Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings square off on Sunday afternoon in the Wild Card round, so here are five things fans should know.
The Minnesota Vikings (13-4, No. 3 seed) host the New York Giants (9-7-1, No. 6 seed) this Sunday afternoon in the Super Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs.
Here are five things to know before Sunday’s game.
The New York Giants lost their Week 18 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.
The New York Giants closed out the regular season with a 22-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but the game may have been a momentum builder.
Despite much criticism, Giants head coach Brian Daboll opted to sit most of his starters on Sunday and expectations were that Big Blue would get blown out. Instead, the Eagles struggled with New York’s reserves and third-string players, needing every bit of four quarters to finally put them away.
There’s a lot to break down and a lot to go over but before we look ahead, let’s look back. Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ loss.
Offensive snaps: 63
Defensive snaps: 73
Special teams snaps: 28
Precious few starters saw the field on Sunday but of them, offensive lineman Ben Bredeson took 100% of the snaps. Meanwhile, wide receiver Darius Slayton saw the field for only three plays.
Offensive linemen Nick Gates and Evan Neal also hovered around the 50% mark.
Defensively, safety/linebacker Landon Collins got plenty of work in, logging 38 snaps. Fellow linebacker Jarrad Davis, who may start in the Wild Card game, took a snap share of 96%.
In total, just 37 players received a snap on Sunday. Daboll clearly committed to the rest and health of his men.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx61yex5whq8aq player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]
[listicle id=704487]
[vertical-gallery id=704483]
The New York Giants defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 38-10, in Week 17 and the Giants Wire team grades reflect that performance.
The New York Giants defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 38-10, on Sunday afternoon.
This win brings the Giants’ record to 9-6-1 and punches their ticket into the playoffs.
The Giants will play the Philidelphia Eagles this weekend in a game where the starters may be rested as they have locked up the sixth seed and can’t move in either direction.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what we saw during the game and how we graded the Giants in this win.
The New York Giants were defeated by the Minnesota Vikings, 38-10, on Sunday afternoon. This win brings the Giants 9-6-1 and punches their ticket into the playoffs. It was practically a start-to-finish win for Big Blue as after the Colts got the …
The New York Giants were defeated by the Minnesota Vikings, 38-10, on Sunday afternoon.
This win brings the Giants 9-6-1 and punches their ticket into the playoffs. It was practically a start-to-finish win for Big Blue as after the Colts got the first point on the board it was all Giants. The Giants will play the Philidelphia Eagles next week in a game where the starters may be rested as they have essentially locked up the sixth seed.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what we saw during the game and how we graded the Giants in this win.
Offense: A
The Giants’ offense was responsible for 31 points on Sunday (most of the season). This snaps a 49-game streak where the Giants were unable to score 30 or more points on the offensive side of the ball.
The only thing that stopped this offense from receiving an A+ was the one untimely fumble by Darius Slayton at the start of the second half in Giants’ territory. This could have resulted in a meaningful swing in the game as the Giants were only up 21 at the time and the lead could have easily been cut down to 14.
However, other than that New York was nearly perfect on the offensive side of the ball. Four touchdowns and a field goal out of seven meaningful drives are great considering the Colts have allowed four touchdowns only twice this season.
Daniel Jones had himself a game on Sunday as he passed for 177 yards and two touchdowns with a 125.2 passer rating. Jones also rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns doing nearly everything for New York. A lot of credit has to also go to the offensive line which allowed zero sacks and only two quarterback hits. The unit also opened up lots of rushing lanes as the team rushed for 217 yards and 5.9 yards per carry on the day.
Defense: A
While the Colts’ offense is not anything special, holding them to ten points (only three of them coming in the first half) is something that deserves praise. New York’s defense scored seven points themselves in the first half as Landon Collins turned back the clock and had a 52-yard pick-six.
The rest of the defense did its job nearly perfectly also. The Colts were only able to pass for 124 yards on the day. That was the team’s second-lowest passing output which is so surprising since they were down nearly the entire game. A lot of credit goes to the Giants’ defensive backfield as they played tight coverage all game allowing only 5.2 yards per passing attempt.
In terms of the rush defense, things could have definitely improved slightly as the team allowed 128 rushing yards on the day. However, the Colts do in fact have one of the better rushing attacks in football and these yards resulted in only 10 points on the board.
Special Teams: B-
The special teams unit did its job on Sunday.
Graham Gano made all five of his extra points and his one field goal attempt. Jamie Gillan only punted once and it was for a touchback; it was not the best result but definitely not a game-changer. And finally, Gary Brightwell returned two kicks for 40 yards.
Coaching: A +
Brian Daboll and his staff delivered on Sunday. This was a game for the Giants to ensure their trip into the playoffs and they delivered. The team came out with a purpose and from the first quarter looked like a squad that was going to send New York to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Daboll also made the necessary halftime adjustments to keep their 21-point lead as the team scored 14 second-half points.
As for the coordinators, Mike Kafka was a great play caller on the offensive side of the end. Getting Jones involved in the run game has worked all season and worked again today as he rushed for 91 yards on the day. The team was also great on third down as Kafka had them going 4-7 on third downs.
On the defensive side of the ball, allowing 252 total yards and 10 points shows a lot about how amazing Wink Martindale’s game plan was. The Colts were also only 25 percent on third down on the day as the Giants’ defense was once again great in this area. This will be a big part of New York’s playoff push so its great to see the defense performing well once again.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx61yex5whq8aq player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]
A look at Pro Football Focus’ highest- and lowest-graded New York Giants from their 38-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17.
The New York Giants defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 38-10, on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in their most complete game of the season.
The win sent the Giants to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and likely landed quarterback Daniel Jones a long-term contract. But he certainly wasn’t alone in the team’s success.
Here’s a look at the highest and lowest grades for offense, defense, and special teams courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
Note: We’re only including players who saw 15+ snaps in the game.
Whose stock is up and whose is down following the New York Giants’ win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17?
The New York Giants completely manhandled the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, punching their playoff ticket with a commanding 38-10 victory.
The win, which improved the Giants’ record to 9-6-1 on the season, also guarantees their first regular season finish above .500 since 2016.
Whose stock is up and whose is down after the Week 17 win? Let’s take a look.
The New York Giants are headed to the playoffs but that’s not enough — they have their sights set on greater things and bigger wins.
The New York Giants are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, but that’s not enough to satisfy them. Not even close.
Despite overcoming all odds and turning what was expected to be a three-win team into an NFC contender, the Giants don’t feel like their mission is accomplished. In fact, they believe it’s just getting started.
“We’ll enjoy it, we’ll celebrate it, but I think we all understand there’s a lot of work to do ahead of us. There’s a lot still out there for us, a lot we can work on and work to improve on,” quarterback Daniel Jones said.
“We’ve still got next week to get ready for and you want to make it to the playoffs, but … when you’re making the playoffs it’s not like you’ve won the Super Bowl. You give yourself a chance to compete for a Super Bowl, so it’s just another step ahead and we’ve just got to keep working,” running back Saquon Barkley added.
The idea of winning a championship in 2022-2023 may seem a bit pie in the sky for some, but “championship” was a word thrown around the Giants’ locker room on Sunday.
A couple #Giants have said that playoffs isn’t the end. ‘Only one team wins the tournament.’ Heard thr C word — championship — mentioned
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) January 1, 2023
“Do I feel like we’re a dangerous playoff team? I think it’s the playoffs, anything can happen. You have to take it one play at a time and one game at a time. You get one shot. You win, you go on. You lose, you go home,” Barkley said.
“It’s a blessing; just to come and play at the highest stage and then have an opportunity to go win it all, you couldn’t dream for anything better,” rookie linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux said. “I think in the playoffs, it’s every man for themselves. Any team can win it all. It’s up to us to keep staying consistent and keep doing the things that got us here and just keep moving forward.”
The Giants are getting healthy and hot at the right time. And while many outside the building continue to doubt them, there’s a whole lot of confidence in that locker room. They have faced adversity and come out the other side, and that’s changed the attitude and culture of the entire organization.
“This is a great opportunity. Glad to be back like I said before. Just a blessing just to be back in the locker room with these guys, having fun and playing ball. That’s the biggest thing,” safety Landon Collins said. “Making (sure) we have the opportunity and now we have the opportunity to continue to clinch the playoffs, we clinched the playoffs and now do our thing.”
We’ll find out in two weeks if the Giants can make some noise in the playoffs. But even if they don’t, it’s clear as day that this team is headed in the right direction and they’ll ben making plenty of noise soon.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx61yex5whq8aq player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]
[lawrence-related id=704122,704061]
[vertical-gallery id=704054]
The New York Giants defeated the Colts, 38-10, in Week 17 and here’s a look at our winners and losers (and those in between) from the game.
The New York Giants came into their Week 17 meeting with the Indianapolis Colts with an NFC Playoff berth in their sights and they never took their eyes off of it.
The Giants routed the decimated and downtrodden Colts, 38-10, to gain entry into the NFL postseason for the first time since 2016.
Here are some winners, losers, and in-betweens from the game.
6 keys to victory for the New York Giants as they host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17 at MetLife Stadium.
There are two games left in the 2022-2023 season. This Sunday, the New York Giants host the Indianapolis Colts in a must-win contest to cement a post-season run.
The Giants’ season has been a pleasant surprise to fans everywhere — no one thought they would be where they are this year after their front office overhaul. But here we are, and the Giants have a legitimate shot at the playoffs.
To keep those hopes alive, there are six keys to a Giants’ victory on Sunday.
The New York Giants lost their Week 16 game against the Minnesota Vikings. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.
With the playoff berth to be had, the New York Giants couldn’t get the job done in Week 16. They were defeated, 27-24, by the Minnesota Vikings, who connected on a franchise-record 61-yard field goal as time expired.
Despite the loss, the Giants actually saw their playoff odds increase thanks to losses by the Washington Commanders, Seattle Seahawks, and Detroit Lions.
There’s a lot to break down and a lot to go over but before we look ahead, let’s look back. Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ latest loss.
Offensive snaps: 69
Defensive snaps: 72
Special teams snaps: 29
Guards Nick Gates and Ben Bredeson continued their rotation with Gates getting the larger share (barely) this week. Meanwhile, wide receiver Kenny Golladay continues to see precious little time on the field.
Safety Landon Collins played 33 snaps on Saturday and he again made an impact. He should see meaningful time over the final two weeks of the season.
[listicle id=703643]
[vertical-gallery id=703641]
