Cardinals @ Giants
The return of Daniel Jones to the Giants’ lineup was not enough to get the Giants’ offense going again, as they fell to the Cardinals 26-7, falling out of first place in the NFC East. On the other hand, the Cardinals returned to the playoff picture by taking over one of the wild card seeds with this win. This game saw the return of DeAndre Hopkins emerging as the dominant receiver we know he can be, with the Giants offense having very few successful moments.
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Kyler Murray: 24/35, 244 yards, 1 TD, 1 sack | 13 carries, 47 yards
Throughout the game, it was clear that Kyler Murray was not 100%, walking with a limp at times after taking a hit. It didn’t have too much of an effect on him though, as he was still willing to take off and run and move around to extend plays. This game served as a good reminder of the connection which he could have with DeAndre Hopkins, as Hopkins was the clear top target for him throughout the game. His one touchdown pass was a jump ball to the endzone with Dan Arnold out jumping the Giants’ defender t haul it in for the score.
Running Backs
Kenyan Drake: 23 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD | 1 target, 1 reception, 10 yards
Chase Edmonds: 7 carries, 32 yards | 5 targets, 4 receptions, 21 yards
When Kenyan Drake got the opportunities on Sunday, he took full advantage of them showing off his burst of speed and looking not at all hampered by his former injury, including a dive into the endzone over the offensive line in a goal to go opportunity. He was fully the lead back in running opportunities, not splitting with Chase Edmonds until third down and passing opportunities. When those situations game up, that was when Edmonds came into the game, still getting some carries but clearly seen as the passing back.
Air Drake#FantasyFootball | #RedSea pic.twitter.com/twkCBBCuh9
— QB List (@TheQBlist) December 13, 2020
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
DeAndre Hopkins: 11 targets, 9 receptions, 136 yards
Dan Arnold: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 27 yards, 1 TD
Maxx Williams: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards
Christian Kirk: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 14 yards
Larry Fitzgerald: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 10 yards
The clear best receiver on the field Sunday was DeAndre Hopkins, who had his first really solid game in a few weeks on Sunday. The real good sign was that he was running out for deeper routes rather than the short routes which he was running these past few weeks. Murray looked his way in many key situations, with Hopkins stepping right back in as the clear #1 target in this offense. There has also been continued development in this offense with the use of the tight end at the goal line. This week once again, Dan Arnold caught a touchdown, making it three touchdowns in the past two weeks, down at the goal line on Sunday with a jump ball in the back of the endzone. Murray seemed to make Arnold the number two target in this offense, trying to find Arnold, especially in goal to go situations.
The third score in the last two games for Dan Arnold.#FantasyFootball | #RedSea pic.twitter.com/K6xLpzxLxY
— QB List (@TheQBlist) December 13, 2020
New York Giants
Quarterback
Daniel Jones 11/21, 127 yards, 6 sacks
After missing last week with a hamstring injury, all eyes were on Daniel Jones to see how he would look in his return to the field. The answer was not so good, as the Cardinals put constant pressure on Jones, forcing him to throw it around wildly while getting sacked six times and knocked down even more than that. This pressure forced Jones to fumble the ball three times, losing one and recovering another. He would eventually leave the game in the 4th quarter due to the score, in order to keep him healthy, but this is a game which Jones likely will want to forget about.
Running Backs
Wayne Gallman: 12 carries, 57 yards | 4 targets, 3 receptions, 16 yards
Dion Lewis: 2 carries, 14 yards, 1 TD
Alfred Morris: 3 carries, 7 yards
Though the game script quickly required the Giants to throw the ball in order to catch up, Wayne Gallman once again impressed when he got the opportunity to run the ball. Unfortunately, he had a touchdown vultured by Dion Lewis, who ran well in his few carries and surprisingly was not involved in the passing game. It continues to be clear that Gallman is the lead in this backfield and is taking advantage of the opportunity which he has been given.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Sterling Shepard: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 35 yards
Golden Tate: 2 targets, 1 reception, 39 yards
Darius Slayton: 8 targets, 3 receptions, 31 yards
Evan Engram: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 18 yards
With the amount of pressure put on Daniel Jones on Sunday, it forced quite a few inaccurate passes and an inability to develop a rhythm with any of his receivers. The most impressive of his passes was a 39-yard deep ball to Golden Tate in order to convert on third down. The most targetted option was Darius Slayton, but after connecting on the first pass of the game, the two had trouble connecting the rest of the game. On the other hand, Sterling Shepard remained the short route option that Jones looked to in order to extend drives, and even with the struggles Jones had on Sunday, the two continued the strong trust that they have had through the season.
— Callen Elslager (@callen_elslager on Twitter and Reddit)