The New York Giants escaped sloppy conditions at home with a 12-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Cam Ward led a 13-play, 70-yard drive at the end of the game that put the Titans in position to score, but Jevon Holland had other plans. The veteran safety intercepted the second-year quarterback and sent his former coach back to Tennessee without a win.
The Giants had 238 yards and the Titans finished with 262 yards — 161 of which came on their final two drives. The Giants defense surrendered
a 12-play and a 13-play drive on the Titans’ final three possessions, after forcing Ward and Daboll into five straight three-and-outs. New York’s inability to score touchdowns made the situation precarious, but Dominic Zvada’s leg was enough to secure the win. Here are the grades.
Quarterback
Jameis Winston provided some excitement, but frustrations that have followed Winston’s career were present throughout the game. The offense’s timing was completely off, and the weather made it worse. Winston finished 14 of 22 for 118 yards with two carries for 13 yards. The conditions were rough, but Winston did little to inspire hope as the Giants continue to search for quarterback depth.
Grade: C-
Running back
Cam Skattebo was the only running back used in the first quarter, but the Giants saw a healthy mix of Najee Harris on their 11-play, 44-yard field goal drive; Tyrone Tracy Jr. converted a third-and-2 crack-toss play on his first touch during that drive.
Cam Skattebo’s 25-yard gain on third down gave the Giants an opportunity to put points on the board in this sloppy game. The Giants rushed for 138 yards on 33 carries (4.2 YPC). Skattebo carried the ball 20 times for 60 yards, and Najee Harris had nine carries for 52 yards; Harris looked good, averaging 5.8 yards on the ground.
Grade: B
Wide receiver
The conditions led both offenses to play conservatively. Malik Nabers’ third-and-seven conversion before the first half ended led to a valuable field goal for the Giants. Nabers caught five of six targets for just 25 yards with an important 11-yard slant that secured a first down. Darnell Mooney caught two of three of his targets for 20 yards, and Malachi Fields secured both his targets for 19 yards. The receivers weren’t asked to do too much in the game.
Grade: B-
Tight end
Isaiah Likely was targeted, but the Giants’ passing attack was not in sync. We did, however, see multiple heavy personnel packages that included Patrick Ricard and Chris Manhertz. Likely caught two of his five targets for just 13 yards. The blocking seemed adequate up front from the tight ends, as the Giants found success to the edges of the Titans’ defense
Grade: B
Offensive line
John Michael Schmitz took a holding penalty on the first drive, which spoiled Zaire Barnes’s effort to punch the football out of Chimere Dike’s arms on the opening kickoff. The Giants’ center remains an issue for New York. Andrew Thomas surrendered a third-down sack to rookie Keldric Faulk on an E/T twist up front, and Jermaine Eluemunor had multiple penalties. The Giants did enough with their rushing attack, but the offensive line is surrendering pressures and sacks and suffering penalties that raise concerns.
Grade: C-
Defensive line
D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris were both STOUT at the point of attack. Tennessee wasn’t generating much on the ground; the linebackers were quick to fit, and the line was solid. Harris did, however, accidentally rip Cam Ward down by the facemask. Overall, the defensive line did enough to not get bullied, holding the Titans to just 3.9 yards per carry. Tennessee caught the Giants in some lighter personnel packages, and Tony Pollard ripped off a few runs, which brought his average up to 4.4 YPC. I don’t love how the Titans sustained several drives in the second half.
Grade: B
Edge
A T/E game led to a second-quarter quarterback hit that almost resulted in an intentional grounding penalty. It was good to see Brian Burns draped on a quarterback, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury — he dealt with a left ankle injury through the week. There weren’t many impact plays from Kayvon Thibodeaux or Abdul Carter, but Chauncey Golston made two STOPs in the run game, including one with just over a minute left in the game; without Burns on the field, Golston was aligned as an EDGE rusher in crunch time.
Grade: B-
Linebacker
Reese set the tone early on the Titans’ first possession; Tony Pollard hit the line of scrimmage on a second-down run, and Reese met him for a STOP. Reese also made a strong tackle for a loss in the flat. Reese also annihilated a running back in pass protection on a third-down blitz. Tremaine Edmunds was called for a crucial fourth-and-one encroachment penalty that extended the Titans’ drive with 50 seconds remaining. The linebackers flew around the field and made solid plays, but there still seems to be room for improvement.
Grade: B-
Cornerback
Greg Newsome II was sticky and technically sound against Tennessee. He knocked a pass away from Elic Ayomanor on second-and-7 on the Titans’ final drive. He missed one tackle that led to a solid Pollard gain, but was good overall.
Colton Hood was not challenged much in the game until he surrendered a touchdown to Wan’Dale Robinson in the fourth quarter. Hood had left the field earlier in the drive, but returned. His leverage was soft to the outside, and Cam Ward took advantage of the rookie’s positioning. Dru Phillips did an excellent job getting his eyes on the football, but could not secure an important interception in the third quarter on a rub concept.
Brian Daboll found success in the second half by attacking the Giants with out routes against softer leverage against both Dru Phillips and Hood.
Grade: C+
Safety
Jevon Holland is a pick MACHINE! A game-winning interception by Holland, who has been the leader of the Giants’ defense. Tyler Nubin did not dress in the game, which put Ar’Darius Washington into the starting lineup. Washington was around the line of scrimmage often in the rainy game, but it was Jevon Holland, again, who continues to make a difference. Holland knocked a ball away from Wan’Dale Robinson on an important third-down when the underneath defender attacked the flat in the smash concept; it was an exceptional effort from Holland. Pinnock made a big tackle for a loss on the outside of a crack-toss play to the boundary.
Grade: A+
Special teams
The Special teams really earned their money against the Tennessee Titans. Giants’ linebacker Zaire Barnes punched the football out of Chimere Dike’s grasp on the opening kickoff – a massive momentum swing caused by special teams that the offense couldn’t turn into points.
Jordan Stout continues to be one of the best assets on the Giants. He had a 73-yard punt early in the second quarter. Stout averaged 53 yards on five punts — stud! Dominic Zvada was the Giants’ offense; he booted four field goals: 59, 50, 44, and 30 yards. However, Elijah Campbell’s kick-catch interference negated one of Stout’s punts and gave Tennessee better field position at the end of the game.
Grade: A
