Let’s review Sunday’s thrilling 27-21 overtime victory by the New York Giants in our unique ‘Kudos and Wet Willies’ style.
Kudos to …
Cam Skattebo — Sunday was how you respond after being taught a lesson in getting just six snaps and no touches a week ago. Skattebo had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career with 17 carries for 142 yards, and a touchdown. Skattebo had a career-long 42-yard run in overtime to set up Devin Singletary’s game-winning 30-yard run. He broke two tackles en route to a 16-yard
touchdown run, and had a 19-yard run off a fake Tush Push.
Fantastic game, and fantastic response to adversity, from Skattebo.
Devin Singletary — The third, and sometimes fourth, wheel in the Giants’ backfield this season took advantage of an opportunity when Tyrone Tracy left the game with a hamstring injury. Singletary made two fantastic cuts in the open field on his game-winning 30-yard run.
The run game as a whole — The Giants got touchdowns from four different runners, including Tush Push specialist Jameis Winston. They ran for 188 yards on 34 attempts, 5.5 yards per carry. The ball control offense, which is the way they want to play, helped them hold the ball for 35:50 compared to Houston’s 26:45.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy knew who to celebrate with after the game:
J.J. McCarthy — McCarthy was fantastic in his first start. He finished 20 of 28 for 252 yards, and never put the ball in harm’s way. His ability to get the ball down the field with velocity, his ability to move around in the pocket, and simply the threat of using him in the designed run game changes the Giants’ offense.
The Giants had five pass plays of at least 20 yards, two of more than 40. Head coach John Harbaugh said after the game that starting him against the Texans was the “obvious choice.”
McCarthy absolutely made the coach right.
Malik Nabers — The star wide receiver started the game hot, and finished with seven catches for 115 yards, his fourth straight 100-yard receiving game. Over that stretch, he has 36 receptions for 513 yards. That is 14.25 yards per catch, and 128.25 yards per game.
Per NextGen Stats, Nabers’ 100-yard streak is the longest in the NFL.
Matt Nagy — With McCarthy’s presence at quarterback opening up the playbook, the Giants’ offensive coordinator was in his bag throughout the game. McCarthy only ran the ball once in the game, on a quarterback sneak, but Nagy used the threat of McCarthy’s legs to create advantages for the Giants’ running backs. He used options, misdirection, the Tush Push, a sweep to Skattebo out of Tush Push formation, and a jet sweep to dial up ways to get the Giants’ struggling run game going.
In the pass game, he took full advantage of McCarthy’s big arm — and his willingness to show it off — by dialing up a number of intermediate to deep shots that changed the offense from plodding to dangerous.
Per Next Gen Stats, the Giants’ streak of four straight games with at least 27 points scored is their longest since Week 5-9 of the 2010 season.
Deonte Banks — Dare I say that Banks played like a No. 1 cornerback on Sunday. He took Houston’s best receiver, Nico Collins, out of Houston’s offense.
Per Pro Football Focus, he gave up three catches in six targets for an average of just 3.3 yards per reception. He also finished with two passes defensed.
Micah McFadden — In his return to the starting lineup following the season-ending injury suffered by Tremaine Edmunds, McFadden wasn’t perfect. He, typically, missed a couple of tackles. Also typically, his pass coverage wasn’t perfect.
McFadden, though, had a team-high 10 tackles. Four of those went for STOPs. He had three hurries as a blitzer. He had a huge tackle of running back Woody Marks for no gain to start the overtime. McFadden also handled green dot play-calling duties.
Abdul Carter — Yeah, yeah. I know. Carter didn’t have a sack. He had six pressures, though, per PFF, and drew two holding penalties. From what Harbaugh said in the post-game press conference, it was also Carter, just a second-year player, who commanded the locker room at halftime.
John Harbaugh — In recent days, Harbaugh has tightened the screws on his players. He sent Skattebo a loud and clear message. He cut Najee Harris for lack of performance, and maybe for complaining. He cut Jihad Ward for lack of effort. His defensive coordinator blasted his players to the media. You know Dennard Wilson didn’t do that without Harbaugh knowing about it.
Harbaugh demanded more. He has consistently laid out for his players the reality of the opportunity in front of them, and that they can be better than they have been.
Sunday, they responded by going into Houston and winning a game in which they were 10.5-point underdogs.
Run defense — Houston entered the game 29th in the NFL with an average of 3.6 yards per carry. The Giants didn’t let the Texans get started on the ground, holding them to 84 yards on 25 attempts, 3.4 yards per carry. Houston’s longest run was 11 yards.
Kayvon Thibodeaux — I debated making Thibodeaux a ‘Kwillie’ after his dropped overtime interception, but why quibble and ruin the happy vibes. Thibodeaux played well. He covered quarterback C.J. Stroud to blow up a Philly Special near the goal line. PFF credited him with four hurries of Stroud as a pass rusher. I’ll cut him some slack. If he had hands, maybe he would be a tight end.
D.J. Reader — The lynchpin of the Giants’ run defense was typically outstanding, with early PFF grades placing him above the ‘elite’ level of 90.0 on Sunday. Reader even had some impact in the pass rush, with three hurries.
Jameis Winston — The veteran quarterback didn’t sulk during the week when he was replaced as a starter. On Sunday, he emerged as the Giants’ ‘Tush Push’ specialist, with 2 first downs and a touchdown in four carries on the play. Take that, Eagles!
Malachi Fields — The rookie wide receiver had his career-best game with four catches for 83 yards, including a 47-yard catch-and-run on a perfectly thrown sideline pass by McCarthy.
Wet Willies to …
Dominic Zvada — You know there are placekicker issues when the head starts passing on field goals considered commonplace in today’s game. That’s what happened on the Giants’ first drive of the third quarter when John Harbaugh punted from the Houston 38-yard line.
After watching Zvada miss from 56 and 44 yards in the first half, I couldn’t blame him. Zvada is now 13 of 18, and just 4 of 9 after a 9 of 9 start. Yes, three of those misses are from beyond 50 yards. The ability to make those kicks, though, is one of the reasons Zvada is on the roster.
It won’t surprise me if the Giants hold a kicker workout during the BYE week.
Kwillies to
Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor — Neither veteran tackle played up to their standards, but the two veteran tackles played through injuries — Thomas a groin and Eluemunor a calf — and gave the Giants enough to let them function on offense.
