New York Giants: Report card vs. Buffalo Bills in Week 2
The New York Giants fell 28-14 to the Buffalo Bills in their home opener Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Here we take a look at Big Blue’s report card.
The New York Giants dropped their home opener to the Buffalo Bills Sunday, 28-14, at MetLife Stadium. After a promising start, this one got ugly fast. The Giants were tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter but saw the Bills pull away before halftime and never relinquish their hold on the contest.
Big Blue dipped to 0-2 on the young campaign, the sixth time in the last seven years the G-Men have dropped their first two games of the season. This is getting old very, very quickly.
Let’s take a look at New York’s report card.
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Offense
Is it already time to move on to Daniel Jones? More and more Giants fans will be clamoring to start the rookie quarterback after another lackluster performance from Eli Manning.
The veteran signal-caller completed 26-of-45 passes for 250 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked just once but his lack of mobility is just not working in today’s NFL. Giants fans are frustrated. Jones be starting sooner rather than later.
Big Blue got off to a rousing start on the first possession of the game, parlaying Saquon Barkley’s 27-yard scoring gallop into a 7-0 advantage just 2:24 into the contest. The G-Men did virtually nothing after that. Barkley was his usual stellar self (107 rushing yards, 28 receiving yards) but he got little help from his teammates.
The Giants missed Sterling Shepard (concussion) and tight end Evan Engram failed to come through in a big spot. The second-year tight end finished with just six receptions for 48 yards, most of which came when the outcome was already decided. Bennie Fowler (five catches for 51 yards) and T.J Jones (3-38-1) tried to help as best they could.
Grade: D
Defense
Another poor performance by New York, allowing the Bills to score 21 unanswered points after grabbing an early 7-0 lead. The Bills (2-0) marched 98 yards for a touchdown on Josh Allen’s 14-yard flip pass to Isaiah McKenzie with 7:30 left in the first half, giving Buffalo a 14-point advantage. Allen (19-of-30, 253 yards, one score) also scored on a short scamper as well.
The Giants recorded three sacks on the day but allowed 151 yards on the ground and didn’t force any turnovers. That’s going to be an issue for them moving forward — they simply don’t have many dynamic playmakers on defense. They still don’t mount enough pressure on the opposing quarterback. Their secondary still stinks. It looks like it’s going to be another lost season.
Grade: D-
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Special Teams
Aldrick Rojas missed a 48-yard field goal with 1:49 remaining in the opening half. Jones galloped 60 yards with a punt return but the G-Men were thwarted when Manning tossed an interception on the next possession. Riley Dixon had a strong game punting the football, averaging 48.4 yards per boot, including two inside the 20-yard line.
Grade: C