New York Giants: Sterling Shepard, standouts from Week 7 vs. Falcons

ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 22: Sterling Shepard #87 of the New York Giants pulls in this reception against Robert Alford #23 of the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

2. WR Sterling Shepard

It’s been a rough year for two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning. And the 15-year pro certainly deserves his share of the blame when it comes to the New York Giants’ offensive woes. On Monday night at Atlanta, the much-maligned signal-caller would wind up hitting on 27 of his 38 throws, good for 399 yards and one touchdown. But Manning had his issues when the team reached the red zone and misfired far too often as Pat Shurmur’s club failed to score a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, although the Giants’ passing game struggled when it counted most, Manning was able to pile up the yards thanks to his talented pair of wideouts. And it was Sterling Shepard who found some huge holes in the Atlanta secondary.

While teammates Saquon Barkley (10) and Odell Beckham Jr. (11) were targeted more often in the game and caught nine and eight passes, respectively, Shepard’s five receptions amounted to a game-best 167 yards. He struck for gains of 12, 38, 53, 58 and six yards, respectively, in the team’s eventual 23-20 loss.

Yes, the undermanned Falcons’ defense has given up its share of yards through the air this season. But it’s also worth noting that Shepard’s longest pass play of 2018 entering Monday night was just 28 yards.