The New York Giants just narrowly came up short against the Los Angeles Rams in a thrilling Week 17 battle on New Year’s Eve. The Rams came out on top 26-25 following a missed field goal from Giants kicker Mason Crosby as time expired.
The Giants were the underdogs entering this game and nearly found themselves on the winning side of the scoreboard. However, they were not able to get it done as their record fell to 5-11 on the season.
The Giants’ offense is more explosive with Tyrod Taylor in at quarterback
Head coach Brian Daboll made a bold decision to bench rookie sensation Tommy DeVito after the first half of last week’s game against the Eagles. In went veteran QB Tyrod Taylor, who was named the starter once again ahead of this week’s matchup. Taylor played well and continued to generate explosive plays that had been absent from the Giants’ repertoire earlier this season.
Taylor throws a pretty deep ball and is always eager to connect on the big plays. His 80-yard touchdown connection to WR Darius Slayton was the highlight of the game for Taylor and the Giants’ offense.
Taylor finished the game – passing for yards and touchdowns. He might not have a future as a long-term starter, but Taylor is boosting his value ahead of this offseason — in which he will be an unrestricted free agent.
The Dane Belton breakout is here
Second-year defensive back Dane Belton had himself a game today. The playmaking safety got his hands on the football three times, snagging two interceptions and recovering a fumble forced by CB Adoree’ Jackson.
Belton has been a rotational player for the Giants this season, having been on the field for just 19% of the team’s defensive snaps entering this game. His snap share should increase going forward after a special breakout performance in Week 17.
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This team is still riding with Daboll
If there were any questions about head coach Brian Daboll’s command over this team, they have been answered down this final stretch of the season.
This Giants team is still playing hard and putting in a ton of effort despite their elimination from postseason contention. Daboll, last season’s AP NFL Coach of the Year, struggled to get his team off to a strong start this season. He made his fair share of mistakes this season, but ultimately, Daboll has proven that he still has the juice he showed last year.
The Giants can feel confident heading into the offseason with Daboll as their head coach. The team plays hard for him and he manages to extract production out of a roster with minimal talent. There’s plenty of work to do for Big Blue, but they can find comfort in the fact that they have the right man in the big chair.
