We interrupt the breathless anticipation about choosing Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward to return to the less-compelling continuation of this season.
To some, it virtually appeared like a foregone conclusion that the Giants would lose out, end 2-15 and maintain onto with two arms the No. 1 choose within the 2025 NFL Draft that they claimed final week once they misplaced their franchise-record tenth consecutive sport. However a humorous factor occurred on the way in which from the underside of the league to the highest of the primary spherical. The Giants went out in Week 17 and received a sport. That was shocking sufficient, and that they piled on factors in a 45-33 shellacking of the Colts was actually a surprising growth.
Identical to that, the Giants dropped from No. 1 to No. 4 on the draft board (behind the Patriots, Titans and Browns), with one sport remaining to presumably re-sort the order as soon as once more. This confirmed, as soon as once more, that an occasion that takes place on the finish of April is on the minds of so many NFL observers however doesn’t register with coaches and gamers who take the sector week in and week out.
Right here some takeaways from the Giants’ first victory since Oct. 6:
— When followers embrace tanking, they fail to take into consideration what ceaseless dropping does to the psyches of younger gamers. The frustration rising in rookie Malik Nabers was all anybody wanted to see to understand that the 21-year previous wanted to take part in a victory earlier than the tip of his first 12 months with the Giants. One other rookie, operating again Tyrone Tracy, couldn’t comprise his pleasure about lastly strolling off the sector on the fitting facet of the rating.
“The locker room vitality is completely different, the sideline vitality is completely different,’’ Tracy mentioned. “Every little thing is completely different while you get a win. It’s one thing we would have liked and likewise one thing we labored exhausting for. For us to proceed to work and work and eventually get to reap the rewards, you possibly can solely think about the kind of emotions everyone seems to be having within the locker room.’’
— Darius Slayton made a catch over the center and it appeared as if he was headed to the turf as he misplaced his footing and began stumbling as he lurched ahead. However he regained his steadiness simply in time and accomplished a 32-yard catch-and-run landing reception. “I wasn’t happening,’’ Slayton mentioned. “I used to be going to somersault, entrance flip, one way or the other, a way I used to be going to discover a approach into the tip zone.’’
Slayton is the final man standing from the 2019 draft class. He’s the longest-tenured Giants participant nonetheless suiting up each week. Daniel Jones, the No. 6 choose that 12 months, was benched after which launched earlier this season. Dexter Lawrence, the No. 17 general choose, is on injured reserve with a dislocated elbow. Slayton is ending up his sixth and presumably his ultimate 12 months with the Giants, as he doesn’t have a contract for 2025. The landing he scored in opposition to the Colts is perhaps the final one he will get for the Giants.
“I don’t know what the longer term holds,’’ Slayton mentioned. “Clearly I’ll be a free agent after this 12 months so we’ll see how that goes. If this was my final one it was a pleasant one to exit on.’’
— These are the feedback and observations the Giants anticipated to listen to after video games this season relating to Nabers:
“The Colts couldn’t cover him, they couldn’t tackle him… big time plays from the Giants’ offense all over the field. I haven’t said that all year.”
This was Chris Simms on NBC’s “Football Night In America” and the sentiment was on the cash. There have been loads of receptions in Nabers’ rookie season, however not sufficient yards and definitely not sufficient explosive performs and yards-after-catch moments. There was all of that for Nabers in opposition to the Colts, as he caught seven passes for a season-high 171 yards, plus two touchdowns on scoring performs of 31 and 59 yards.
It was all a part of Drew Lock’s profession day, as he made the a lot of the 23 passes he tried. Lock accomplished 17 of them, for 309 yards and 4 touchdowns. He additionally ran for a landing. Lock’s passer ranking was 155.3. That prompted Simms to have some enjoyable on the published.
“You can’t stop Drew Lock!’’ Simms said. “Not on this day. We don’t let up for anyone, we’re the New York Giants!”
— If it felt as if the 45 factors by the Giants was essentially the most they’ve scored in a very long time, go along with that feeling. The final time they surpassed that whole was Nov. 1, 2015, when Eli Manning and Drew Brees engaged in a traditional shootout, received by the Saints 52-49 in New Orleans. The 45 factors have been essentially the most by the Giants in a win and in a house sport since Dec. 9, 2012, once they beat the Saints 52-27.
— That is unhappy, however true. The Giants received the turnover battle 3-0, which was nice for them. It was the primary time all season the Giants had a constructive turnover differential. This sport ended a streak of eight straight video games with the Giants committing not less than one turnover.
— If you happen to had Lock compiling the very best passer ranking for the Giants in six years, take a bow. The final time a Giants quarterback had a ranking larger than Lock’s 155.3 was Manning on Nov. 18, 2018. Manning had a ranking of 155.8 in a 38-35 victory over the Buccaneers.
— Brian Burns is difficult on himself. He put collectively a fantastic efficiency in opposition to the Colts, with six tackles — three tackles for loss — and one quarterback hit, on the sector for 60 of the 77 snaps on protection. He almost had a sack of Joe Flacco however as an alternative of going for the physique, Burns tried for an even bigger play, going for the ball for a strip sack. Flacco protected the ball, although, and Burns got here away with nothing.
Afterward, Burns sat in entrance of his locker and thought of the performs he did not make.
“I used to be just a bit upset due to the alternatives and the performs I left on the market, I might have had a very, actually, actually good sport,’’ Burns mentioned. “It was an honest sport. As soon as I watch this movie I’m gonna be sick to my abdomen, Oh boy.
“Not one of the ones I missed actually resulted in something for them however simply the actual fact it might have been an vitality booster for the remainder of the crew. Strip sacks, sacks, all the things. I used to be round him so much and simply couldn’t purchase one.’’
