Category: Giants Wire Features

5 reasons Giants could defeat Dolphins in Week 15

The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins square off in Week 15, and here are five reasons Big Blue could come away with the win.

The New York Giants have the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in a matchup between two of the NFL’s “have-nots.”

The Giants are favored by 3.5 points in this game and we think they are in a great spot to win this week. Here are five reasons why…

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants don’t have much luck these days

Which means they won’t get the No. 1 overall pick. It’s just the way things have been falling for them the past few years.This game, should they win, basically takes them out of the running for the top pick because a) they’ll be two games up on Cincinnati (who is 1-12 and plays New England this week) and b) by beating the 3-10 Dolphins, they’ll be tied with them and will lose the tiebreaker.

For the record, the Giants have only drafted first twice. In 1951, they selected SMU end Kyle Rote and in 1965 they took Tucker Frederickson, a running back from Auburn. They have selected No. 2 three times (Skippy Minisi, 1948; Lawrence Taylor, 1981 and Saquon Barkley, 2018). They have selected third only twice: John Hicks in 1974 and Carl Banks in 1984.

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Giants vs. Dolphins: 3 keys to victory in Week 15

Here are three things the New York Giants can do to ensure a victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday and get their third win this season

The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins have zero hope of making the playoffs this year, so when they face off this Sunday at MetLife Stadium, only pride is on the line.

The Dolphins have three wins under their belts, while the Giants are looking for their third.

Here are three keys to a Big Blue victory this weekend:

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com via USA TODAY NETWORK

Try actually making adjustments

Last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants took a 17-3 lead into the locker room at halftime. But instead of making adjustments knowing that the Eagles would make adjustments, Pat Shurmur and James Bettcher chose to stay the course. Except in the process of “staying the course,” they also go away from what was working (see: going to Darius Slayton).

The result was that the Giants lost in OT. So this week, maybe the two of them could try to make some adjustments during the game. And maybe those adjustments lead the team to a victory.

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Giants Coordinator Corner: Coaches looking for consistency down the stretch

The New York Giants’ coordinators are looking for some consistency out of their players over the final three weeks of the season.

The New York Giants’ three coordinators met with the media on Thursday as their prepared their respective units for Sunday’s game against the 3-10 Miami Dolphins.

The Giants, 2-11, have lost nine consecutive games and can set a franchise record for consecutive losses should they come out not he losing end this week.

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com, North Jersey Record via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Offensive coordinator Mike Shula

The Giants are still holding out hope that Daniel Jones can play this Sunday. Shula did not commit to Jones or Eli Manning leaving that announcement for head coach Pat Shurmur.

Shula was also asked about the failure of running back Saquon Barkley to crack 100 yards rushing since returning from a high ankle sprain seven games ago.

“First of all, it’s hard. Last year when we got rolling, it was you get on a roll and you stay on it,” said Shula. “That’s our goal to do that every year. More importantly, to win football games. We know that the running game is going to be a big part of that. I think that probably four or five weeks ago, we kind of struggled just with a few things, just with some moving parts.

“Saquon was just getting back from his injury. I think the last few weeks, though, we’ve been back heading in the direction where we want to go. We’re not quite there, but there are a lot of positive runs, a lot of efficient runs. You see our offensive line coming off the ball, you see them re-establishing the line of scrimmage, Saquon is hitting it up in there. We’ve had a few that have been really close, really in the last three games, from breakouts. I felt that way the week before.

“Unfortunately, we had to punt it over and then got down a couple scores. We had to kind of get to throwing the football. Then last week, we were kind of the same. But there is a lot more good now than basically what we saw four or five weeks ago.”

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Gimme Him: One player Giants would steal from Dolphins

Who would the New York Giants steal from the Miami Dolphins? How about this wide receiver who would immediately improve their team.

The New York Giants will square off against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon is one of their final two home games. And in doing so, provides those of us here at Giants Wire a unique opportunity to theoretically steal a player from a roster we rarely see.

Of course, that seems far less exciting than usual on the surface because the 3-10 Dolphins have an extremely thin roster and are undergoing a major rebuild. However, there are some gems to be had…

Of course, by “some gems” we really just mean “one gem.”

The Giants certainly need work along their offensive line, at the linebacker position and at the safety position, but Miami really doesn’t have the spare parts necessary to address those areas. What they do have however, is a tall game-breaking wide receiver, which is the only offensive weapon New York lacks.

At 6-foot-3 and 216 pounds, DeVante Parker is a red zone target capable of creating distinct mismatches, but that’s hardly where his talent begins and ends. With 4.45 speed to go along with his size, Parker is capable of stretching the field and hauling in long passes, while also opening up opportunities for his teammates.

With the Giants, Parker would be able to start outside opposite of Golden Tate, while Sterling Shepard handles the slot and Evan Engram creates nightmares at the tight end position. And with Saquon Barkley at running back? Phew boy, would that be some sort of talented group.

In 13 games (11 starts) this season, Parker has hauled in 55 receptions for a career-high 882 yards and six touchdowns to go along with a Pro Football Focus grade of 76.0.

What say you, Giants fans? Would you steal Parker from Miami or would you go with a different player?

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Throwback Thursday: Giants down Dolphins at Wembley in 2007

In the latest Giants Wire Throwback Thursday, we go back in time to 2007 when the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins in London.

One of the more forgettable football games in NFL history is likely the one played between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins on October 28, 2007. The Giants won a battle of attrition, 13-10, in the first ever regular season NFL game played outside of North America.

On the rain-soaked pitch of London’s iconic Wembley Stadium, Tom Coughlin’s 5-2 Giants faced off against the 0-7 Dolphins with Cam Cameron at the helm. The conditions were awful and well below NFL standards. The turf was loose and muddy and unfit for play but the game commenced regardless.

The Giants scored the first 13 points, all in the first half. Two Lawrence Tynes field goals sandwiched an Eli Manning 10-yard touchdown run. So, yes, an unorthodox game for sure.

The Dolphins managed to get on the board in the third with Jay Feely’s 21-yard field goal. Neither team would score again until just after the two-minute warning when Dolphins quarterback Cleo Lemon found Ted Ginn Jr. for a 21-yard touchdown.

The Dolphins’ onside kick attempt failed, and when Manning knelt three times to run out the clock to end the game, the local audience booed. Apparently, they did not understand what they were seeing was the norm.

The game was a success for the league’s first foray into the London market. The attendance was reported at 81,176 and both teams were pleased they made the trip across the pond.

“Our team was very proud to be here in London,” Coughlin said after the game. “The people have been wonderful to us. The stadium is beautiful…It was a difficult game for us. We thought we were in pretty good shape defensively for a long time…But nevertheless, on the last drive [for them] to score in those situations was a shocker to me.”

“I can’t imagine a game being put together better than this. The hospitality was like none I’ve ever seen,” said Cameron. “As it relates to the game, I told our guys you can’t make that many mistakes, especially in the scoring zone. We weren’t able to overcome those mistakes.”

It was a strange game for the Giants. Manning only completed eight of his 22 passing attempts for 59 yards. The Giants won the game on the ground behind Brandon Jacobs’ 131 yards on 23 carries. Reuben Droughns gained another 27 yards on eight attempts.

The Giants, of course, would go on the win the Super Bowl that season while the Dolphins would only win one game the entire season.

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Giants vs. Dolphins: 6 things to know about Week 15

The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins square off on Sunday in Week 15, so here are six things fans should know.

The New York Giants (2-11) host the Miami Dolphins (3-10) in a game between two last place teams that could impact the top of next April’s NFL Draft.

Here are six things to know before Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium.

William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

The series history

This will be the ninth regular-season meeting between the two teams since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger. The Giants lead the series, 6-2 and have a 2-2  home record.

The teams only met once between 1970 and 1990, a 23-13 Dolphins victory at Yankee Stadium on December 10, 1972. They’ve played seven times since 1990.

The teams last faced one another on December 14, 2015 with the Giants winning, 31-24, at Hard Rock Stadium. The teams last played in MetLife Stadium on Oct. 30, 2011 when the Super Bowl-bound Giants nipped the Dolphins, 20-17.

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Stock up, down after Giants’ 23-17 loss to Eagles

Whose stock is up and whose is down following the New York Giants’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14?

The New York Giants almost had their first win in three months. Almost.

And then the Philadelphia Eagles scored 20 unanswered points and needed overtime to knock off the Giants, 23-17, to send them to their ninth straight defeat.

In the return for Eli Manning, the Giants were oh so close in this one. But in a season of mishap and the unfortunate, even the future Hall of Fame quarterback couldn’t help the Giants on Monday night, even when at times, Manning turned back the clock and looked like the guy we all saw win two Super Bowls.

Instead, the Giants reverted back to their losing ways in the second half and let the Eagles steal steal their sixth straight victory against them.

Whose stock is up and down for the Giants following the loss to the Eagles.

AP Photo/Michael Perez

Stock up: Eli Manning

Manning has been on the bench since mid-September and had been carrying a headset on game days since Daniel Jones took over.

And yet, because of an ankle sprain, Manning was asked to go back into the lineup and try to give the Giants a winning effort. And that’s exactly what he did.

Manning threw for two touchdowns in the first half and breathed a lot of life into the Giants. He kept the mistakes down, the turnovers down, and looked like he had done this job since 2004.

If Jones can’t go next week, Manning proved that he still has something left in the tank and can start next week, and if needed, the rest of the season.

Stock down: Will Hernandez

Hernandez is considered one of the Giants’ best offensive lineman and should continue to get better, but he’s experienced a bit of a sophomore slump at times.

The second-year guard missed a few blocking assignments that lead to Saquon Barkley getting stopped for losses or no gain on Monday night — something that’s becoming a theme.

Hernandez is a better player than this and he should improve. With that said, it hasn’t been his best work on the field.

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What we learned from Giants’ 23-17 loss to Eagles

The New York Giants lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 23-17, in Week 14 and here’s some of what we learned from that loss.

The New York Giants looked strong in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, taking a 17-3 lead into the locker room at halftime. Then they stopped scoring.

No adjustments were made on the Giants’ side, while the Eagles scored a touchdown in each of the final two quarters of the game to tie it. The Eagles ended up scoring 20 unanswered points to win the game.

Here’s what we learned from the 23-17 loss:

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants’ coaches can’t make adjustments

The first half was great for the Giants, they took a 17-3 lead into the locker room at halftime. But after that, the team went flat. No changes were made. The Eagles scored 20 unanswered points.

For whatever reason, Pat Shurmur and James Bettcher decided that nothing needed to change and that it was okay to get away from doing things that were working. It boggles the mind how these two come up with a game plan. Whatever they are doing hasn’t worked all season, so why do they think that staying the course is the answer?

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Giants Twitter continues to take aim at Pat Shurmur, Dave Gettleman

After the team’s latest loss, New York Giants fans took aim at GM Dave Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmur on Twitter.

The New York Giants led the Philadelphia Eagles, 17-3, at halftime on Monday night and fans were loving it. Coupled with an impressive start to the game by quarterback Eli Manning, there was suddenly some optimism and excitement brewing.

Then everything fell apart.

The Giants allowed 20 unanswered points in the second half and into overtime, managing just 29 total yards over the final half-plus and at times, Pat Shurmur was very obviously being out-coached.

Following the latest loss, it comes as little surprise that Giants Twitter focused in on Shurmur and general manager Dave Gettleman.

Black Monday is going to be an interesting day for these Giants. Do Gettleman and Shurmur get sent packing or do they return? And if so, how will Big Blue Nation react?

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Giants vs. Eagles: Statistics, numbers and broken records

The New York Giants fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14 and here’s a look at some of the statistics, numbers and broken records.

The New York Giants were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles, 23-17, in overtime on Monday night, dropping their record to 2-11 on the season and a tying a franchise record in futility by losing their ninth straight game.

The Giants had dominated the first half and appeared to be in the drivers’ seat, but the wheels completely came off in the second half as the coaching staff failed to make necessary adjustments.

Here’s a look at all the noteworthy stats and records to come from the Week 14 loss:

  • As noted, the loss is the Giants’ ninth in a row, tying an all-time franchise record.
  • With the loss, Eli Manning falls below .500 on his career (116-117).
  • With his two touchdown passes, Manning passed Ben Roethlisberger for seventh place on the all-time list (364 TD passes).
  • With his 203 passing yards, Manning passed Ben Roethlisberger for seventh place on the all-time list (56,740 yards).
  • With receptions by Darius Slayton, Golden Tate and Kaden Smith, Manning has now completed a pass to 97 different players.
  • With the first touchdown reception by Darius Slayton, Manning has now tossed a TD pass to 57 different players.
  • Darius Slayton is the first rookie to have multiple games of 100+ receiving yards and 2+ receiving TD in a single season since 2014, when three players did it: Mike Evans, Allen Hurns and Odell Beckham Jr.
  • Darius Slayton’s 154 yards receiving represent a career high.
  • Darius Slayton has caught two or more TD passes in three games this season, which is a most by a Giants rookie since Odell Beckham Jr. did it four times in 2014.
  • The Giants’ 14-point halftime lead was the largest lead surrendered by the team in defeat since November 30, 2014 (Jacksonville Jaguars).
  • The Giants gained 255 yards of offense in the first half to just 29 yards of offense in the second half.
  • Saquon Barkley has caught at least one pass in his first 26 career games, tying him with Ron Johnson for the longest such streak to start a Giants career.
  • Markus Golden now has 8.5 sacks on the season, which is the highest total by a Giants linebacker since Jessie Armstead recorded nine sacks in 1999.
  • Rookie Oshane Ximines recorded two sacks on Monday night, which represents an early career high.
  • Cornerback Sam Beal made his first career start.
  • Carson Wentz threw 50 passes on Monday night, which was the most against a Giants defense since Denver Broncos QB Trevor Siemian had 50 attempts on October 15, 2017.

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