Not Quite the GIANT Step Forward We Wanted

Posted on by nzurich9

Turnovers Were The Difference

Green Bay finally got 2 turnovers, late in the game, which was the icing on the cake. While they came on the last two drives – that’s usually the best time to have them. The silver lining is that the Packers could’ve had 5 interceptions. Carrington Valentine had 2 dropped INTs alone, Nixon had one on a deep shot, and Bullard had one in his grasp before McDuffie knocked it away. At least they got their hands on the ball multiple times, but will need to convert them to turnovers in the coming weeks, especially against better competition.

The Defense Did Just Enough to Win

Green bay had 2 sacks, both by Micah Parsons, both in huge moments. The first on a 4th & 3 from the Green Bay 10-yard line late in the 3rd quarter. The other was the final play of the game. The issue is, much like Carolina, the Giants wanted to shorten the game by playing keep away and they did just that, but the difference here was GB’s offense came through. The offense ended up scoring touchdowns on 50% of their possessions (4 TDs on 8 possessions).

The Giants ran for 142 yards on 38 attempts (3.7 yards/rush), while that’s an acceptable average for a defense, when facing a desperate/aggressive team, they’ll go for it on 4th down more often (as the rest of the NFL is converting to) that avg. will still result in 1st downs. Speaking of 4th downs, New York converted 3 of their four conversions. The one they didn’t was the Parsons sack, which kept points off the board, and in a tight game, a big play. That and the Evan Williams’ INT were the difference in the game.

Love Played An Incredible Game

While his stat line won’t look incredible – 13/24, 174 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 105.2 rating – it easily could’ve been much better. The 6 drops accounted for an additional 76 yards, meaning his stat line would’ve been 19/24, 250 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 137.9 rating. Essentially his only “bad” play was lowering his shoulder and taking a hit which caused him to miss a drive. Thankfully Malik Willis is one of the best backup QBs in the NFL and he was able to complete the drive for a TD, even though I’m not quite sure Watson (who caught the 1st of his two TDs) was the intended receiver. The total QB stat line of the game was:

  • 15/26
  • 168 yards
  • 2 TD
  • 0 INT
  • 117.5 rating

The Special Teams Are Still A Problem

There were at least 2 penalties, one negating very good field position on a punt return – and while it was wildly windy, there were 2 extra points missed. Havrisik has been a healthy scratch since the Arizona game, McManus’ leg apparently wasn’t healthy and now there’s a kicking issue in Green Bay…Couple all of this with the fact our return man (regardless of whom) are last in the NFL – again, a significant problem.

Remaining Questions

  1. Will LaFleur put the offense in Love’s hands – as he was forced to when Jacobs left with his leg injury? It seems to have been working every time he’s been asked to do so, or at least gives us the best chance at winning giving the current construct of this offensive line.
  2. Will Love be able to overcome said OL and Special Teams deficiencies to take this team to hoisting a Lombardi Trophy? We’ll find out over the next 3 weeks, should Green Bay win, we’ll be in great shape moving forward.

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