Giants’ grades
Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants gestures during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015 in East Rutherford, N.J. Credit: Jim McIsaac
OFFENSE: C
Odell Beckham Jr. went from a one-man-show to a no-show for most of the game. He wound up with six catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, breaking his streak of seven straight games with at least 100 yards. Eli Manning was not as crisp as he was last week, when he threw just four incompletions, but he was also hampered by dropped passes to finish 29-for-46 for 245 yards. His one interception came when Hakeem Nicks slipped. The Giants finally had a running back gain over 100 yards this season as Rashad Jennings went for 107 on 16 carries).
DEFENSE: D
Maybe there is no shame in not stopping Cam Newton, since no one else really has. But the Giants did have him bottled up pretty good for most of the fourth quarter until he led the Panthers on the game-winning drive for a field goal. Newton threw for 340 yards, virtually assuring that the Giants will be the first team in NFL history to allow 300 or more passing yards per game for a season (they are at 308.4). Jason Pierre-Paul got his first sack but also was one of those who whiffed on Newton’s 47-yard run.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
The blocked field goal by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie helped keep momentum going during the furious comeback and Brad Wing put two punts inside the 20-yard line in the first half. But there were penalties on the first two Giants punt returns and Ted Ginn Jr. had a 36-yard punt return to set up a Panthers touchdown. Josh Brown was not called on to attempt any field goals.
COACHING: D
Tom Coughlin didn’t have to bench Beckham for the rest of the game, but he should have removed him just to cool him off for a few snaps in the third quarter. He was on the verge of hurting someone, or himself. The Giants did a good job of mixing run-pass on offense and it was good to see them settle on one running back for the second straight game. The defense can make stops, as they showed on the two drives before the final one. Steve Spagnuolo needs to find a way to keep that momentum going.
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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