The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots, 10-7, in an ugly and raining game at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon, improving their record to 4-8 on the season.
It’s now back-to-back wins for the Giants as they head into their bye week and while it hasn’t been pretty, it has been a nice change of pace from the 1-7 stretch they had been on prior to Week 11.
Whose stock is up and whose is down after the Week 12 win? Let’s take a look.
Stock up: Jalin Hyatt
Rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt has slowly seen his usage increase in recent weeks and the more comfortable he gets, the more productive he becomes. On Sunday, he hauled in five receptions for 109 yards — his first career 100-yard game. But it wasn’t the numbers that impressed most, it was his speed, field awareness, and footwork. He made two gorgeous toe-tapping receptions that you’ll see on the highlight reels this week.
Stock down: Rakeem Nunez-Roches, A'Shawn Robinson
Nose tackle Dexter Lawrence has set the bar so incredibly high that his absence was almost certain to expose some of the Giants’ personnel deficiencies. However, the drop-off was pronounced as Rakeem Nunez-Roches and A’Shawn Robinson struggled to stop the run all day long. Runs straight up the middle were especially fruitful for the Patriots.
Stock up: Wink Martindale
With rumors swirling about Wink Martindale’s future and his relationship with Brian Daboll, his defense again stepped up. The Patriots may not pose a major threat, but Martindale was able to limit Bill Belichick’s team to just seven points and 283 total yards of offense while recording six sacks and three turnovers.
Stock down: Daniel Bellinger
Tight end Daniel Bellinger ended up with one reception for eight yards but that lack of production isn’t the problem. Bellinger’s blocking has regressed and at several points on Sunday, he seemed to get lost in the wash, allowing free-rushing defenders and open shots at the running back.
Stock up: Jihad Ward
This may be the first time linebacker Jihad Ward has ever been listed in the “stock up” section because he’s usually relegated to dirty work that goes somewhat overlooked and undervalued. But he was front and center on Sunday, recording five tackles (two solo, one for a loss), two QB hits and 1.5 sacks — one of which game at a clutch moment.
Stock down: Tyre Phillips
It’s extremely difficult to evaluate offensive linemen in real time. And without watching the film, there’s always some reluctance to criticize. However, with that having been said, Tyre Phillips seems to struggle on Sunday (which was compounded by Bellinger’s poor play on several occasions). He appeared to get beaten repeatedly in pass protection and was less than stellar as a run blocker.
Veteran guard Justin Pugh could have just as easily been listed in this spot. He, too, played poorly to the naked eye.
