NY Giants Rush: Monday Morning Manning: Week 4
By: Marco Imperati
The Giants beat the Buffalo Bills 24-10 to fight back on their young season to go 2-2. Eli Manning threw for three touchdowns to lead the way. Although he still has some mental mishaps like two delay of game penalties, Eli was in control of the offense for almost the whole game against one of the best defenses in the league. He has players going in and out of the offensive line and isn’t playing with a full group at Wide Receiver or Tight End.
Some goods:
Tom Coughlin: Yes, it’s been a rollercoaster ride to start the season. But if you ever wavered, ever considered if the game has passed Coach Coughlin by, go back and watch today’s game. His preparation and ability to keep a group focused on the task at hand shined through.
On the other sideline, Buffalo was undisciplined and constantly shot themselves in the foot with penalties. Going into week 4, the Giants were the least penalized team in the league.
Kerry Wynn: He’s getting better and better every week. Undrafted out of Richmond, Wynn is using his big frame to be a force in the run game. He’s part of a group that is doing about as good as they could be considering they rarely get a hit on the quarterback.
Some bad’s:
Conservative offense with a lead: The Giants have looked as prepared as it gets for games (see above, Tom Coughlin) however, the offense is not totally putting opposing teams out of the game. There are too many three and out’s in the second half with conservative running plays. Yes, be safe with the ball. But can we do so with some intention to score?
Larry Donnell: I mean, it wasn’t all bad from Donnell. Maybe putting him in the “some bad” category is a little rough but this may be an overall grade for the young tight end. I’d like to see more from the Giants starting tight end. A converted basketball player, Donnell often looks like he shies away from big hits.
Depth at Wide Receiver: With Preston Parker cut and the Victor Cruz return on hold for a few more weeks, the Giants are especially thin at Wide Receiver. I thought they would look to get Shane Vereen involved a little more today at wide receiver. Good to see Dwayne Harris out with the offense and even scoring his first touchdown, but the team is still weeks away from showing off their full arsenal of weapons.
Up next: The Giants will play in their third primetime game in 5 weeks when they host the 49ers on Sunday Night Football. Giants fans should block out any talk throughout the week of a “gimme” game.
Make no mistake about it, this 49er team is not the force they have been the last few years. However, this Giants team, which has shown to be prone to mental mistakes, need to play four complete quarters and get an important home win.