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New York Giants Week 14 Report Card: A Giant Embarassment

Here are the grades for the New York Giants' Week 14 game against the Philadlephia Eagles.

Patricia Traina

New York Giants Week 14 Report Card: A Giant Embarassment
New York Giants Week 14 Report Card: A Giant Embarassment /
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Even the loudest of the Giants' critics knew this week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles was going to be bad.

But 48-22 bad? Woof!

But that is indeed what transpired Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. The Eagles, who have now clinched a postseason berth, scored on nine of their 12 possessions, while the Giants simply had no answers to counter what was being done to them.

This week's grades reflect what is without question the Giants' worst performance of the 2022 campaign and just how much work they need to do in the offseason to build up the roster to be more competitive against the better teams in the league.

Offense: D

The offensive line couldn't protect quarterbacks Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor for anything, allowing seven sacks and 12 hits. While Jones did well not to turn the ball over despite being harassed all day, the same couldn't be said of Taylor, who coughed up the ball when he was sacked in the middle of the fourth quarter, the turnover setting the stage for Boston Scott's ninth career touchdown against the Giants.

Saquon Barkley gave it a go but was limited to about 20 touches, rushing for 28 yards on nine carries (3.1 average), his discomfort from his neck/shoulder issue painfully (no pun intended) obvious at times. Receiver Isaiah Hodgins (four receptions out of six targets for 38 yards, one touchdown) looks like a keeper.

Defense: F

Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, and company had no answers for this dynamic Eagles offense, which ran for a whopping 253 yards on 31 carries (8.2 average), and added another 217 yards via the air. Miles Sanders (144 yards on 17 carries) and quarterback Jalen Hurts (77 yards in seven carries) took turns gashing the Giants, mainly on the edges with counterplays.

Not that it mattered much in the end, but Julian Love's decision to go for an interception rather than try to force a pass breakup on the Eagles' second touchdown was a rare blunder by the otherwise dependable defensive back.

The Giants defense--admittedly banged up--has now allowed four of its last six opponents to score 27 or more points--not a good development for a team that is now clinging to a postseason berth by its fingernails.

Special Teams: D

It seems that, more often than not, the Giants special teams are doing something that ends up hurting the team every week. This week, it was punter Jamie Gillan dropping the ball to the turf before he could kick it and then drawing an illegal kick penalty in the process that gave the Eagles a first down on the Giants' 33-yard line where all it took was one play for Hurts to find A.J. Brown for the score.

Boston Scott averaged 39 yards per kickoff return (three) and had a long of 66 as Giants players appeared to aimlessly throw themselves at him only to miss--inexcusable. And on punt returns, Britain Covy had a 16-yarder in which he ducked at least a couple of Giants would-be tacklers.

This week, the only bright spot on this unit was Micah McFadden, who blocked a punt that Eagles punter Arryn Siposs tried to advance for the first down, only to be stopped short by a yard. With their best starting field position of the day, the Giants converted that turnover into their first touchdown.

Coaching: F

Yes, the players play the game, but with a rout this bad, there is just no giving the coaches a positive grade. The Giants continue to lack the creativity they once showed earlier in the season on offense, and the defense, albeit banged up, had no answers for what the Eagles threw at them.

Special teams, with very few exceptions, have been a season-long disaster with something popping up that helps turn the game's tide against the Giants.

And the Giants, who now have a huge prime-time game that could decide their postseason fate, have to somehow shake this embarrassing performance off and get themselves in the right frame of mind.

 

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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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