After defeating the Eagles in week 16, the Giants team was feeling mighty confident going into week 17. They felt that the win they just had could propel them to go on a winning streak to end the season. They were in for a tough task, facing off against the Rams in week 17.
The Rams have had a lot of changes recently, most notably at quarterback. Stafford is out and Bennett is in. Coach Burn felt he could put pressure on Bennett and came up with a blitz heavy game plan. This game was perfect for the weather, as it was snowing heavily during this contest.
The game started out badly for both offenses as both quarterbacks were extremely inaccurate in the snow. Gano missed a field goal, however, the Rams hit theirs to start the game out at 3-0. They would take over from here. Jones would throw one interception in the second quarter and it would snowball for the rest of the game. The Giants defensive plan was countered with quick screens, and routes which was perfect for Bennett. The Rams would quickly get up to a 17-0 lead. Jones would try to compensate for this, leading to him throwing 7 interceptions and a 38-3 win for the Rams.
This wasn’t the game that the offense was looking for, especially considering the offensive showing in week 16. Coach Burn told the guys to shake off the loss, and get ready for an Eagles team that would be looking for revenge. This game would be much harder without both of their tackles and linebacker Ojulari.
Coach Burn planned for both running backs, opting to let Hurts try to throw on their defense if the Eagles wanted to win the game. The Game started out hot for Jones and the Giants. It was like the offense continued right where they left off in week 16. They would score on their first possession, with the Eagles doing the same, however, the Eagles went for two but didn’t get it. This two point conversion fail gave the Giants the lead and they would never surrender it for the game.
The Giants went into half time leading 20-12, with the Eagles getting the ball first in the second half. The Eagles would go down and score, but once again fail to convert for two points. Jones would once again lead the Giants to a touchdown drive, then another, and another. Jones would get the Giants to 42 points where that would be exactly what they would need to seal the game. The Eagles would score a few more touchdowns, and get an onside kick, but the Giants defense wouldn’t let the lead up. The ending result was a 42-32 win for the Giants. The team was satisfied for the season sweep, but disappointed that they could play this kind of football versus everyone else.
Key Injuries: N/A
Key Statistics:
QB Daniel Jones: 18/23 236 Yards, 2 Passing Touchdowns, 1 Rushing Touchdown
After having one of the worst games ever recorded for a quarterback, Jones came out firing in this game. He was accurate for the most part, took what the defense gave him, and made plays when the drive was on the line. Jones is showing that he wants to be the starter on this team and can make things happen. Coach Burn is unsure of who will be the starter next season.
RB Saquon Barkley: 15 Rushes 58 Yards 1 Touchdown,
Barkley didn’t have the same success he did in week 16 but he did just enough to make a difference in this game. The Eagles game planned for Barkley and watched the flats all game. This wasn’t good for Barkley, but was good for the rest of the team.
TE Darren Waller: 5 Receptions 82 Yards 2 Touchdowns
Waller was the man today. With the Flats being occupied, Waller showed what he could do in space, especially on his touchdown receptions. He is an older player, who has had a great season, and will hopefully not be one of the players who get hit by the regression bug.
