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Hapless New York Giants Fall to Los Angeles Rams, 38-11

Turnovers on offense add another nail in the coffin of the Giants' 2021 season as they drop to 1-5.

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Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- The Giants were dismantled at home by the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. A score of 38-11. The injury issues carried over from the Giants' 44-20 week five loss to Dallas. 

Both Andrew Thomas and Kadarius Toney, who were dealing with injuries throughout the week, didn’t last long in the game. Toney was heavily involved early in the game before leaving with an ankle injury. He had three catches for 36-yards on three targets.

Matt Peart was forced into the left tackle position after Andrew Thomas left the game, and his 2020 issues continued. Peart lunges too much, opens his hips way too early, and was consistently surrendering pressure. Daniel Jones struggled to adjust to the pressure and made several mistakes in the worst game played by Jones since the Giants’ 25-23 loss to Tampa Bay last season.

Jones' bad habits cropped up. As the Rams’ lead continued to grow, Jones’ ability to play quarterback regressed. Most of Jones’ stats were padded when the game was way out of reach; he went 29 of 51 for 242 yards. Rams safety Taylor Rapp had two interceptions and could’ve come away with a few more.

Jones accounted for four turnovers, three interceptions, and a fumble when hit from his blindside after Peart was beaten badly by Leonard Floyd. The Rams established the run with Darrell Henderson. He rushed for 71-yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. He was also used in the passing attack with a nice 25-yard touchdown catch over Tae Crowder.

It honestly seemed like the Rams’ offense couldn’t make a mistake, despite a few early defensive stands by the Giants. The Giants defense started to get gashed by the rushing attack. This set up the play-action bootlegs and leaks to players like Tyler Higbee and Cooper Kupp. Higbee had five catches for 36-yards on five targets. Kupp scored two more touchdowns; he went nine for 130 on 11 targets.

New York’s effort was in question down the stretch of the game, which isn’t something that happened at all last season despite a 6-10 season. It was an ugly game by the Giants. Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd were big issues for the Giants protection package. The Giants offensive line couldn’t block, there were several dropped passes by Dante Pettis and Sterling Shepard, and Daniel Jones was careless with the football.

Joe Judge’s second season couldn’t be worse. The Giants are now 1-5 with two embarrassing losses. Yes, New York had bad injuries in the last two losses, but the team didn’t even seem to compete. It was almost like they couldn’t even be on the same football field with their opponent. A team so focused on the fundamentals that unloaded salary cap space into the roster to compete now shouldn’t be this bad.

Matt Stafford continued his promising start to the NFL season. He was so good that Sean McVay took him out of the game with 10:00 minutes left in the fourth quarter when the score was 38-3. A second-year player out of Wake Forest, Johnny Wolford came into the game and threw an interception to Xavier McKinney. It was McKinney’s second interception of the game.

Stafford threw four touchdowns, one interception, and went for 251-yards. Once again, this Giants defense had so many open areas in their zone coverage. The game's first touchdown was to Robert Woods, where two Giants’ defenders followed Cooper Kupp’s clear-out. There are too many miscommunications, too many blown coverages, and the defense, as a whole, is a colossal disappointment from last season. Leonard Williams had two early sacks with help from Dexter Lawrence, which was, I guess, nice to see.

The Giants offense was able to drive down the football field in garbage time, and Eli Penny scored his first touchdown of the season after Sterling Shepard converted a 4th & 9, and then Jones hit Kyle Rudolph for the two point conversion. 

It was a 12-play, 53-yard drive after the Rams had already pulled their quarterback, so take it with a grain of salt. Cam Brown ended up running into punter Johnny Hekker on a 4th-and-1 which gave Wolford the football back. The game was over, but these are still mistakes that are too common for a Giants’ team based on discipline.

The Giants host the Panthers next week before traveling to Arrowhead for a date against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Then the Raiders come into town before the Giants BYE week. 

It’s too familiar, this feeling; it’s mid-October, and the season is bleak. We look to the draft as the Giants will have two first-round picks. It’s looking like New York’s will be a top-six selection, although there’s plenty of football left. The Bears fell to Green Bay this week, which is one positive thing to take away from a week six filled with embarrassment. 

Injury Update

Wide receiver Kadarius Toney exited the game on the first possession after reaggravating his ankle injury. Before that, he had caught all three of his pass targets for 36 yards, including a gorgeous third-down conversion in which he juked the defender out of his cleats to extend the Giants opening drive.

Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas was ruled out of the second half of the Giants' loss to the Los Angeles Rams / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter and was ruled out. Thomas was replaced by Matt Peart, who allowed a big strip-sack of Daniel Jones by Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, which set up the Rams' second touchdown of the game.

Receiver/kickoff returner C.J. Board (forearm) was also ruled out after taking a hit on a kickoff return late in the second quarter, an injury for which he needed an air cast. Head coach Joe Judge said Board suffered a broken arm.

Defensive lineman Danny Shelton was ruled out late in the fourth quarter with a pectoral injury.

Giants offensive tackle Nate Solder injured his finger but returned.

Giants Honor Super Bowl XLVI Team

The Giants welcomed back members of their 2011 Super Bowl XLVI championship team at halftime for a special ceremony acknowledging the tenth anniversary of that remarkable season.

Feb 2, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of Super Bowl XLVI ring to commemorate the New York Giants 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. on Feb 15, 2012 / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Over two dozen members of that team were honored as Bob Papa, radio voice of the Giants, handled the emcee duties from the press box. 

Team co-owner John Mara, who was viciously booed during the last home game as he presided over the jersey retirement ceremony and Ring of Honor induction of quarterback Eli Manning during the Giants' disappointing 17-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3.

The Giants planned to have Papa handle the emcee duties this week instead of Mara back in the preseason when finalizing plans for the Super Bowl XLVI team's ceremony.

Daniel Jones Passes Eli Manning in Franchise Record Book

Tucked away in the forgettable showing by quarterback Daniel Jones is that his 29 pass completions give him 694 for his career. That puts him past Eli Manning's 690 for the most completions by a Giants player in their first three seasons. 

Sterling Shepard Moves Up Giants Franchise Annuals

Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard, back after two weeks from a hamstring strain, finished with 76receiving yards on 10 receptions. 

That receiving yard total moved him past Bob Tucker (3,787) for the seventh-most receiving yards by a Giants player in their first six seasons.  

Shepard's 10 receptions gives him 341 for his career, which moves him past Chris Calloway (334) for the eighth-most receptions by a Giants player in franchise history.

The Giants will host the Carolina Panthers in Week 7 at MetLife Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 PM ET / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Up Next

The Giants, who are now 1-5 on the season and who have yet to win a game at home this season, will host the Carolina Panthers next weekend at MetLife Stadium. The Panthers, who this week won/loss to the Vikings at home, are 1-1 in road games this season.

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