By Danielle McCartan (@CoachMcCartan and www.Facebook.com/CoachMcCartan)
BERGEN COUNTY, N.J.– The Giants had the opportunity, in their home stadium, on national television, to show the National Football League that they still can be a force in the NFC East. What they got, instead, was an embarrassment. On a night where Head Coach Pat Shurmur told members of the media in his postgame press conference he was neither concerned about quarterback Eli Manning nor the effort of his team, the truth is:
- Manning threw more interceptions (1) than touchdowns (0).
- He finished with a QBR of a dismal 66.1.
- The major takeaway for even the most casual fans from this game is: superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. left the field at halftime with his offense still out there and head butted a sideline fan (pictured above).
Eli Manning going all Harvey Dent before our very eyes……… #GiantsChat#GiantsPride #Giants#NYGvsPHI pic.twitter.com/ZGKXeTvMZk
— Danielle McCartan (@CoachMcCartan) October 12, 2018
So what went right for Big Blue? Saqon Barkley. Barkley, the Giants’ often-criticized 2018 first-round draft choice (second overall), carried the ball thirteen times for 130 yards and a 50-yard touchdown- the only touchdown of the Giants’ night.
.@Saquon will not be stopped. #PHIvsNYG pic.twitter.com/1z3sLqAmxi
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 12, 2018
Knowing the score, there was minimal celebration by Barkley after that outstanding touchdown sprint. After the game, he told the media:
Saquon: How do I feel about my performance tonight? Doesn’t matter to me. We didn’t win.
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 12, 2018
What happened? Well, let’s look at my Giants and Eagles Keys to Victory.
❌Eli Manning. Manning finished the game with a quarterback rating of 66.1 and targeted WR Cody Latimer and TE Scott Simonson in the red zone instead of his stud players…. enough said.
❌Defend the Tight End. Last night, Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert combined for 50 yards and a touchdown (Ertz). They caught the ball at an 80% success rate. The Giants’ ability to defend the tight end is still a major flaw in this defense.
❌Carson Wentz Watch. It was 10pm, do you know where Carson Wentz was? The Giants defense clearly didn’t. #11 had his way with the Big Blue’s defense. He completed 72% of his passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns. His rating was 122.2 (remember, the highest score for a quarterback is 158.3). That was the fourth-best game Wentz has played in his career. His other notable performances, based on his quarterback rating were:
- 128.3 (vs. ARI on 10/8/17)
- 126.3 (vs. WAS on 10/23/17)
- 125.9 (vs. PIT on 9/25/16
- 122.2 (vs. NYG on 10/12/18)
✅ Make Odell Beckham, Jr. a non-factor. The Eagles limited the mercurial wide receiver to 6 catches on 10 targets for 44 yards. In the meantime, they forced his frustration to boil over into public displays of displeasure (that the cameras eagerly captured). Mission accomplished.
So what’s next? The Giants are 1-5 and, today, hold the worst record in the league. The Falcons are also experiencing an underwhelming season and are on a three-game losing streak entering week six.
Eli Manning: 1-5 is not where we want to be. I’m not happy about it, and I’m frustrated like everybody. All we can do is worry about the next game. #PHIvsNYG
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 12, 2018
While Manning has already turned the page to October 22, 2018, there is still much to be figured out before then. The good news is that New York, having played on Thursday Night Football, has an extended break to do so. The Atlanta Falcons will host the New York Giants on Monday Night Football (10/22) at 8:15pm. Stay tuned for my game preview and keys to victory for both teams.
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