Following the New York Giants' first win of the 2025 regular season, multiple Giants have been named to Pro Football Focus's "Players of the Week" list for their performances against the Chargers.
On the defensive side of the ball, slot cornerback Dru Phillips was recognized as the flex defensive player of the week. Phillips played 37 snaps in the slot, five at outside corner, and two at free safety, recording a 92.3 overall defensive grade and 91.8 coverage grade.
Punter Jamie Gillan earned PFF punter of the week honors with a 69.4 punting grade. He booted it five times for 244 total yards with a long of 69 yards, good for 48.8 yards per punt. He also landed three of his five punts inside the Chargers 20 20-yard line.
Rookie edge rusher Abdul Carter was also recognized for his dominating showing against the Chargers, in which he recorded eight pressures and five quarterback hits for a 92.1 PFF pass rush grade.
Offense, defense, and special teams all played a role in the Giants' win on Sunday. Still, the defense's ability to frustrate Herbert and Gillan's ability to pin the Chargers deep three different times in the second half were major difference-makers.
The Giants held Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to his lowest passing total of the season on Sunday, as he completed 23 of 41 attempts for 203 yards, one touchdown, and a season-high two interceptions.
A large part of that was the solid work that Phillips did in coverage on some of Herbert’s favorite targets in Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen.
When matched up against McConkey, Phillips did not allow a catch in four pass targets. McConkey recorded just one reception for 11 yards, the lowest receptions and yards output of his NFL career.
Against Allen, Phillips allowed one catch for six yards on two targets in what was the best game of the season for Phillips in terms of coverage.
A big part of Herbert's struggles was the pressure the Giants were able to put on him. Carter contributed eight pressures and five quarterback hits to lead the Giants' defense in both categories in Week 4.
Gillan’s punts may go under the radar; however, when the Giants' offense slowed down in the second half, he was able to place three punts inside the Chargers' 20-yard line to flip the field favorably for the Giants.
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