Tag: Eli Manning

Watch: Golden Tate Touchdown Brings Back Notre Dame Memories

Tate was at it again on Sunday, taking a pass from Eli Manning and making the Miami Dolphins look like University of Washington defenders from 2009 on his way to the end zone.

I don’t know if there is another player in Notre Dame history that was half as talented at keeping their balance as Golden Tate was. Opponents would regularly get a hand on him, swing him around and he’d routinely spin out to pick up more yardage.

In case you’ve somehow forgotten or are just too young to recall (man alive I feel old typing that), here’s a link to refresh your memory.

Although the New York Giants are out of contention, Tate was at it again on Sunday, taking a pass from Eli Manning and making the Miami Dolphins look like University of Washington defenders from 2009 on his way to the end zone.

The touchdown reception was Tate’s only reception on the day but fifth touchdown of the year. The Giants improved to 3-11 on the season, winning their first game since September 29 in Sunday’s 36-20 win over the Dolphins.

Eli Manning on all the love from Giants fans: ‘I’ll remember this one’

New York Giants QB Eli Manning was admittedly moved by the love expressed by fans on Sunday, saying he’ll remember this one forever.

Eli Manning has won many big games and experienced several special moments throughout his New York Giants career, but Sunday’s 36-20 victory will rank up there among the very best.

That has nothing to do with Manning’s performance (20/28 for 283 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT) or the team winning for just the third time this season. Rather, it has to do with how he was treated by the fans in what may have been his final NFL game.

With seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Manning was called to the bench and the thunderous ovation he received could likely be heard and felt for miles.

But that was merely the culmination of the day. Fans had been chanting, “Eli Manning! Eli Manning!” from the second they entered the stadium.

“Obviously, I don’t know what the future is. I don’t know what lies next week, let alone down the road,” Manning told reporters. “The support and the fans and their ovation and them chanting my name from the first snap to the end, I appreciate that. I appreciate them always.

“All my teammates coming up to me… It was a special day. A special win. One I’ll remember.”

An emotional Manning was not only cheered into the tunnel, he was immediately greeted by his wife, Abby, and their children, only adding to the sentimentality of the moment.

Giants co-owner John Mara also immediately found Manning in the locker room and the tears were drying on his face.

“I thanked him. He said, “thank you and congratulations,'” Manning said. “I shook a lot of hands and gave a lot of hugs today.”

Head coach Pat Shurmur then asked Manning to address a very lively locker room and he did, telling his teammates they had off on Monday and that he’d see them on Wednesday.

Shurmur did not have a Monday off planned for the team, but admitted he was in no position to argue with Eli.

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See it: Giants’ Eli Manning leaves field to thunderous applause

New York Giants QB Eli Manning left what may have been his final game to a thunderous applause and an emotional family greeting.

All season long, New York Giant fans wondered how the club was going to sunset future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Eli Manning’s career.

Now we know.

Late in the fourth quarter with the Giants leading, 36-20, Manning got a chance to trot off the field to a standing ovation when head coach Pat Shurmur substituted Alex Tanney for him.

It was a fitting end for Eli, who will probably go back to the bench for the final two games as rookie Daniel Jones should be ready for the Giants game in Washington next Sunday.

The Giant fans have always had a special place for Eli in their hearts and most of the 72,000-plus who attended gave him a fitting sendoff.

As of the publishing of this article, fans that remain in and around MetLife Stadium continue to loudly cheer, “Eli Manning! Eli Manning!”

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Giants defeat Dolphins, 36-20: Instant analysis

Instant analysis of the New York Giants 36-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins in what may have been Eli Manning’s final game.

The Miami Dolphins played most of this season as team designed to lose after trading away several star players and stocking up on draft picks. They lost their first seven games and then began playing more competitive football the next six weeks.

That ended on Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the 2-11 New York Giants. The Dolphins showed just why they had been playing over their skis the past several weeks by logging in a clunker against a Giants team that had lost a franchise record nine games in a row.

Eli Manning, who most likely started his last game as a Giant on Sunday, led the Giants to a 36-20 victory over Miami on 20-of-28 passing for 283 yards with two touchdowns and three picks.

Following a flat first half which saw the Giants down, 10-7, after Manning threw two troubling interceptions, Big Blue came out in the second half and drove 70 yards in five plays to take a 14-10 lead on a five yard touchdown pass to Darius Slayton.

The Giants widened their lead in the second half to 16-13 when Sam Beal caught Dolphins running back Patrick Laird in the end zone for the Giants’ fist safety in 40 games.

Big Blue took the ensuing kick and struck quickly, going 40 yards in three plays culminating in a one-yard touchdown run by Saquon Barkley. The drive was highlighted by this completion to Sterling Shepard to the one-yard line.

The defense played it’s best half the season in the second half, shutting down the Dolphins until the garbage time touchdown they scored right before the two-minute warning.

Notes

  • If this ends up being Manning’s last start as a Giant, he’ll end with a 117-117 record, which will end all debates regarding putting a quarterback with a losing record in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
  • Barkley gained 112 yards on the ground, his first 100-yard game since Week 2. His two touchdowns were his first rushing scores since Week 7. The 24 carries are the most he’s had all season and the first time this season he’s had over 20 rushing attempts in a game.
  • Slayton became the first player since 2006 (Marques Colston) drafted in the fifth round or later to register 8 or more receiving touchdowns in their rookie season.
  • Rookie cornerback DeAndre Baker left the game temporarily in the third quarter with a knee injury but returned shortly after.

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Giants drop Dolphins: Winners, losers and those in between

The New York Giants defeated the Miami Dolphins in what may be Eli Manning’s final game. Here’s a look at the winners and losers.

In what may be Eli Manning’s final start as a member of the New York Giants, the team came up big and managed to get him a victory — Manning’s first win in over a calendar year and the team’s first win since Week 4.

It was ugly early on, but then the Giants began to roll and never looked back. There were some issues here and there, but all things considered, it was the team’s most well-rounded game all season.

Here’s a quick look at the winners and losers from Week 14:

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Winners

David Mayo: On a team — and specifically a defense — that does very little right, Mayo has been a pleasant and unexpected surprise. Yes, he’s been up-and-down at times and even had a few hiccups on Sunday, but overall he’s a very sound player who steps up and makes big plays at crucial times. It’s a shame his teammates actually drag down his play.

Saquon Barkley: Finally. Finally. Finally. Barkley had not had a 100-yard game since Week 2 and had not reached the endzone since Week 7. Both of those streaks ended with what was arguably Barkley’s best performance of the season. He finished the day with 112 yards on 24 carries, 31 yards on four receptions and two touchdowns.

Darius Slayton: Slayton didn’t put up huge numbers, but he came up big in a few big plays in key spots. He finished the game with two receptions for 31 yards and his eighth touchdown of the season.

Riley Dixon: Worth. Every. Penny.

Others: Dalvin Tomlinson, Leonard Williams, Michael Thomas

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Giants, Eli Manning snap historic losing streak, defeat Dolphins, 36-20

The New York Giants snapped their franchise-worst losing streak, getting Eli Manning a victory in what may be his final ever game.

The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins were hardly billed as must-watch football leading up to their Week 15 battle at MetLife Stadium, and they fully lived up down to those expectations on Sunday.

The first quarter was relatively tame, uneventful and, admittedly, downright boring at times. Neither offense could really get anything going, while sloppy play dominated throughout.

The Dolphins did have an opportunity to go up early, but kicker Jason Sanders was unable to connect on a 49-yard field goal in windy conditions.

Things picked up a bit in the second quarter as each team got their offense moving and the defenses began to get more physical. Still, the play was hardly anything to write home about.

Miami got on the board first, recovering from a failed fourth-down conversion on their previous series to drive the ball an impressive 89 yards on nine plays, capping things off with a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to wide receiver DeVante Parker.

The Giants immediately answered back in a big way, driving the ball 75 yards on just three plays, concluding with a 51-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning to wide receiver Golden Tate, who did an excellent job fighting through a pass interference and staying with a ball that was bobbled.

After forcing the Dolphins to a quick punt, the Giants had an opportunity to execute a two-minute drive, but Manning inexplicably threw an interception into the waiting arms of linebacker Vince Biegel.

The Dolphins wouldn’t let that opportunity go to waste, connecting on a 24-yard field goal with just :44 remaining in the first half.

New York did little with what time remained, gaining short yardage on consecutive plays before Manning tossed a long pass incomplete along the sideline and then tossed another pick out of desperation, leaving the Giants with a 10-7 halftime deficit.

Opening the second half, the Giants came out on fire, taking the opening kickoff and driving the ball 70 yards and six incredibly effective plays, including a five-yard touchdown pass from Manning to rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton to give Big Blue a 14-10 lead.

On the ensuing series, linebacker Alec Ogletree and defensive lineman Leonard Williams went head-to-head with Fitzpatrick, who was attempting a third-down scramble for a first down, but the ball was punched loose and recovered by the Giants.

Not to be outdone, Manning promptly tossed his third interception of the day, immediately giving Miami the ball back and taking near-guaranteed points off the board.

Unlike the Giants, the Dolphins were able to capitalize on the turnover, connecting on a 47-yard Sanders field goal after 22 yards on five plays.

The Giants offense would again sputter after getting the ball back, but their special teams and defense apparently came to play. And following a beautiful booming punt by Riley Dixon and a series of penalties that downed the ball inside the one-yard-line, cornerback Sam Beal came up with a huge play, bringing running back Patrick Laird down in the endzone for a safety.

With yet another opportunity and solid field position following the post-safety drop-kick, the Giants offense would not be denied again. It took just three plays to drive 40 yards, highlighted by a 24-yard pass and catch from Manning to wide receiver Sterling Shepard, before running back Saquon Barkley plunged in for a touchdown from one-yard out, giving Big Blue a 23-13 lead.

After forcing Miami to a quick three-and-out, the Giants had the ball back and were in a position to put the game away — a precarious position for the team at other times in recent season. This time, however? The pedal went to the metal.

Turning the offense up to 100, Manning & Co. drove 66 yards on eight plays and made it look remarkably easier — easier than it’s been all season. That was additionally evident as Barkley casually walked in from 10 yards out to put the Giants up 30-13 in the fourth quarter.

After exchanging a series of punts and having the Dolphins turn the ball over on downs, the Giants put the icing on the cake with a five-play, 55-yard drive that culminated with a one-yard touchdown run courtesy of Buck Allen. However, kicker Aldrick Rosas missed the PAT, leaving the score at 36-13.

With under 2:00 remaining, Miami got back on the board with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Fitzpatrick to Parker, but by that time, it was too late to rally.

The game essentially came to a close with Eli Manning being removed from the field to a rousing standing ovation and chants of, “Eli Manning! Eli Manning!”

With the win, the Giants improve to 3-11 on the season. They will travel to D.C. to take on the Washington Redskins in Week 16.

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Score predictions for the final three games of the Redskins 2019 season

The Redskins are in danger of matching their lowest win total in over 50 years, but they have three familiar foes left on the schedule.

Any way you look at it, the Washington Redskins have had a tough season in 2019. With a 3-10 record through Week 14, the Redskins have been eliminated from the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, and they currently have to worry about hiring a new coach, and quite possibly a new general manager.

To make matters worse, if Washington were to lose their final three games of the season, it will tie their lowest win-total since 1961, 58 years ago. In 2013, 1994, and 1963, the Redskins finished with a 3-13 record. So will Washington match their franchise low again this season? With three games remaining against three divisional teams, there’s definitely a chance. Let’s break it down, game by game.

Week 15 | vs. Philadelphia Eagles (6-7)

Sep 8, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Jimmy Moreland (32) reacts as the Philadelphia Eagles celebrate after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Redskins were able to play the Eagles close the first time they met this year in Week 1 of the season, and they almost upset the hopeful Super Bowl contenders after a nice outing from Case Keenum. This time around though, things look much different.

The Redskins are on a new quarterback and a new head coach, and the Eagles are without many of their star players on offense, and their receiving core has been decimated by injuries. It would seem appropriate to say that both teams are holding on for the end of the season, but the Eagles actually still have a chance to make the playoffs thanks to a putrid NFC East division. If they wish to stay in the hunt, a win against the Redskins would go a long way.

The Eagles should be able to come away victorious if they can keep a clean pocket for QB Carson Wentz to work from, allowing him to pick apart the Redskins secondary that could be without star cornerback Quinton Dunbar, who is currently a game-time decision. On the other hand, Washington would do well to take advantage of a porous secondary in Philly that has been the Achilles heel for the Eagles all year long.

Prediction | Eagles 24, Redskins 13

Week 16 | vs. New York Giants (2-11)

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 29: Landon Collins #20 of the Washington Redskins defends against Bennie Fowler #18 of the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on September 29, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The Redskins’ last home game of the season will also act as the last highly-winnable game of the season, as the struggling Giants will come to town, quite possibly with veteran QB Eli Manning under center.

The first meeting between these two teams acted as quite possibly the biggest nail in the coffin for former Redskins coach Jay Gruden, as it resulted in a 24-3 loss for Washington, and rookie QB Dwayne Haskins saw his first NFL action, throwing three interceptions and zero touchdowns.

This time around, both teams would be better off losing the game, as it would help boost the already high draft stock that both franchises possess. Though the Giants may be without their rookie QB Daniel Jones, the Redskins will have Haskins, who will hopefully start to show his experience on the stat sheet. An increased comfortability with Terry McLaurin and Kelvin Harmon has started to blossom in recent weeks, and the Giants rank near the bottom of the league in pass defense.

On the flip side, the Redskins’ run defense has been less than stellar this season, and the Giants will have RB Saquon Barkley ready to go this time after he was sidelined during the first meeting between these two teams.

Prediction | Redskins 24, Giants 20

Week 17 | at Dallas Cowboys (6-7)

LANDOVER, MD – SEPTEMBER 15: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys runs in front of Josh Norman #24 of the Washington Redskins during the first half at FedExField on September 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)

Early in the season, this Week 17 trip to Dallas seemed like a surefire loss to end the season, but as the year has worn on, it’s grown into a more winnable game by the week.

While the Cowboys are currently in the lead to make the playoffs in the NFC East, they’ve looked like anything but a playoff team as of late, losing three straight games, and four of the last five. Still, Dallas’ offense is ripe with weapons, and they can be dangerous should things start to click again. Dak Prescott was at one point in the MVP conversation this season, and Ezekiel Elliott is still one of the better running backs in the league. As divisional foes, the Cowboys know exactly how they can take advantage of the Redskins struggling and depleted defense.

As for Washington. they will likely opt to attack the Cowboys’ defense on the ground, as they rank in the middle of the pack when it comes to stopping the ground game. With Derrius Guice on the IR, expect Adrian Peterson to receive a heavy workload and lead the Redskins into playing the possession game against a dangerous and explosive offense.

Prediction | Cowboys 35, Redskins 13

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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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Pat Shurmur: Eli Manning could finish the season at QB

The New York Giants will be turning to veteran Eli Manning for a second straight game after rookie Daniel Jones (ankle) was ruled out again.

The New York Giants will face the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium on Sunday and Eli Manning will be their starting quarterback.

Rookie Daniel Jones (high ankle sprain) has been ruled out again. Head coach Pat Shurmur told reporter today that Sunday may not be Eli’s last game as the team’s starter. He could end up finishing out the season for the Giants if Jones takes the full four weeks to recover from his injury.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Shurmur said when asked if Jones could come back next week. “All I know is, Eli’s starting this game against Miami. Then we’ll play it out from there.”

There is no need to rush Jones back from the high ankle sprain as the Giants are 2-11 and going nowhere. It also gives Giant fans a chance to give Eli a proper sendoff. The Giants have one more home game after this one, versus the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17.

Also ruled out for the Giants this week are tight end Evan Engram (foot), right guard Kevin Zeitler (ankle/wrist) and tight end Rhett Ellison (concussion).

Report: Giants’ Daniel Jones, Evan Engram not expected to play vs. Dolphins

New York Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones (ankle) and TE Evan Engram (foot) are not expected to play against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

When New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning took the podium following a Monday Night Football loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, he sounded like a man who recognized that he may have made his final start in blue.

But fate is an odd thing and despite head coach Pat Shurmur doing his best to rush rookie Daniel Jones back, it appears as if Manning will get one last start — at home in front of his East Rutherford fans.

Jones, who is recovering from a high ankle sprain suffered against the Green Bay Packers in Week 13, has been a (very) limited participant in practice this week and has not taken a single first team snap.

On Thursday, Jones did take another positive step forward however, staying after practice to get some extra work with some teammates who also stayed behind. He was moving well and looked close to a return, but the window of time he has ahead of Sunday’s game against Miami is about to close.

Meanwhile, the news was equally as bad for tight end Evan Engram, who has also been a limited participant in practice this. But like Jones, he is not expected to play.

The Giants will be back at practice on Friday morning with their official Week 15 injury report coming out later in the day.

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