The New York Giants couldn’t get out of their own way in Week 17, repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
As a potential game-winning field goal sailed wide left with only seconds remaining, reality sunk in. The season was already lost but now it’s going down in the flames of frustration.
The chance to play spoiler was lost as the Los Angeles Rams hung on to win, 26-25.
Whose stock is up and whose is down after the Week 17 defeat? Let’s take a look.
Stock up: Dane Belton
After coming in to replace the injured Jason Pinnock, second-year safety Dane Belton had the performance of a lifetime. He picked off two Matthew Stafford passes and recovered a fumble. His three takeaways are the most for a Giants defender in a single game in nearly a decade.
Stock down: Jalin Hyatt
Rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt did have a nice 47-yard catch that was negated by one of the Giants’ many penalties, so seeing him listed under “stock down” may raise an eyebrow. However, Hyatt had other opportunities throughout the game to make plays and he simply didn’t. He had one drop and then went the wrong way on a crucial fourth-and-1 late in the game, leading to a turnover on downs.
Stock up: Wan'Dale Robinson
This is beginning to sound like a broken record but of the best kind. Wan’Dale Robinson is displaying growth with every snap he receives and has begun to establish himself as the type of player the Giants thought they were getting with Kadarius Toney.
Stock down: Daniel Bellinger
Yes, Daniel Bellinger hauled in all four of his targets for 39 yards but that’s not the problem. He is supposed to be the team’s best blocking tight end but that part of his game has regressed dramatically this season. He drew multiple holding penalties on Sunday, costing the Giants big gains, and seems to be struggling at the end of the line.
Stock up: Darius Slayton
As many things change in East Rutherford, at least one remains the same. No matter how any one season plays out, you can guarantee that wide receiver Darius Slayton will catch at least 45 receptions for 700-plus yards and two or more touchdowns. With his four-catch, 106-yard performance on Sunday, he once against reached those numbers and will lead the Giants in receiving yardage for the fourth time in his five-year career.
Stock down: Mason Crosby
Offensive linemen John Michael Schmitz, Justin Pugh, and Ben Bredeson could all go here after getting eaten alive on Sunday but the nod ultimately goes to kicker Mason Crosby.
Crosby may have come off the couch just a few short weeks ago but his performance on Sunday was dreadful and there’s no way around that. His kickoffs were short, he missed a point after attempt and then shanked a potential game-winning field goal.
You’d think an entire career in Green Bay would ready him for the Meadowlands but that clearly wasn’t the case in Week 17.
