The New York Giants entered Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams as 5.5-point underdogs and with nothing to play for, having been eliminated from playoff contention a week ago.
However, you wouldn’t have been able to tell by how hard the Giants fought for all four quarters. There were many self-inflicted wounds but their effort can not be questioned.
Unfortunately, for a team that is already shorthanded and personnel-deficient, those added unforced errors were too much to overcome. And while they hung in with the high-powered Rams, they ultimately fell, 26-25, on a missed field goal with only seconds remaining.
Here is a look at some of the studs and duds (and studly duds) from the Week 17 defeat.
STUD: WR Wan'Dale Robinson
The further removed wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson gets from his torn ACL, the better he plays. He’s beginning to flash on a weekly basis and that trend continued on Sunday. The second-year wideout made an impact through the air and on the ground (as well as a blocker), hauling in six receptions for 55 yards, while adding another 24 on the ground.
DUD: TE Daniel Bellinger
Daniel Bellinger may have hauled in all four of his targets on the day but his bread and butter has been lacking butter this season. The tight end has fallen off as a blocker and struggled again on Sunday, picking up two holding penalties as he attempted to compensate, including one in the fourth quarter that brought back a huge gain to Jalin Hyatt.
STUD: S Dane Belton
Talk about a breakout game for Dane Belton. The second-year safety was all over the field, capitalizing on the Rams’ many miscues. He became the first Giants defender in 10 years to record three-plus takeaways — two interceptions and one fumble recovered. He also had two tackles (one solo) and two passes defensed.
DUD: OL John Michael Schmitz
You hate to harshly grade a rookie going up against Aaron Donald but for center John Michael Schmitz, it wasn’t only Donald who dominated him. Defensive tackle Kobie Turner also had a field day in Week 17, routinely beating Schmitz clean. And like many others across the offensive line, the rookie struggled to pick up stunts, leading to consistent pressure on quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
STUD: LB Bobby Okereke
Although he could have been better in coverage, linebacker Bobby Okereke had another strong performance on Sunday. He led the Giants’ defense with 10 tackles (two solo, one for a loss), adding two QB hits and 1.5 sacks.
DUD: CB Adoree' Jackson
Veteran cornerback Adoree’ Jackson did punch a ball loose resulting in a key takeaway, but that was about the extent of it on the afternoon. He seemed to shy away from contract which resulted in disaster when Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua slipped out of Jackson’s grasp and took it 80 yards, setting up a Los Angeles score.
There were some good moments for Jackson but far more bad ones.
STUDLY DUD: QB Tyrod Taylor
There were a number of times when Tyrod Taylor hung onto the ball too long resulting in a sack or times when he underthrew a receiver, but he balanced that out with several deep dimes down the field — some that landed and others that were called back due to penalty. He took shots and was often let down by his teammates, finishing the game with 319 passing yards, 40 rushing yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Unfortunately for Taylor, all anyone will remember is him missing Saquon Barkley for the go-ahead two-point conversion. But he did lead the team back on the final offensive drive of the game, let down by a Barkley drop and a missed Mason Crosby field goal.
Other STUDS:
- P Jamie Gillan
- NT Dexter Lawrence
- TE Darren Waller
Other DUDS:
- LB Kayvon Thibodeaux
- OL Ben Bredeson
- OL Justin Pugh
- CB Cor’Dale Flott
- WR Sterling Shepard
