Giants grades: A much better report card
Head coach Pat Shurmur of the New York Giants looks on during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Offense: A
This is the way it was supposed to work all year long! Saquon Barkley carries the big workload (142 yards on 27 carries), Eli Manning plays a patient, nearly flawless game (17-for-18, 231 yards, two touchdowns), and Odell Beckham Jr. makes some dazzling plays (including one for an 8-yard touchdown). The big three are finally chugging along. Throw in some timely catches by Evan Engram, some good but not great run blocking and pass protection by the line, and some expanded roles for blockers like fullback Eli Penny and tight end Scott Simonson and it’s a recipe difficult to stop.
Defense: C
The Giants had four takeaways and a fourth-down stop at their own 5. But they also gave up 35 points. How did that happen? Because they should have had at least two other interceptions on which they chose to play volleyball rather than football, and because they forced a fumble that wound up being a Bucs touchdown when Mike Evans recovered it in the end zone. They also allowed Peyton Barber to rush for 106 yards and gave up 359 net passing yards to a pair of quarterbacks. The Bucs were 6-for-9 on third downs and 4-for-5 in the red zone.
Special Teams: B-plus
There were two critical moments late in the game when the special teams came through: Michael Thomas recovering an onside kick attempt with 2:20 remaining and Riley Dixon putting a punt in the end zone – and away from DeSean Jackson – with 23 seconds left. Corey Coleman’s 40-yard return on the opening kickoff sparked the team to a touchdown on the opening drive, and Kerry Wynn’s big hit on the second-half kickoff set the tone for that stanza. Coleman averaged 26.8 yards on five returns. Aldrick Rosas connected on a 52-yard field goal but mishit some of his kickoffs, which was the only blemish for the units.
Coaching: B
Pat Shurmur picked apart a weak Bucs defense by relying on the run and using timely downfield passes. The run-first mentality led to him calling some flashier plays, such as a reverse to Beckham and a few deeper passes on play-action. Defensively, the Giants need to do a much better job of finishing. They held on in this game but allowed 28 second-half points, 21 in the fourth quarter. Most importantly, though, Shurmur has the Giants believing. After the way this season began for them, that’s no small task.
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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