Something on the offensive side of the ball clicked on Sunday as the New York Giants beat the Houston Texans 30 to 14. Eli Manning and the offense finally looked like one cohesive unit. The run blocking was superb and Rashad Jennings showed exactly why the Giants signed him in the off-season.
Richburg, Walton and Jerry were very impressive upfront as Jennings gashed and smashed his way to 175 yards and a touchdown running between the guards. Jennings showed speed and toughness as he abused the Texans defensive.
On the outside, Beatty and Pugh kept Eli upright only giving up one sack, leaving one to ask…what happened to JJ Watt? New Jersey native, Houston Linebacker Brian Cushing had 17 tackles in the game.
New Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo also added in a few new wrinkles that seemed to jump-start Ruben Randle. Randle who was off to a slow start made a handful of nice catches. If he could only stick to running North and South, the receiver would make so much more plays.
While the first few offensive possessions ended in disaster(fumble and missed field goal)due to Giants mistakes, Big Blue settled down and took care of business for most of the 2nd half. Zak DeOssie was the biggest goat of the day costing the Giants a field goal after a bad snap.
Each week the Giants have gotten better which is very encouraging as the Giants move toward a huge divisional game with the Redskins this Thursday night.
Eli Manning was 21 of 28 for 234 yards and two touchdowns, his best performance of the year. He was economical with the ball and spread the rock out to five different receivers and had no interceptions.
Is this a warning to the other NFL teams that the “Giants are coming?” No. But it shows that there is life in this team and that a new Offensive Coordinator and a new offensive line just need a little time to gel.
The Giants defensive was slack in keeping Edwards in the pocket but created a handful of great opportunities for Eli and the offense with interceptions from Amukamara, DRC and Antrel Rolle.
Both the Giants and Texans were without major star players including: Clowney(Texas), Foster(Texans), Beason(Giants), Thurmond(Giants) and Schwartz(Giants).
- Offensive Game Ball: Rashad Jennings – 175 yards + 1 TD
- Defensive Game Ball: Antrel Rolle 5- tackles + 1 INT
Craig J. Santucci | Managing Editor
@CraigSantucci