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That was unfortunate, huh? In a game that featured two teams with winnings records (the only matchup of over .500 teams this week), the Giants came out flat and provided the fans with a let down. It was a very winnable game. So what happened? Well, a quiet offense, a sluggish second half, and mental mistakes and turnovers.
It wasn't the worst performance, it was just a flat one. The offense couldn't get it going and the defense was just average. I'll start with what I liked. Darius Slayton is becoming quite reliable. Today he caught five balls for 66 yards with a long of 21.Not bad. Then the defense had some playmakers that caught our eyes. Tomon Fox, the undrafted free agent out of North Carolina, collected six tackles. He will probably ee an increase role as the season progresses. Same with Micah McFadden, who recorded his first career sack in the league. Adoree Jackson forced and recovered a fumble today.
As for the offense minus Slayton, Barkley scored but wasn't as explosive like in weeks priors. The wide receiving core is thin, and they should have relied more on the run game. Not to make any excuses, but it was also an adjustment game for the O-Line. For the first time all season, the Giants started a different starting five on their offensive line. Evan Neal (RT) and Ben Bredson (LG) both were out with knee injuries. So they moved Tyre Phillips to right tackle, and rookie Josh Ezeudu came in for left guard. Not making excuses, but new faces mixed into the equation. Jones was hit seven times, five of them being sacks.
The finger can't be pointed at one player, but a guy that stood out (for the wrong reasons) today was wide receiver Richie James. The punt returner might be out of a job after two blunders today. He lost two fumbles on return that resulted in scores by the Seahawks right after they recovered them. It cost the Giants pretty much the game.
On any winning football team, a guy like Richie James with get the axe after watching film. I know this new regime is trying to build something, but can the Giants afford to cut James, let alone do they find that effective? He most definitely will not be returning kicks any time soon, but as a receiver he has been one of the more effective ones, catching 20 receptions and close to 200 yards, which puts him in second on the team behind Darius Slayton.
Fantasy Points
QB Daniel Jones: 176 yards , 20 yards rushing | 9.04 pts.
RB Saquon Barkley: 20 car. 53 yards rush, 3 rec. 9 yards rec.|15.2 pts.
RB Matt Breida: 2 car. 5 yards rush, 1 rec. 10 yards| 2.5 pts.
WR Wan'Dale Robinson: 2 rec. 15 yards| 3.5 pts.
WR Darius Slayton: 5 rec. 66 yards, 1 TD| 11.6 pts.
WR David Sills V: 1 rec. 5 yards | 1.51 pts.
TE Tanner Hudson: 3 rec. 58 yard| 8.8 pts.
TE Chris Myarick: 2 rec. 10 yard| 2.0 pts.
Defense + Special Teams: 1 FR, 3 Sacks, 27 PA |7.0 pts.
K Graham Gano: 2/2 FGM, 1 XPM | 8 pts.
Bets and Odds: Pick Record (20-5)
Giants +3 X
Giants Moneyline X
NYG/SEA Under 44 ✓
Next Game
6-2 heading into the trade deadline and bye week. I'll take it. They needed this bye after three of their last four games were all across the globe (London, Jacksonville, Seattle). The Giants could easily be a one loss or even undefeated team, but a few mental mistakes leads us to this. I am okay with it. The question is, will the Giants be buyers, sellers, or a combination of both, especially after dealing away Toney? The team is thin with injuries, but also tight on cash, so we'll find out in 48 hours.
