 quarterback hits against Daniel Jones, with most of those coming off the edges. Solder, in particular, has been made to look foolish by speed rushers, who have managed to get past him before he has a chance to get out of his stance.

“You know what? I haven’t been playing this whole season very well,” he said after the game. “I felt like myself today at times, which I was happy about. So, I think that we have to build off of that and continue to improve.”

Solder, who as on the injury report this week with a neck ailment, couldn’t pinpoint why he’s been struggling, but he did dispell the idea that his surgically repaired ankle was to blame.

“No. I think the most important thing is to continue to improve as we go forward,” he said.

Okay, so what is the plan to improve?

“It all falls on each individual’s shoulders, and I’m the first on that list,” he said. “I have to run block better. I have to pass block better. I have to communicate better. I have to do all of the things that I need to do to be the best player that I can be.”

What about Remmers, who was pushed back into the quarterback’s lap a little too much for our tastes? Again, on a glance, Remmers seems to run into trouble when he has a guy directly in his face. Remmers also appears to be playing a little too high, which doesn’t help.

Don’t be surprised if offensive tackle is a top offseason priority next winter.

* * *

It wasn’t a pretty game at all for the Giants, but one player who stood out in a good way was fullback Elijhaa Penny, who brought the goods as a lead blocker and who did a stellar job with blitz pickups.

Penny also contributed one reception for nine yards and 15 rushing yards on three carries and should have had more if his 13-yard run to the outside not been negated by a holding penalty.

Shurmur agreed that Penny had a positive showing. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if Penny got more touches next week if both Gallman and Barkley are out.

“If you ask him, he’ll tell you that he’s a converted halfback,” Shurmur said.

“He plays fullback, but he’s like, “‘Hey coach, give me the ball.’ I thought he stepped in and did some good things.”

Giants Maven Weekly Fan Friday Mailbag

Want to participate in our Friday Fan Day mailbag? Send your questions to us at nygiantsmaven@gmail.com.

Giants Maven Social Media

Follow Patricia on Twitter @Patricia_Traina and don’t forget to check out and like our Facebook page.

Sign up for our free newsletter

Sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Giants news, notes, and more delivered to your inbox!

Can’t get enough Big Blue news and analysis?

Subscribe to the FREE LockedOn Giants podcast, your daily podcast featuring all things New York Giants, available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, FM Player and wherever else podcasts are offered.