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Giants Week 11 Report Card: A Clunker of the Worst Kind

Here are the grades following the New York Giants' 28-16 Week 11 loss to the Detroit Lions

Patricia Traina

Giants Week 11 Report Card: A Clunker of the Worst Kind
Giants Week 11 Report Card: A Clunker of the Worst Kind /
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East Rutherford, N.J. - Grading the New York Giants 31-18 Week 11 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Offense: F

It was just a matter of time before reality smacked the Giants in the face that they couldn't continue to rely on the running game to get the job done and not balance it out with the passing game.

Saquon Barkley was held to just 22 yards on the ground, not by loaded boxes, but rather by a fast-flowing defense that cut the Giants off at the pass at the second level and beat the Giants in the pit.

Although quarterback Daniel Jones threw for 341 yards on the day and had a 100-yard receiver (Wan'Dale Robinson), the mistakes--two interceptions and a fumble--were simply too much for them to overcome as the Lions scored two touchdowns off the Giants' turnovers.

The Giants inserted guard Shane Lemieux into the lineup in place of rookie Joshua Ezeudu, which was a disaster. Going primarily against Alim McNeil, Lemieux allowed one sack, three quarterback hits, and two tackles for a loss in the first half before being replaced by the rookie in the second half.

Defense: F

The run game struggles continue as New York allowed 160 yards on the ground and four touchdowns, three to Jamaal Williams.

Zero sacks and only three quarterback hits just won't cut the mustard. Per NextGen Stats, not one Giants pass rusher got within the league average of 4.53 yards of the quarterback. The Giants need to rethink having inside linebacker Micah McFadden in coverage, as often he wasn't even in the same zip code as the ball carrier.

The Giants forced three three-and-outs and should have had a fourth, except outside linebacker Oshane Ximines hit quarterback Jared Goff high, thus drawing a flag on the opening drive after the defense had stopped the Lions cold.

In areas that in the past had been a Giants strength--third down and red zone--the Giants just weren't very good. The Lions converted 46.2 percent of their third down attempts and 80 percent of their red-zone attempts. Ouch!

Special Teams: F

Graham Gano, who missed Friday's practice due to illness, admitted after the game that he still felt lousy and that the winds were the worst he had ever seen in his career. While all that might be behind his missing two PATs, the fact remains he was good enough to be out there and had a job to do, so there are no excuses.

Jamie Gillan has a huge leg and might have forced three fair catches, but his awful shank in the first half that went 25 yards helped set up another Lions score. The Giants just cannot continue to accept the inconsistency Gillan has produced so far this year, especially in situations requiring touch.

Two punt returns for 10 yards? Meh. And three kickoff returns for 41 yards (13.7 average), including a muff, while also allowing the Lions to average 31 yards per kickoff return? Triple meh. Two penalties, including an illegal block in the back on a kickoff return by Nick McCloud and a personal foul against Cam Brown on the PAT defense? Unacceptable.

Coaching: C

Yes, the coaching staff has to do what's best for the team to help it win, but when "doing what's best for the team" means exposing the team's top cornerback to the added risk of injury, that's hard to get behind.

Putting Adoree' Jackson at punt return--and it's not like he's shown flashes of breaking one since taking on that job for Richie James--shouldn't be an option, not with the schedule of opponents and receivers that await this team.

The Giants moved the ball through the air 341 yards, but it was some of the quietest 341 yards we can recall in a game, including rookie Wan'Dale Robinson's 100-yard performance. 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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