New York Giants: Handing Out Game Balls For Detroit Lions Win
The New York Giants improved to 10-4 with a 17-6 home victory over the Detroit Lions. Who were the Players of the Game for the victorious Giants?
Dec 18, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws the ball against the Detroit Lions during second half at MetLife Stadium. The Giants won 17-6. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Giants continued what’s been an outstanding season on Sunday, December 18. With Matthew Stafford and the red-hot Detroit Lions coming to town, the Giants were in need of a massive performance in a critical game.
With the postseason within reach and a victory the only desirable outcome, the Giants stepped up with one of their best performances of the season.
New York outlasted Detroit for a 17-6 victory at MetLife Stadium. It was a brilliant display by the defense and a methodical display by the offense, which is a combination that Giants fans haven’t often seen in 2016.
Though it was a team effort, there were a select few individuals who stepped up and took over for the Giants when it was most necessary.
Some of the players who stepped up and didn’t make the list include Landon Collins, Damon Harrison, Weston Richburg. That alone should paint a picture of how well New York played as a team and how phenomenally the individuals who made the cut performed.
The question is: who were the Players of the Game for the New York Giants during the 17-6 win over the Detroit Lions?
Dec 18, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) scores a touchdown against Detroit Lions during second half at MetLife Stadium. The Giants won 17-6. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Honorable Mention: Odell Beckham Jr.
For the second time this season, Odell Beckham Jr. recorded an unforgettable punt return for a touchdown that New York Giants fans will have to forget. True as that may be, the play provided the Giants with an invaluable spark against Detroit.
More important than what didn’t count, however, was the history that Beckham Jr. made against the Lions.
Odell Beckham Jr. joined John Jefferson & Randy Moss as only WR in NFL history w/ 1,000 rec. yds & 10 TD catches in each of 1st 3 seasons pic.twitter.com/7xrHgTNLya
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 19, 2016
That’s an extraordinary achievement by an extraordinary player.
Beckham Jr. finished the win over the Lions with six receptions for 64 yards and an awe-inspiring touchdown. He also ran the ball one time for nine yards in yet another display of his uncanny versatility as a playmaker.
For those who missed it, Beckham Jr. did the following to put the Lions away:
HIGHLIGHT: Odell with an awesome one-handed catch for a TD! #GiantsPride https://t.co/bVCMSnHd0N
— New York Giants (@Giants) December 18, 2016
On a day during which Eli Manning spread the wealth, Beckham Jr. proved that he doesn’t need superstar targets to make superstar plays. He came up with huge plays when they mattered most and found the end zone in a clutch situation.
Beckham Jr. may not be the Offensive Player of the Game, but he’s quite deserving of an honorable mention.
Dec 18, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws the ball during the first quarter against the Lions at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Player of the Game: Eli Manning
The elephant in the room entering Week 15 was impossible to avoid: Eli Manning had been playing poorly. That may be more by his standards than conventional standards, but he’d thrown as many interceptions as he had touchdowns over the previous two games.
Manning responded to adversity by completing 20 of his 28 passing attempts for 201 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Manning completed passes to six different players, finding five for at least two completions. Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, and Will Tye all caught at least four passes, and Manning threw touchdowns to two different players.
Most importantly, he targeted five different receivers at least four times, which inevitably prevented Detroit from being able to anticipate the actions of a previously predictable offense.
Manning was under pressure on nine drop-backs and completed five of his seven throws in said scenarios. He was even better against the blitz, going 7-of-8 for 82 yards and a touchdown in a brilliant display of savvy and precision.
The New York Giants’ offense will need to generate more points over the next few weeks, but Manning proved more than capable of managing the game and making big plays when needed.
Dec 18, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (41) and New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple (24) celebrate after an interception against the Detroit Lions during second half at MetLife Stadium. The Giants won 17-6. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive Player of the Game: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
One could make the case that Olivier Vernon was the Defensive Player of the Game for the New York Giants. He put constant pressure on quarterback Matthew Stafford and was one of the truly dominant forces during this game.
With Janoris Jenkins leaving the game early with an injury, however, it was Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie who picked up the slack.
Rodgers-Cromartie was burned for 67 yards by Lions wide receiver Golden Tate, but that was just about the only bad play he had all game. He was clutch as can be as he shifted from the slot to the outside to cover up for Jenkins’ absence.
To be able to make that type of shift mid-game and still play at a genuinely elite level is what makes DRC nothing short of special.
Aside from Tate’s explosive play, Rodgers-Cromartie faced eight non-garbage time targets. On those plays, he held opponents to four receptions for 23 yards with a broken up pass and an interception in the end zone.
New York’s defense could’ve fallen to pieces without Jenkins on the field, but Rodgers-Cromartie saved it from a potentially disastrous turn of events.
That was true in Rodgers-Cromartie both covering up for Jenkins’ injury and preventing a potential Lions touchdown.
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