NY Giants Week 5 Report Card: A Fumbled Opportunity

Have the real New York Giants finally decided to stand up?

Seriously, this season has been something of a rollercoaster, with the team looking decent enough in Weeks 2 and 4, but not so much so in Weeks 1, 3, and 5. 

So, does that mean, given the pattern, the Giants, who host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6, will look better than they did in their 26-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints?

All kidding aside, file this week’s loss under the category of “should have won.” 

The Giants faced a winless Saints team that couldn’t get out of its own way, and yet the Giants, everyone’s “get right” opponent, came along and helped the Saints get into the win column thanks to a sloppy, mistake-filled performance that, once it got started, didn’t stop.

Offense: F

Five turnovers on five consecutive plays resulted in 13 points. That right there is all you need to know about just how bad the offense is, having recorded two touchdowns on their first two drives.

But not even those two touchdowns were enough to salvage a sloppy, mistake-filled game.

Defense: C-

First, the good. For the first time this year, an opposing run defense failed to top the 100-yard rushing mark, as the Saints finished with 88 yards on 30 carries. And let’s give credit to the red zone defense, which held the Saints to 0-for-3.

Now the bad. Where was the pass rush? Was it spent after last week’s explosive showing? One measly quarterback pressure all day long (via Rakeem Nunez-Roches) just isn’t going to get it done.  

What is going on with the defensive secondary? Three pass interference calls, including one against team penalty leader Dru Phillips, gave the Saints new life.

While on the topic of the defensive secondary, what has happened to safety Tyler Nubin, who was burned on Rashid Shaheed’s 87-yard touchdown catch? 

Special Teams: A

It feels odd to give a unit an A grade, given the loss, but let’s call it for what it is. The Giants' special teams have been quietly solid this season, as they were again this week.

Deonte Banks had a nice 46-yard kickoff, the kickoff coverage team held the Saints returners (Kendre Miller and Velus Jones) to 13.5 yards per kickoff, and Shaheed had no return yardage.

Jamie Gillan put both of his punts inside the 20, and while the Giants didn’t have any punt return yardage (more so a lack of opportunities), the special teams were the best of the three groups the Giants put out on the field this week, and it’s not even close.

Coaching: F

While we were fans of the use of tight ends in the red zone, which is something we’ve been calling for all year long, we have to wonder what the coaches are teaching the players in terms of fundamentals during practice. 

There’s no way that Phillips and Banks are still this grabby two and three years into their respective careers, or that Dart didn’t know enough not to swing the ball in the open space where it could be knocked away.

And while this isn’t all on the coaches, why is it that Jalin Hyatt and Beau Collins, who were both pressed into action, still appeared to struggle when their numbers were called? Again, what are they being taught during practice that neither, especially Hyatt, can seem to take a step forward?

Lastly, there are the penalties. So far this season, the Giants are averaging 8.6 penalties per game, which is significantly higher than last year (6.5) and the year before (5.23).

We get it that some penalties can’t be avoided and put a team at the mercy of the officials, but the presnap and the technique-based penalties such as pass interference) can be taught, and yet they continue to happen.