Grading the Giants in NFL Week 16 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Giants' Jake Fromm, left, is tackled by the Eagles' Milton Williams during the second half of an NFL game on Sunday in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Matt Rourke
OFFENSE: F
There’s just nothing to see here. Absolutely nothing. The Giants were barely able to move the ball in spurts when they had their starting quarterback healthy and available, but since Daniel Jones left with a neck injury against these Eagles a month ago the group has been unwatchable. Saquon Barkley can’t make any plays of significance, Kenny Golladay doesn’t get chances to, and the offensive line gets unwrapped on each play like it’s left under a Christmas tree. If there was one thing they did well at least they could keep going back to that, but right now they are completely ineffective at every level.
DEFENSE: C
That the game was even within reach at halftime, nevermind tied at 3, was a testament to how well the unit functioned. The one thing the Giants did well early this season was force takeaways; they had at least one in their first 11 games of the season. Add this to the growing list of games without any, although they had chances with Lorenzo Carter’s strip sack and a near interception by Steven Parker in the first half. One of the Giants’ main objectives was to stop the Eagles’ streak of seven straight games with at least 175 rushing yards. They held them to 130. The score looks lopsided, but it wasn’t the defense that was overmatched.
SPECIAL TEAMS: D
Allowing a 39-yard punt return in the third quarter that set up a field goal was the worst infraction by a unit that has lost some core players (Keion Crossen and Gary Brightwell were unavailable), but it was far from the only blunder. Newcomer Darqueze Dennard watching Riley Dixon’s first punt bounce into the end zone without attempting to down it was absurd. Cam Brown made a great tackle on a punt but overran another. Graham Gano was money from 54 yards on his only field-goal attempt of the game.
COACHING: D
Give Joe Judge credit for trying Jake Fromm at quarterback, and credit for knowing that it wasn’t working. Hopefully Fromm looked better in the practices during which Judge made his evaluation and eventual decision than he did in his first NFL start. The offense is constrained by the personnel, but there is absolutely no creativity that makes it at least interesting and potentially productive. Patrick Graham’s defense can only absorb so much of the onus of trying to win these games, especially when their secondary is shorthanded.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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