The New York Giants took on the New England Patriots at a rainy MetLife Stadium on Sunday and the play on the field was about as ugly as the second-half weather.
Both the Giants and Patriots resembled the 2- and 3-win teams they are and showed why they are near the bottom of the league in most metrics. It was an ugly slog of a game that seemed to draw on and on.
Tackling was abhorrent, drops were abundant, missed assignments were frequent and there were precious few highlights over 60 game minutes. It was just a poor display of NFL football.
In the end, the Giants hung on thanks to three Patriots interceptions and a missed chip-shot field as time expired. Oogly.
Here is a look at some of the studs and duds (and studly duds) from the Week 12 win.
STUD: WR Jalin Hyatt
If there was a star on Sunday afternoon in East Rutherford, it was rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt. He dazzled with his speed and footwork, hauling in five receptions on six targets for 109 yards. It was the first 100-yard performance for the third-round pick.
DUD: TE Daniel Bellinger
You won’t find tight end Daniel Bellinger in the box score but that lack of production isn’t what landed him here. He struggled mightily as a blocker, missing blitz pickups in pass protection while getting beaten as a run blocker. His regression in 2022 has been jarring.
STUD: LB Bobby Okereke
Linebacker Bobby Okereke did miss a couple of tackles on Sunday (who didn’t?) but was arguably the best defender on the field. He was second on the Giants with eight tackles (seven solo), adding two passes defensed and an interception that was returned for 55 yards.
DUD: LB Isaiah Simmons
If there was a worse offender for misses on Sunday, let us know in the comments below. Not only did linebacker Isaiah Hodgins whiff on several tackles, but he also let a would-be interception go right off his fingertips. It was a game of almosts for Simmons one week removed from a game-sealing pick-6.
STUD: QB Tommy DeVito
Rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito is still struggling to adjust to the processing speed at the NFL level and his pocket presence leaves a bit to be desired but all things considered, he played quite well. Other rookie quarterbacks have struggled much more mightily against Bill Belichick and DeVito held his own. He finished the game going 17-25 for 191 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He was credited with two fumbles (one lost).
DUD: WR Sterling Shepard
It’s becoming clear that Sterling Shepard’s days in New York are coming to an end. He’s not the same receiver he once was despite showing flashes here and there, and Sunday’s performance was evidence of that. Shepard hauled in one reception on three targets for six yards, zero yards after the catch, and one drop.
STUDLY DUD: LB Kayvon Thibodeaux
Linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux was credited with another half-sack, bringing his season total to 11, but his play outside of that was so-so. He made a terrific open-field tackle of Ezekiel Elliott to save a potential first down, but also overpursued at times, got eaten up by opposing blockers and otherwise struggled to generate consistent pressure.
Other STUDS:
- P Jamie Gillan
- RB Saquon Barkley
- CB Deonte Banks
- S Xavier McKinney
Other DUDS:
- CB Nick McCloud
- OL Tyre Phillips
- OL Justin Pugh
- DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches
- DL A’Shawn Robinson
- RB Matt Breida
