Eagles trail 17-3 at the half as Giants rookie WR racks up 154-yards, 2 TD’s

Eagles down 17-3 to the Giants at the half

The Philadelphia Eagles are reliving Miami all over again, as Eli Manning is carving up the Birds secondary in South Philadelphia.

Ronald Darby has been burned twice by Giants rookie wide receiver, Darius Slayton, as the Eagles trail 17-3.

Slayton has 154 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 1st half, while Eli Manning is 11-19, for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

For the Eagles, there was another slow start and two more starters on offense lost to injury, as both Lane Johnson and Alshon Jeffery were carted off with lower-body injuries.

Carson Wentz lost another fumble in the first half and has gone 11-19 for 97 yards and no touchdowns.

3 takeaways from Giants’ Week 13 loss to Packers

Here are three takeaways from the New York Giants’ Week 13 loss to the Green Bay Packers, which dropped them to 2-10.

The New York Giants’ latest loss, a 31-13 slopfest against a recently struggling Green Bay Packers team, has all but put the lid on Big Blue’s designs of becoming a competitive team this season.

In front of a large throng of Packer fans, the Giants once again displayed for the whole word that thy are officially one of the NFL’s worst and most poorly run franchises.

Here are three takeaways (click away now if you’re looking for a silver lining).

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Numbers don’t lie

At 2-10, the Giants are officially the doormat of the NFC. There is no further to fall. They are it. John Mara and Dave Gettleman can be proud of the mess they’ve made of this franchise. Sure, you can blame Jerry Reese, but Gettleman has had two full offseasons and the team has gotten worse. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

How do you get to 2-10? Easily. The other team scores more than you every week, that’s how. They are averaging 19.2 points per game but have scored only 13 and 14 points respectively in the past two games. That’s not going to get it done when you’re allowing 28.2 points each week.

Who is to blame? Just about everyone. The team is not coached very well, has two many inexperienced players and the veterans who are here are under-performing.

Giants dropped by Packers, 31-13: Instant analysis

Instant analysis of the latest New York Giants loss in which they fell to the Green Bay Packers, 31-13, in a snow storm.

The New York Giants are thisclose to having the first overall selection in next year’s NFL Draft. With the 31-13 loss this afternoon to the Green Bay Packers at icy MetLife Stadium, Big Blue fell to 2-10 on the season and just may be the worst team in the NFL right now.

They didn’t exactly embarrass themselves against the Packers on this lousy weather day, but just like nine other times this season, they just didn’t do enough again to win the game.

To their credit, the Giants kept things close for three quarters but the lack of depth and experience caught up with them as the Packers scored two touchdowns in the final frame to put the game away.

The team continues to be poorly run. On offense, timeouts are being used haphazardly and the play calling leaves a lot to be desired.

On defense, the coverage dogged them again, surrendering too many big plays in the passing game while committing costly penalties.

At this rate, it’s going to be difficult for general manager Dave Gettleman and the coaching staff to convince Giants’ ownership they deserve to return next season.

Some highlights…

Sterling Shepard from Daniel Jones for a TD.

A 43-yard completion to Cody Latimer.

Notes

  • The loss was the Giants’ eighth straight, which is tied for the second-longest skein in franchise history. They lost eight consecutive games on three other occasions: 1966 (Oct 23-Dec 18), 1980 (Sept 14-Nov 2) and 2004 (Nov 7-Dec 26). They will be attempting to tie the franchise record of nine next Monday night in Philadelphia. The record was set in 1976 (Sept 12-Nov 7) and matched from Nov 9, 2003 through Sept 14, 2004.
  • The Giants were without their two top tight ends again. Evan Engram (foot) and Rhett Ellison (concussion). They were replaced by rookie Kaden Smith and Scott Simonson.
  • Latimer started for Golden Tate (concussion) at wide receiver and rookie Julian Love was in for Jabrill Peppers (back) at safety.
  • Daniel Jones now has a touchdown pass in each of his 10 starts this season.
  • Wide receiver Darius Slayton had six receptions for 44 yards but his best play of the game – a 29-yard gain down the sideline in which he made a fingertip grab – was wiped away due to a penalty.

[vertical-gallery id=634078]

Giants fall to Packers: Winners, losers and those in between

The New York Giants fell to 2-10 with a 31-13 loss to the Packers in Week 13, and here’s a look at the winners and losers from that game.

The New York Giants fell to the Green Bay Packers, 31-13, on a snowy Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, extending their losing streak to eight consecutive games and officially eliminating them from the playoffs.

The game itself wasn’t as lopsided as many anticipated initially, but it got a little out of hand later on in the fourth quarter. And while that does represent some progress, as head coach Pat Shurmur would say, you don’t get any prizes for trying hard.

Here’s a look at some winners and losers from Week 13:

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Winners

Sterling Shepard: Because of the weather, Shepard wasn’t targeted as many times as he would have been under sunny skies, but he made sure to remind Giants Nation how valuable he can be when he’s on the field. He hauled in three receptions for 40 yards and one beautiful touchdown, and was open several other times throughout the game, but the Giants were simply unable to get him the ball. He did have one drop, but that shouldn’t define his performance.

Darius Slayton: Slayton is rapidly becoming a consistent weekly force and Sunday was no different. Ironically, he actually played better than his stats would indicate as one of his long receptions was called back due to a penalty. He finished the game with six receptions for 44 yards.

Janoris Jenkins: Jenkins entered the Week 13 game feeling quite confident and all but guaranteeing he wouldn’t give up a touchdown, and true to his word, he did not. In fact, Jenkins didn’t give up a single reception to a receiver in which he was covering one-on-one, and even had a pass defensed that prevented a score.

Others: Buck Allen, Aldrick Rosas, Kaden Smith

7 fantasy football wavier wire claims to make ahead of Week 13

Fantasy football wavier wire claims ahead of Week 13 of the NFL season.

Need a fresh face for your fantasy football roster this week?

It’s never too late for a few extra points to add to your win column.

Here are seven waiver wire claims to make in fantasy football ahead of Week 13:

New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

QB Sam Darnold

Another week, another 34 points, another addition of Sam Darnold on the waiver wire player to pick up list. Folks still aren’t pick up on Darnold, but he’s now a huge add and immediately start with the Bengals en route. It’s easy to envision the Jets and Darnold not putting up 34 point for the fourth-straight game, that’s because they have a look at surpassing that, easily. In those three games, he has seven touchdowns, one interception and 838 passing yards. He should stay out of the tabloids, though.

Percent owned in ESPN fantasy leagues: 18.9%

9 fantasy sleepers for Week 13

Sam Darnold, Benny Snell Jr. and LeSean McCoy highlight the Week 13 list of fantasy sleepers.

In most fantasy football leagues, Week 13 is the final week of the regular season. You might be desperate for a win and need one sleeper to put you over the top.

Or you might already be well set for the playoffs. Even if you are, you should be looking to add as much depth as possible for the postseason.

Either way, Touchdown Wire presents nine fantasy football sleepers for Week 13.

9. Russell Gage, WR, Atlanta Falcons

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Gage could be a good player to start in the Thanksgiving night game with the Saints. He gradually has taken on a bigger role in the offense because so much defensive attention goes to Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. Gage had eight catches for 76 yards in Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay. He should play a bigger role going forward.

Giants lose seventh straight game, fall to Bears, 19-14

The New York Giants fell to 2-9 on the season after losing their seventh consecutive game, this time to the Chicago Bears, 19-14.

The New York Giants returned from their bye week on Sunday and took the field against the Chicago Bears looking to end their six-game losing streak and delay their playoff elimination for at least one more week. And with jobs very much on the line, there was obviously something to play for.

However, when you pit two bad teams against each other, guess what you get? Bad football. And that’s exactly what a regional audience saw in Week 12.

The Giants and Bears started about as slowly as two teams could, exchanging three punts to open the game with neither team gaining more than 18 yards on their respective offensive drives before Mitchell Trubisky finally got things moving for Chicago.

The Bears were engineering a potential scoring drive and had moved inside the Giants’ 20 before Trubisky uncorked an errant throw into the back of the endzone that was picked off by linebacker Alec Ogletree, whose athleticism on the play can not be overstated.

Things settled back down briefly and the two teams again exchanged a series of punts before Daniel Jones finally got things moving in the right direction for Big Blue, connecting with tight end Kaden Smith one a three-yard touchdown to cap off a six-play, 42-yard drive. It was Smith’s first NFL touchdown.

The Giants defense then forced Chicago to a quick three-and-out and Jabrill Peppers nearly broke off a touchdown run on the ensuing punt, but he was brought down by the last line of defense.

With momentum swinging in their direction, the Giants could have gone up two scores, but an ugly third down play (outside toss to Saquon Barkley, who looked like he wanted to throw) led to a 42-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide right as the result of a terrible Zak DeOssie snap.

Eight combined plays later, the Giants were back in field goal range, but for the second time on the day, an Aldrick Rosas field goal sailed wide. This time, the snap was better, but Rosas just pulled it left.

With 1:55 remaining in the half, the Bears finally pieced together a solid drive against a Giants defense that was playing prevent. And while they weren’t able to put the ball into the endzone, they did chip away at the lead, connecting on a 26-yard field goal to bring the game within 7-3 at halftime.

The Bears remained hot to open the third quarter, aided by great field position after Rosas booted the second half kickoff out of bounds. It took just 2:48 to capture their first lead of the game, capping off a five-play, 60-yard drive with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Trubisky to wide receiver Allen Robinson II.

After forcing the Giants to a quick three-and-out, the suddenly dominant Bears offense was back at it and they found a weakness to exploit — rookie cornerback Corey Ballentine.

Trubisky began to follow Ballentine pre-snap and made sure to throw to whatever receiver he was covering, eating up massive chunk plays time after time. However, this time around, Chicago’s offense stalled in the red zone and they were forced to settle for a short field goal, increasing their lead to 13-7 with 7:09 remaining in the third quarter.

On the very next play, Khalil Mack, who had been held in check, finally made his presence felt, skirting around Nate Solder for the strip sack of Jones. And the long-struggling Bears offense again came alive and made the turnover count, running three consecutive plays inside the 5-yard line, culminating with a two-yard touchdown run courtesy of Trubisky. However, Chicago missed the PAT after a bizarre series of penalties, leaving the score at 19-7.

Chicago was quick to get the ball back once again, forcing the Giants to a three-and-out (broken record, anyone?), but this time they weren’t able to put additional points on the board as Trubisky reverted back to his early season form, launching a ball down the middle of the field to no one in particular that was picked off by rookie Julian Love.

No matter, however. The inept Giants offense continued to be exactly that, turning the ball over on downs and once again supplying Chicago an opportunity to essentially put the game away.

But the Bears couldn’t get the job done — a theme of theirs all season — burning just 3:53 off the clock before punting the ball back to the Giants, who appeared poised to let time melt away before a miracle 4th-and-18 touchdown pass from Jones landed in the arms of wide receiver Golden Tate and breathed new life into Big Blue.

With the score 19-14, the Bears once again could have run the clock down and escaped with a win, but were denied when Markus Golden crashed through the line of scrimmage to stop a 3rd-and-1 giving the Giants one final opportunity to drive 94 yards for the win.

Almost immediately, the Giants were faced with another fourth down, but once again, Jones came through, connecting with Darius Slayton to move the chains. However, history would not repeat itself on the next fourth down attempt as Jones’ pass fell harmlessly to the ground, sending the Giants to their seventh consecutive loss.

In defeat, the Giants fall to 2-9 on the season. They will take on the Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium in Week 13.

Do Giants have one of NFL’s top young cores?

Things look bad for the New York Giants right now, but do they actually have one of the NFL’s best young cores?

[jwplayer cfZzcYxP-ThvAeFxT]

The New York Giants are mired in another losing season and fans are beginning to groan that things are never going to change, but when stepping back and looking at their roster objectively, is there enough young talent to warrant some long-term optimism?

Chris Roling of Bleacher Report certainly thinks so. In fact, he believe the Giants have one of the top young cores in the NFL, just edging out the New York Jets.

9. New York Giants

Key Young Core Players: Saquon Barkley, Daniel Jones, Dexter Lawrence

It is hard not to like a core that has a player with the rushing prowess of Saquon Barkley.

The 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year bullied his way to 1,300-plus yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns last year for a bad New York Giants team. While the 22-year-old running back had one particularly awful showing in Week 10 this season (13 carries for one yard), he would still be on pace for nearly a 1,000-yard campaign if he weren’t missing time with a shoulder injury.

Barkley is a nice support for rookie Daniel Jones, who was hindered by a coaching staff unwilling to move on from Eli Manning. The 22-year-old quarterback has shown big upside while completing 63 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions despite taking 32 sacks.

Dexter Lawrence, a first-round pick this year, has quietly been a force. The 22-year-old defensive tackle is the highest-graded player on the Giants because of his run defense (sixth at his position), according to Pro Football Focus.

And there are also guys like tight end Evan Engram (25) and guard Will Hernandez (24), not to mention a young wideout not part of the 25-and-under core in Sterling Shepard.

Roling makes his case without even mentioning breakout wide receiver Darius Slayton, talented linebacker Ryan Connelly and a few other 25-and-under stars like Jabrill Peppers, Dalvin Tomlinson, B.J. Hill and Leonard Williams.

The reality is, the Giants are stocked with young front-end talent, but are struggling due to their inexperience and lack of depth behind them. Time will provide a wealth of knowledge for most, but the Giants still have a lot of roster building to do — this young talent needs some veteran experience and leadership around them. Certainly more than the team has right now.

[lawrence-related id=632823,632846,632876]

Giants’ Darius Slayton already a breakout star, but can he shine brighter?

New York Giants rookie WR Darius Slayton should already be considered a breakout star, but his ascension is only just beginning.

After a poor start to his career, which was highlighted by one of the worst rookie minicamps in ages, New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton has slowly established himself as a trust-worthy target and legitimate deep threat thanks to a solid rapport between himself and fellow rookie, quarterback Daniel Jones.

In his eight games this season, Slayton has hauled in 27 receptions for 394 yards and a team-leading five touchdowns. And he’s now coming off of a career-best performance against the New York Jets in which he hauled in 10 receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

But could Slayton’s star shine even brighter over the final seven weeks of the season? Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report certainly thinks so.

New York Giants: WR Darius Slayton

Take one guess as to who leads the New York Giants in receiving touchdowns.

Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram would be logical choices, but they’re all incorrect. Instead, rookie fifth-round wideout Darius Slayton leads Big Blue with five touchdown catches.

Against the Jets in Week 10, Slayton had his best showing, hauling in 10 receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns. With Shepard still sidelined because of a concussion and Engram “day-to-day, week-to-week” with a mid-foot sprain, Slayton could build on that strong outing after the Giants’ Week 11 bye.

In the final quarter of the season, the Giants will play the Dolphins, Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles (twice). Each of those teams have allowed 15 or more receiving touchdowns, which ranks 17th or worse.

Until Shepard and/or Engram return, Slayton should see more targets from rookie quarterback Daniel Jones as they continue to develop a rapport. With porous pass defenses on the schedule at the end of the year, he has a chance to rank near the top of receiving categories among rookie wide receivers.

Even when Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram return, Slayton should continue to see a significant number of targets and downfield opportunities. It’s clear he’s not flash in the pan and could very well become the next in a long line of quality receivers churned out by the Giants.

[lawrence-related id=632802,632792,632775]

8 fantasy football waiver wire claims to make ahead of Week 11

Fantasy football waiver wire claims to make ahead of Week 11.

Need a fresh face for your fantasy football roster this week?

It’s never too late for a few extra points to add to your win column.

Here are eight waiver wire claims to make in fantasy football ahead of Week 11:

Atlanta Falcons running back Brian Hill. Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

QB Nick Foles

Big man on campus, quarterback Nick Foles, in back in the fold for the Jaguars in Week 11. Foles hasn’t played since injuring his collarbone in the team’s season opener and he now might be a good add for a late-season run. He does have a tough meeting this week against the No. 9 pass defense in the Colts, but he has meetings against bottom-feeders such as the Bucs, Raiders and Falcons in the coming weeks.

Percent owned in ESPN fantasy leagues: 9.7%

RB Brian Hill

Devonta Freeman was lost by the Falcons in their Week 10 upset of the Saints. Without him, it’ll be Brian Hill as the No. 1 back. Ito Smith’s season is already over due to a neck injury as well. In relief last week, Hill had 20 carries for 61 yards with one catch. The No. 29 Panthers’ run defense awaits this week as well.

Percent owned in ESPN fantasy leagues: 1.1%