The New York Giants finished off an up-beat weekend with a win over the Houston Texans on Sunday, outscoring their opponent 27-22. Despite giving up 385 passing yards, the Giants won the turnover battle securing a fumble and a timely interception by linebacker Alec Ogletree in the red-zone.
The defense look solid, keeping Texans’ Deshaun Watson under duress the entire game and forcing him to throw on the run. The run-stoppers held the Texans to just 59 total rushing yards, with Watson earning 36 yards.
Let’s take a look at the positives and the negatives oft he day:
Being that the Giants earned a well-needed victory, let’s start with the positives. Eli Manning looked stellar with a bit of protection, finishing the day with 25 completions on 29 attempts, 297 yards and two touchdown passes. His QB rating was an elevated 132.2. It seems as if the success of the Giants is entirely reliant on the offensive line, and it’s apparent that benching of right tackle Ereck Flowers might have made the difference.
Chad Wheeler replaced Flowers at right tackle, and he struggled against All-Pro pass-rusher JJ Watt, but he managed to hold his own enough to provide Manning with a bit more time. There’s no doubt that Wheeler can see improvement, but going up against Watt and being successful is nearly impossible.
Head coach Pat Shurmur pushed Manning out of the pocket and gave him some space to throw the ball, which is not ordinary for the Giants’ quarterback. Being crafty and creative will be the game-plan going forward in the season, especially against a dangerous Saints offense in week 4.
The negative:
The negative has more to do with injuries than anything else. In the absence of cornerback Eli Apple, reserve corner B.W. Webb stepped up in a big way. He finished the game with three tackles and a pass defended. He played his part in man-coverage, while Will Fuller did most of his damage with the Giants playing zone, racking up 101 yards.
Tight end Evan Engram finished the day on the sidelines with a knee brace on after taking a low hit early in the game. Rhett Ellison was asked to fill in and secured a touchdown in Engram’s absence.
Defensive tackle Damon Harrison was seen on the sideline with his hands on his head in obvious pain. Updates will be posted accordingly in regard to his ailment.