The New York Giants looked strong in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, taking a 17-3 lead into the locker room at halftime. Then they stopped scoring.
No adjustments were made on the Giants’ side, while the Eagles scored a touchdown in each of the final two quarters of the game to tie it. The Eagles ended up scoring 20 unanswered points to win the game.
Here’s what we learned from the 23-17 loss:
The Giants’ coaches can’t make adjustments
The first half was great for the Giants, they took a 17-3 lead into the locker room at halftime. But after that, the team went flat. No changes were made. The Eagles scored 20 unanswered points.
For whatever reason, Pat Shurmur and James Bettcher decided that nothing needed to change and that it was okay to get away from doing things that were working. It boggles the mind how these two come up with a game plan. Whatever they are doing hasn’t worked all season, so why do they think that staying the course is the answer?
Eli Manning still has life
So many people thought that Eli was washed up that almost no one was surprised when Shurmur replaced him with Daniel Jones. Except for the two initial wins with Jones at the helm, the Giants have been unsuccessful all season, proving that Eli wasn’t the problem at all.
On Monday, Manning completed completed 15 of 30 passes (four drops) for 203 yards and two touchdowns. He threw zero interceptions, but was sacked twice. The Giants looked revitalized behind him on Monday, but he needs a better supporting cast.
Eli’s quick-release style isn’t supported by the current roster and it’s clear the Giants are not longer a fit for him.
Darius Slayton and Markus Golden are bright spots
Darius Slayton has been targeted more than any other Giants receiver this season. Why? Because he works hard and never gives up, no matter the score or who’s guarding him. He has 42 receptions for 659 yards and seven touchdowns this season. No turnovers, which makes him highly valuable on this team.
Markus Golden brings his A game every week. He has 57 tackles (31 solo), 8.5 sacks and a fumble recovery this season. But it’s not his stats that make him a bright spot, it’s his energy. He never stops and gives 110% effort every single play, every single down, every single game. If the rest of the defense put forth as much effort as he did for the entirety of the game, some of the results this season might be different.
