The New York Giants can’t buy a win. They hosted the (now) 9-3 Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday in the midst of a torrential snow storm. The Giants gave it a valiant effort, tying the game at seven on their second drive.
Unfortunately, the Packers would wear down the Giants and pull off a 31-13 win. But not all is lost, the Giants are still mathematically in the playoff race and there are three things we learned from the loss:
Daniel Jones is tough as nails
Jones took some major hits on Sunday, including one that was so hard that the “Y” in “NY” was knocked off his helmet. He kept moving, though, even once that contact was made. Later in the game Jones suffered an ankle injury, but he played through it.
Say what you will about the rookie, but one thing you cannot question is his toughness or his heart. The young quarterback clearly loves football and is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team.
The locker room is fracturing
Now that it’s been established that the problem with the Giants is not the quarterback, it’s time to determine what the problem is so it can be fixed.
Janoris Jenkins, arguably one of the leaders on the defensive side of the ball, became vocal after Sunday’s loss, ripping James Bettcher after the game. If Jenkins feels confident in what he said about Bettcher, what else is going on in that locker room that isn’t being said publicly?
There’s a clear fracture happening, and if the front office doesn’t get it together, it’s going to get ugly in New York.
The same issues persist
The same issues that have plagued the Giants all season continue to plague the team. Blown coverage, dropped passes, missed tackles, missed assignments, turnovers. All of those things contribute to the reason this Giants team isn’t winning. Jones threw three interceptions on Sunday, not all of which were his fault but he gets the credit. And, let’s be real, Aaron Rodgers should never be able to scramble for 15 yards. The NFC East is still wide open, mathematically, but if the Giants want a shot at a playoff spot, these issues must be rectified. If not, they won’t win. Even against the Miami Dolphins, who proved on Sunday that even they can win once in awhile.
