Giants vs. Falcons
Giants
Passing Game
The Good
In the game previews, I predicted WR Sterling Shepard would be a potential bust play because of the return of TE Evan Engram and Atlanta’s struggles against the grounding giving more volume to RB Saquon Barkley. Oh boy was I wrong about that. QB Eli Manning was hitting him in stride on deep routes down the side of the field, while WR Odell Beckham Jr. was making the most of the medium to deep passes towards the middle of the field. Manning completed 71% of his passes and finished just shy of 400 yards.
The Bad
The number of check down passes to Barkley is still way too high. Of course, there are benefits to throwing the ball to the running back in the flat; if the quarterback is getting pressured it serves as a security blanket and yardage loss mitigator, and other times they’re designed for the back to find 10-15 yards of open field. When you target Barkley 10 times and there’s only 51 receiving yards to show for it, that is far from ideal utilization.
Going for two was bad, and it was magnified by Odell dropping the pass.
The Ugly
OL Nate Solder. Am I being harsh because we were willing to pay him $15 million annually and he was getting beat consistently last night? Maybe, but getting paid that kind of money comes with an expectation that you’re formidable enough to hold off the likes of DE Tak McKinley consistently. Manning was sacked 4 times in this game, and a large part of that blame should fall on Solder’s shoulders.
Running Game
The Good
Eli Manning trying to take the ball to the house on his own. Seeing him take a pass play that wasn’t developing, rolling to his right, throwing on the turbo boosters, and reaching for the end zone. He came up short, but it was still the most enjoyable running play of the day.
The Bad
Saquon Barkley just couldn’t get it going on the ground. Sure, he finished the game with a rushing TD, but 14 carries for 43 yards…a whopping 2.15 yards per carry if you remove his long run of the day…just not what you’d expect against what was the 26th ranked run defense in the NFL.
Defense
The Good
The defensive line came to play. They were putting great pressure on QB Matt Ryan early in the game and were utilizing different members of the secondary to dart through the gaps and tackle the Falcons for losses (looking at you CB B.W. Webb)
The Bad
The defensive backs. Matty Ice threw for 379 yards against them, and he was able to spread the ball around effectively. Eight Falcons finished with at least 20 receiving yards, with WR Julio Jones leading the cauldron with 104 yards on nine catches.
The Ugly
CB Janoris Jenkins. He looked lazy last game, and he got burned by WR Marvin Hall for a 47-yard touchdown late in the second quarter. He was a couple steps behind and didn’t attempt to make a play on the ball, and this is the second time I’ve seen that in recent games. Saying that I’m not sure if he’s hurt excuses the effort seen on the field a bit, but I’m honestly not sure if he is.
-Alex Drennan
Falcons
Aerial Assault Continues
QB Matt Ryan had another incredible game. Although, he only scored once on the night, he completed 31-of-39 passes for 379 yards. His lone touchdown was thrown on a rope, going 47 yards to WR Marvin Hall. It was one of his best deep balls of the season and was encouraging to see, considering Ryan has struggled with downfield accuracy this year. The Falcons head into the bye this week and will return to face the Washington Redskins on the road. Ryan has struggled away from home this season, but it is hard not to recommend him as a top five play.
Game of Jones
WR Julio Jones saw an eye-popping 12 targets on the night. That was easily more than the second-most targets on the team, WR Calvin Ridley (6). Julio amassed 104 yards, but kept his scoreless streak going. I am starting to wonder if he will ever find the end zone again. Regardless, he is still a monster, and gives you enough production with the catches and the yardage to be a top wideout. WR Marvin Hall was second on the team in receiving, due to his 47 yard touchdown. Hall is a speedster who can make plays, but can safely be left on your waiver wire. WR Mohamed Sanu and Ridley came in to this one banged up and neither wideout was able to reach 50 yards. TE Austin Hooper cooled off, but still gave enough production to be serviceable in PPR leagues. Ridley, Hooper, and Sanu will all look to bounce back out of the bye.
Rushing Game Reeling
RB Tevin Coleman had a highlight-reel worthy 30 yard run for a score late in the game, but other than that, the run game was non-existent. Besides the 30 yard scamper, the Falcons rushed for a measly 37 yards. RB Ito Smith relinquished his scoring streak and could not take advantage of the extra work with RB Devonta Freeman placed on IR. It was encouraging to see the two backs utilized in the passing game, but it would be nicer to see them rush for 100 yards again. The truth is, with the Falcons airing it out to win games, that may be a pipe dream. Each back will look to bust out of their slump, when they head to Washington after the bye.
Falcons’ Defense Stands Tall
For the second week in a row, Atlanta’s defense did just enough to get it done. They held their ground and kept the Giants out of the end zone, when the Giants chose to go for it on 4th-and-goal in the second quarter. DT Grady Jarrett was a welcomed addition back from injury and recorded two sacks on the night. The defense has looked much better during the past two weeks, but they will be tested away from home, where they struggled mightily in their last road game.
-Aaron Rader