Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
A Week 15 matchup between the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns will be a revenge game for many — probably more than you realize.
The New York Giants will be entertaining some old friends when the Cleveland Browns come to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey this Sunday night.
Additionally, the Browns are going to see some familiar faces on the other side of the ball as well.
In fact, there are quite a few cross-connections here in Week 15.
The New York Giants fell to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14 and here’s a look at some of the statistics, numbers and broken records.
One week removed from an impressive upset of the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field, the New York Giants laid an egg against the Arizona Cardinals at home and cost themselves the NFC East lead.
It was an ugly performance from the jump, and no one — not a single coach or player — should escape the crosshairs. It was one of New York’s worst performances of the season and ushers in some genuine concern about the team.
Here’s a look at all the noteworthy stats to come from the Week 14 loss:
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Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the New York Giants’ Week 14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
The New York Giants had their four-game winning streak snapped as they fell to the Arizona Cardinals, 26-7, in what was an ugly performance.
After missing one game due to a hamstring injury, quarterback Daniel Jones returned to the lineup, but looked far from healthy. Jones had trouble moving in the pocket and could not use his legs to takeoff and run.
As a result, Jones was sacked six times and was clearly hobbling around all afternoon. The Giants’ offense could not get anything going as they were only able to scratch across 159 total yards and went 3-for-12 on third down.
Colt McCoy was forced to play the game’s final drive in relief of a gimpy Jones.
For now, the Giants fall back to second place in the NFC East behind the Washington Football Team.
Here’s a look at the winners, losers and mixed reviews from the Giants’ Week 14 loss to the Cardinals.
Instant analysis of the New York Giants’ 26-7 Week 14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium.
The New York Giants came into the game on Sunday with the Arizona Cardinals riding a four-game winning streak. The Cardinals were on a three-game skein.
That’s why the oddsmakers made the Cardinals three-point favorites in this game. Streaks don’t last long in this unusual NFL season and two of them were broken in one fell swoop at MetLife Stadium this afternoon.
The Cardinals routed the listless Giants, 26-7, and it wasn’t even that close.
The Giants got starting quarterback Daniel Jones (hamstring) back for this one after missing last week’s win in Seattle. He did not look right from the start. On the Giants’ opening series, Jones was sacked by former Giant outside linebacker Markus Golden, who picked up the fumble and ran it down to the Giants’ 9.
Arizona could not take advantage, however, getting stonewalled on three running plays before quarterback Kyler Murray tried to sneak a pass into Keesean Johnson in the back of the end zone on fourth down only to be swatted away by Giants cornerback James Bradberry.
The Cardinals, who lead the NFL in red zone scoring, were stopped again on their next trip later in the first quarter, settling for a 34-yard field goal from Mike Nugent (yes, that Mike Nugent) to give Arizona a 3-0 lead.
The Giants stopped the Cardinals again in the red zone in the second quarter, resulting in a second Nugent field goal to extend Arizona’s lead to 6-0.
On the ensuing kickoff, Dion Lewis fumbled the football on the 20 when a Cardinals player appear kicked the ball out of his hands. No penalty was called. This time the Cardinals capitalized when Murray threw a pass off his back foot to tight end Dan Arnold for a seven-yard touchdown and a 13-0 Arizona lead.
The Giant offense couldn’t have been flatter in the first half. Jones, deprived of his mobility, was forced to rely on his passing ability. His line was awful: 6-for-12 for 44 yards with six QB hits (three of which were sacks) and two fumbles (one lost).
The Giants gained just 58 yards in the first half with four first downs and ran just 25 plays. They went 1-for-6 on third down and did not run a single play in Arizona territory.
The second half brought more frustration. The Cardinals scored a touchdown and a field goal in their first three possessions while the Giants just one scoring drive, a four-play, 75-yarder that resulted in a Dion Lewis one-yard touchdown dive.
The final result was a troubling loss, leaving the Giants in a lurch to hope the rest of the NFC East keeps losing.
Jones (11-of-21 for 127 yards) was obviously impaired and his teammates and coaches did very little to pick him up. The offensive line had a rough day against the average Arizona front. Jones was sacked six times and hit a total of nine.
In the end it was a one-sided affair with Arizona (7-6) getting themselves back into the NFC playoff picture while the Giants dropped to 5-8 on the season losing a game they were never able to get into. Their offense was anemic and their special teams not so special. They had been playing close games for most of the year but this one was never in doubt.
Notes
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Tackles Cam Fleming and Andrew Thomas led the New York Giants in PFF grades in Week 13.
The New York Giants shocked the football world in Week 13, upsetting the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks, 17-12, at Lumen Field.
The victory spoke volumes about head coach Joe Judge and where the Giants are headed, especially when you consider they pulled off the upset without running back Saquon Barkley or quarterback Daniel Jones.
That meant other players had to step up, and step up they did.
With Colt McCoy under center, the Giants’ offensive line had to piece together their best performance of the season. Mission accomplished. Right tackle Cam Fleming and left tackle Andrew Thomas earned the team’s two highest grades courtesy of Pro Football Focus, checking in at 87.5 and 87.1, respectively.
For both Fleming and Thomas, the grades represent their highest of the season. And for Thomas, it was far and away the highest grade of his career.
The two tackles were followed up by running back Alfred Morris (84.2), running back Wayne Gallman (79.2) and offensive lineman Will Hernandez (72.5).
Other offensive grades of note were McCoy (57.1), center Nick Gates (62.2) and tight end Evan Engram (68.4).
On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Blake Martinez led the way with a grade of 81.3. Rookie linebacker Carter Coughlin was next up with a 73.6 followed by cornerback James Bradberry (72.2) and safety Logan Ryan (71.8).
Interestingly, despite their huge games, defensive lineman Leonard Williams and safety Jabrill Peppers did not crack the 70 mark, finishing the day with grades of 68.7 and 65.7, respectively.
The lowest-graded Giants in Week 13 were running back Dion Lewis (33.3), offensive lineman Shane Lemieux (42.3) and defensive lineman Austin Johnson (44.9).
Also of note, Lewis graded out almost unrealistically poor in pass protection. He was given a 2.5 (yes, a 2.5).
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Whose stock is up and whose is down following the New York Giants’ victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13?
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The New York Giants went into Seattle on Sunday an 11-point underdog and were not given a chance by many to defeat the Seahawks.
It’s a good thing the Giants didn’t listen to any of the experts. They not only took the fight to Seattle, but they left town with one of the biggest upsets of the season, picking up their fourth straight win with an impressive 17-12 victory.
In the span of a month, the Giants went from being a 1-7 team that was looking at a top 5 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to a team that is now 5-7 and holds first place in the NFC East for at least another week and maybe even longer now.
Before the Giants tangle with another opponent in then NFC West next week — the Arizona Cardinals — whose stock was up and down for the Giants in their impressive upset over Seattle?
The New York Giants defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-17, in Week 10 and the Giants Wire team grades reflect that performance.
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The New York Giants were able to get a win in a heated divisional matchup on Sunday afternoon.
The Giants came out on top in a race for the most wins in the NFC East with the Philadelphia Eagles. With the 27-17 victory, Big Blue stands at 3-7 but 3-2 in the NFC East, which is the most wins within the division.
The win in Week 10 keeps the Giants’ playoff hopes alive for the time being. They are currently just 1.5 games out of first place in the NFC East as they trail the Eagles going into the Week 11 bye.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what we saw during the game and how we graded the Giants in this victory.
Whose stock is up and whose is down following the New York Giants’ victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10?
It had been four long years since the New York Giants tasted victory against the Philadelphia Eagles — the losing streak was at eight straight games. But on Sunday, it stopped right there.
The Giants were able to put away the Eagles in what was probably their most significant win since 2016 and walked out of MetLife Stadium with a 27-17 victory.
At 3-7 and heading into the bye week, it was the best possible way for the Giants to do so. Because now, there’s a lot of hope and quite possibly, a chance for them to make a run at the division.
There’s still a lot of football left to be played but suddenly, the Giants have gone from looking at the No. 1 overall pick sweepstakes to possibly playing for the postseason.
With that said, whose stock for the Giants is up and down after their win against Philadelphia?
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson won’t sleep on New York Giants RB Wayne Gallman, calling him an explosive threat.
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When the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles last met back in Week 7, Big Blue gained 160 yards on the ground and averaged 7.3 per carry. However, 92 of those yards came courtesy of quarterback Daniel Jones, including a now infamous 80-yard scamper.
Since then, the Giants have really turned the dial up on their running game thanks in part to a rather unique offensive line rotation that has seen rookies Matt Peart and Shane Lemieux factor in heavily.
“The only thing is we’ve just got to do our due diligence this week and just study all those guys up front, no matter who’s in the game. It’s just about doing your job and just executing the scheme defensively,” Eagles head coach Doug Pederson told reporters on Wednesday. “Offensive linemen, defensive linemen, it’s all about the one-on-one matchups and taking care of your job. Our guys, I know, will be prepared, they’ll study all those guys that have been in the rotation and have a plan for each one.”
But it’s not just the offensive linemen who have stepped up for the Giants. The running backs have also played substantially better in recent weeks and a chemistry is being built.
The player who has benefited most from the offensive line rotation is running back Wayne Gallman, who’s found a real rapport with his mates up front. He’s had 10 or more touches in three straight games and in each of those, he’s found his way into the endzone.
Gallman may not be Saquon Barkley, but Pederson recognizes that he presents his own threat. As does Devonta Freeman.
“Wayne, I tell you, he’s an explosive guy, he’s also good out of the backfield,” Pederson said. “It’s a good mix of backs that they’re using – of course, Devonta is kind of the new addition and picking up the system, but a veteran player along with [RB] Dion Lewis. I mean, these guys are three different styles and you’ve got to be prepared for all of them, and then you throw in Daniel Jones.
“They’re doing a lot more of the zone read with him and I think it’s something that has helped their run game, when you have an active quarterback like that that can run. It just adds to your defense – in this case our defense – to be prepared and to just continue to ready keys and be disciplined that way.”
If the Giants wish to finally end their dry streak against the Eagles, it will come on the backs of Gallman, the offensive line and the ground game.
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Whose stock is up and whose is down following the New York Giants’ victory over the Washington Football Team in Week 9?
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The New York Giants haven’t had many opportunities to celebrate victories during the 2020 season, but on Sunday, they were able to do just that.
The Giants were able to hold off a possible late rally by Washington and got their first road win with a 23-20 victory. The defense came up huge with four turnovers and three key interceptions off of Alex Smith, two of which came in the fourth quarter.
Despite the fact that the Giants are 2-7 on the season, they are 2-2 in the NFC East and somehow, are still in the division race. The Giants actually have a chance to gain some ground in the division when they square off in an important NFC East re-match against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9.
So before the Giants take on another division rival, whose stock is up and down from their win against Washington?
