In what may be Eli Manning’s final start as a member of the New York Giants, the team came up big and managed to get him a victory — Manning’s first win in over a calendar year and the team’s first win since Week 4.
It was ugly early on, but then the Giants began to roll and never looked back. There were some issues here and there, but all things considered, it was the team’s most well-rounded game all season.
Here’s a quick look at the winners and losers from Week 14:
Winners
David Mayo: On a team — and specifically a defense — that does very little right, Mayo has been a pleasant and unexpected surprise. Yes, he’s been up-and-down at times and even had a few hiccups on Sunday, but overall he’s a very sound player who steps up and makes big plays at crucial times. It’s a shame his teammates actually drag down his play.
Saquon Barkley: Finally. Finally. Finally. Barkley had not had a 100-yard game since Week 2 and had not reached the endzone since Week 7. Both of those streaks ended with what was arguably Barkley’s best performance of the season. He finished the day with 112 yards on 24 carries, 31 yards on four receptions and two touchdowns.
Darius Slayton: Slayton didn’t put up huge numbers, but he came up big in a few big plays in key spots. He finished the game with two receptions for 31 yards and his eighth touchdown of the season.
Riley Dixon: Worth. Every. Penny.
Others: Dalvin Tomlinson, Leonard Williams, Michael Thomas
Losers
Nate Solder: The things Solder is dealing with away from the game of football are gut-wrenching, which makes it difficult to criticize his play. One can only imagine the heartache he’s going through. That said, his play on the field is terribly lacking and that was again the case on Sunday. The fact that he and Will Hernandez can’t handle a basic stunt is very troubling. It is worth noting he played better as the game went on, but the team very clearly needs a new left tackle.
Alec Ogletree: After Janoris Jenkins expressed relief over being released by the Giants, Ogletree “liked” his tweet. It’s clear Ogletree has no desire to be in East Rutherford, either, and that was very evident on Sunday. We lost track of how many tackles the veteran missed and we won’t even touch on how he looked in coverage. He did make a few solid plays, but there weren’t enough to outweigh the bad plays.
Aldrick Rosas: After a few strong weeks, Rosas had another mistake on Sunday, missing a point after attempt — something we’ve seen entirely too much of this season.
Others: Will Hernandez, Lorenzo Carter
Mixed reviews
Sterling Shepard: Shepard started the game off poorly, dropping a pass that hit him right in the chest, costing the Giants a first down and potentially some points. He also failed to haul in another pass that went in his direction, but rebounded in the second half. It wasn’t enough to push him into the “winners” category after his earlier miscues, but Shep ended the game with an impressive nine receptions for 111 yards.
Eli Manning: Eli tossed two truly ugly interceptions (and a third on an essential hail mary), but he also completed 20 of his 28 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly? He won. Well done, Eli. Thank you.
Julian Love: Love really looks like a solid player with a bright future. He plays all over the field and plays each position well. He did miss a tackle and have a few other hiccups on Sunday, but those are just rookie growing pains for a guy without much NFL experience. His ceiling is very high and even with some of the mistakes he made, Love looks leaps and bounds better than most of the Giants defense.
DeAndre Baker: Baker was burned to a crisp earlier in the game and committed a pass interference, but he didn’t let the struggles ride and rebounded with two pass breakups that likely prevent touchdowns. He did suffer a knee injury in the second half, but returned.
Others: Golden Tate, Kaden Smith, Nick Gates
