The New York Giants fell to the Green Bay Packers, 31-13, on a snowy Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, extending their losing streak to eight consecutive games and officially eliminating them from the playoffs.
The game itself wasn’t as lopsided as many anticipated initially, but it got a little out of hand later on in the fourth quarter. And while that does represent some progress, as head coach Pat Shurmur would say, you don’t get any prizes for trying hard.
Here’s a look at some winners and losers from Week 13:
Winners
Sterling Shepard: Because of the weather, Shepard wasn’t targeted as many times as he would have been under sunny skies, but he made sure to remind Giants Nation how valuable he can be when he’s on the field. He hauled in three receptions for 40 yards and one beautiful touchdown, and was open several other times throughout the game, but the Giants were simply unable to get him the ball. He did have one drop, but that shouldn’t define his performance.
Darius Slayton: Slayton is rapidly becoming a consistent weekly force and Sunday was no different. Ironically, he actually played better than his stats would indicate as one of his long receptions was called back due to a penalty. He finished the game with six receptions for 44 yards.
Janoris Jenkins: Jenkins entered the Week 13 game feeling quite confident and all but guaranteeing he wouldn’t give up a touchdown, and true to his word, he did not. In fact, Jenkins didn’t give up a single reception to a receiver in which he was covering one-on-one, and even had a pass defensed that prevented a score.
Others: Buck Allen, Aldrick Rosas, Kaden Smith
Losers
Nate Solder: The veteran started the game relatively strong, but as time ticked off the block, he seemed to regress. Za’Darius Smith became a bit too much for him over time and it began to show on nearly every play. Unfortunately, Saquon Barkley whiffed on a few chips which made Solder’s performance look even worse, but even with that, the veteran had another poor game.
DeAndre Baker: After a career-best game in Week 12, Baker returned to his rookie woes against the Packers on Sunday. He gave up several chunk plays, each time being pulled from the game in favor of Sam Beal, who also did his fair share of struggling.
Antoine Bethea: Bethea made a few solid tackles that really stood out, but those highlights were literally the only positives to his game on Sunday. In pass coverage, he was abused on several plays and was in the vicinity of three of Aaron Rodgers’ touchdowns. Were they all his fault? It’s hard to say due to blown coverages, but it’s not a good look.
Daniel Jones: There were moments on Sunday where Jones looked impressive, poised and ready to take the next step in career. There were also moments where he looked like a rookie who had never played in the snow before (both true). He tossed three picks (nearly four) on the day after going 111 attempts without one, and added yet another fumble (recovered by the Giants).
Others: Jon Halapio, Grant Haley, Da’Mari Scott
Mixed reviews
Saquon Barkley: Barkley had a curious day on Sunday… He struggled against in pass protection and had a few other curious errors, but he also flashed signs of the player who won Rookie of the Year in 2018. He finished the game with 83 yards on 19 carries to go along with 32 yards on three receptions.
Leonard Williams: Williams will be ripped for once again failing to record a sack, but he was a stud against the run on Sunday, adding a few pressures and a QB hit for good measure. He also drew what was a key penalty at the time, but overall, he doesn’t make a game-changing impact as a pass rusher. That’s why the Giants traded for him and why he won’t get the benefit of the doubt.
Others: Alec Ogletree, Sam Beal, Julian Love, Cody Latimer
