The New York Giants saw their playoff hopes all but dashed on Sunday, falling to the New Orleans Saints, 24-6.
Although not mathematically eliminated, the Giants would need every single domino to fall into place over the next three weeks and that’s simply not going to happen. Accordingly, it’s time for Big Blue to begin looking ahead.
They were completely out-coached in Week 15 and many of their early season issues reappeared: Poor offensive line play, drops, missed tackles, lack of non-blitz pressure, and injuries.
With the loss, the Giants fall to 5-9 on the season.
Here is a look at some of the studs and duds (and studly duds) from the Week 15 defeat.
STUD: S Jason Pinnock
Safety Jason Pinnock had a costly defensive pass interference penalty in the fourth quarter but solid play was limited on the day. Of the 53 men who suited up, Pinnock was among the best three. He finished the game with a team-leading eight tackles (six solo, one for a loss), one QB hit, and the team’s only sack.
DUD: OL Justin Pugh
It was an ugly day for the Giants’ offensive line and you could have picked a player at random and placed them here. Justin Pugh gets the nod for allowing at least two sacks and committing an ugly false start penalty. He and rookie center John Michael Schmitz were a mess on Sunday. He was also giving away the snap count/timing on the vast majority of plays.
STUD: P Jamie Gillan
Jamie Gillan is likely headed to the Pro Bowl for his punting prowess, but he showed a little versatility in Week 15. He took over for an injured Randy Bullock and booted a nice 40-yard field goal to pull the game within one point to end the first half. His kickoffs could use some work but he deserves credit for stepping in and handling the job. He also punted well.
DUD: OC Mike Kafka
Head coach Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator Wink Martindale, and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka all belong here. They were completely out-coached on Sunday in New Orleans but Kafka’s issues were far more glaring. There was nothing creative about his game plan, he did nothing to generate separation for his receivers and the run calls were generic. The only positive is that Kafka did call a few RPOs with Tommy DeVito that worked.
STUD: TE Darren Waller
Upon his return from IR, tight end Darren Waller was on a limited pitch count but still managed to haul in four of his six targets for 40 yards. He was the only positive presence on offense until garbage time.
DUD: LB Kayvon Thibodeaux
It was a relatively silent performance for linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux. He finished the day with just a single tackle and did not factor at all. The second-year player wasn’t able to generate any pressure, made no impact plays, and was otherwise invisible for four quarters.
STUDLY DUD: QB Tommy DeVito
Rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito did not have a good day but he also had nothing to work with. He got the full Daniel Jones treatment with abhorrent offensive line play, no rushing attack to speak of, receivers who couldn’t separate, and plenty of dropped passes. He was in a no-win situation, getting sacked seven times (and injured), but still finished the game completing 20 of his 34 pass attempts for 177 yards, while adding 36 yards on the ground. He did not turn the ball over.
Other STUDS:
- K Randy Bullock (pre-injury)
- DL A’Shawn Robinson
- LB Isaiah Simmons
- WR Wan’Dale Robinson
Other DUDS:
- OL John Michael Schmitz
- OL Ben Bredeson
- WR Jalin Hyatt
- CB Cor’Dale Flott
- CB Adoree’ Jackson
