Grading the Giants’ 10-7 win over the Patriots on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Offense
How do you win a game with only one touchdown, only 10 first downs and only 220 total yards? You don’t turn the ball over, and that is the best thing Tommy DeVito (17 of 25, 191 yards) did on this day. He was sacked six times and could have avoided a few of them.
DeVito did not have much to lean on from Saquon Barkley (12-46 rushing, 1-6 receiving) and he did not force anything in compiling a quarterback rating of 103.9. This is playing above the X’s and O’s: Isaiah Hodgins used a stiff-arm to shed a tackle and turn a short gain into a 12-yard TD.
Rookie Jalin Hyatt (5-109) notched the first 100-yard receiving game of his NFL career and had catches of 29, 22 and 41 yards. Sterling Shepard had a costly drop early in the second quarter, preventing the Giants from moving into field-goal range.
Grade: C
Defense
Three more turnovers, courtesy of interceptions from rookie Deonte Banks, Xavier McKinney and Bobby Okereke. The Okereke pick (and 55-yard return) was triggered by strong pressure from Isaiah Simmons in the face of Mac Jones, who went 12 of 21 for 89 yards and two INTs before getting benched for Bailey Zappe, who was better (9 of 14, 54 yards, 1 INT) only by comparison.
Kayvon Thibodeaux diagnosed a swing pass and dropped Rhamondre Stevenson for a 6-yard loss. Thibodeaux also had a half sack and forced a Jones fumble.
Micah McFadden tackled Stevenson on a short pass for a 5-yard loss. Stevenson (21-98) and Ezekiel Elliott (9-46) did some damage on the ground with Dexter Lawrence (hamstring) not on the field. Jihad Ward had 1.5 sacks.
The Patriots were limited to 4 of 14 on third-down conversions.
Grade: A
Special Teams
Randy Bullock hit a 42-yard field goal in his only attempt but his kickoff out of bounds to start the second half handed the Pats great field position and they cashed in with their only touchdown.
Jamie Gillan’s first punt traveled 48 yards and was angled nicely toward the left sideline. His second punt was a howitzer blasted 74 yards but it bounced into the end zone for a touchback. His third punt pinned the Pats on their 9-yard line. Gillan’s final punt was poor, a 38-yarder that put the Pats at mid-field.
Nick McCloud alertly pounced on the ball to prevent a turnover after a wobbly punt hit off his body. Carter Coughlin put a huge hit on Ty Montgomery on a kickoff return and Cam Brown leveled Demario Douglas on a punt return.
Grade: B+
Coaching
Brian Daboll has kept the team together. The Giants do not always play well, but they do play hard. The decision to decline a delay-of-game penalty on the Patriots did not work in the Giants’ favor when the ensuing punt forced the Giants to start a first quarter series on their 6-yard line.
Daboll won a replay challenge late in the third quarter contesting a spot that gave the Patriots a first down. Wink Martindale’s defense has become a takeaway machine and every one of them is needed, given the offense’s low-scoring ways.
Grade: B