Giants Week 17 grades: PFF pinpoints blame for Giants knocking themselves out of place for No. 1 draft choose

The NFL actually ought to institute a draft lottery for the primary 5 or so picks. It’s a weird expertise for followers not to have the ability to get pleasure from watching their crew placed on one among its greatest performances of the season as a result of they’re hoping to retain the primary choose within the draft. That stated, the No. 1 choose doesn’t assure something, as we’ve seen with the 2024 draft. Whether or not you have been glad or unhappy to see the New York Giants defeat the Indianapolis Colts, 45-33, yesterday, it’s nonetheless price it to get some perception into who performed properly and who didn’t, even should you resent the gamers who spoiled the tank. Let’s see what the analysts at Professional Soccer Focus thought.

Offense

First a word to NFL schedule-makers: Please put the Colts on the Giants’ schedule yearly. The Giants have scored 38 and 45 factors of their final two conferences with Indianapolis, the 2 highest totals of the Brian Daboll/Joe Schoen period.

PFF grades

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

Notice to NFL GMs: If an LSU huge receiver has declared for the draft, take him. Listed here are the 5 leaders in receiving yards as of Monday morning:

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

That’s 4 LSU WRs out of the highest 5 in receiving yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown could get previous Malik Nabers after the Monday evening recreation, however Nabers has performed both one or two fewer video games than the entire others and has nursed accidents by means of a lot of the season. Nabers is seventh total – not simply amongst rookies – in PFF offense and receiving grade. Much more superb is that LSU teammate Brian Thomas Jr. has been nice as properly, and that their quarterback is the odds-on favourite for NFL Rookie of the 12 months. If the 2023 LSU crew had had any form of protection they’d have been runaway nationwide champions. Nabers’ accomplishment is all of the extra spectacular contemplating the quarterbacks he’s had throwing to him. Bemoan the Giants not taking a QB at No. 6 if you want, however if you wish to say with a straight face that groups ought to draft the perfect participant obtainable and never draft for want, it’s exhausting to argue that the Giants didn’t do exactly that. Yesterday’s recreation was the cherry on prime for Nabers, with 171 yards, 2 TDs, and a 93.7 offense grade. Wan’Dale Robinson additionally had a very good recreation other than one horrible drop, catching all 5 of his different targets for 71 yards, a TD, and an 89.6 grade. Darius Slayton (61.0) solely caught one cross in three targets, nevertheless it was a TD.

A part of the rationale for Nabers’ and Robinson’s success was quarterback Drew Lock, who had arguably his greatest recreation as a professional, with 309 passing yards, 4 TDs, and a 78.3 grade. This was the Lock that Denver hoped they have been getting after they drafted him in Spherical 2 however solely noticed sometimes. It raises the query of whether or not the Giants will view him as price holding as QB2 in 2025, no matter whether or not a draft choose or a free agent winds up as QB1.
The offensive line was a blended bag yesterday:

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

Throughout the board, the OL had a poor day run blocking towards among the finest run defenses within the league, and this led to poor total blocking grades for each starter. Nevertheless, Jermaine Eluemunor (88.9) and Greg Van Roten (75.7) had nice cross blocking performances, each of them with no allowed pressures. Evan Neal (55.9) was a bit beneath common with a success and two hurries allowed however took two penalties. Jake Kubas was a bit worse at 51.0 however solely gave up one hurry and had a penalty. Aaron Stinnie (38.1) has his worst cross blocking recreation as a starter however solely allowed one hurry, although he did have a penalty.

Tyrone Tracy (42.1) had 59 yards in 20 carries, with 22 of them after contact, however had his fourth fumble of the season, explaining his low grade. Devin Singletary (70.9) solely had 5 rushes for 21 yards, however 18 of them have been after contact.
Chris Manhertz (81.6) had an excellent recreation in restricted snaps, with a 75.1 cross blocking grade and a reception for 12 yards, whereas Daniel Bellinger (41.4) was subpar in all aspects of the sport.

Snap counts

Drew Lock and the beginning offensive linemen performed each snap.
The Giants performed roughly equal quantities of 11 and 12 personnel, with Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton on the sphere for many snaps, Wan’Dale Robinson taking part in about two-thirds of the time, and Jalin Hyatt getting 10 snaps.
Daniel Bellinger performed a lot of the offensive snaps, with Chris Manhertz taking part in a bit lower than half the time and Josh Ezeudu seeing the sphere for 9 snaps as an inline tight finish.
Tyrone Tracy continued to be the lead operating again, with Devin Singletary solely on the sphere for 15 snaps and Eric Grey 5.

Protection
PFF grades

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

The protection yesterday was a curious mixture of many gamers who performed properly and plenty of who performed poorly, with few in between, explaining the 33 factors the Colts put up. Dane Belton led the way in which at 90.6. He was on the sphere more often than not however was solely focused as soon as, and that was a spectacular interception. He additionally had seven tackles and an help however missed a sort out.
The remainder of the secondary was much less profitable. Dru Phillips (67.5) gave up three receptions in three targets however for under 26 yards and had his first interception; he additionally had 4 tackles and two assists. Cor’Dale Flott (48.7) had 2 tackles and an help and gave up a completion for 14 yards in two targets. Tae Banks (48.3) was as soon as once more picked on by an opposing QB: Six receptions in 9 targets for 105 yards and two penalties, however he did have a cross breakup. Adoree’ Jackson (47.3) gave two receptions, one a TD, for 31 yards however did have a cross breakup. Jason Pinnock (42.4) was toasted for 4 receptions in 4 targets for 48 yards and a TD.
Linebacker Darius Muasau (58.2, 4 tackles, three assists, two receptions in three targets for 16 yards) had an OK however nondescript recreation, whereas Ty Summers (40.4, eight tackles, 4 assists, a missed sort out, plus six receptions in seven targets for 47 yards) had a rougher go of it. Isaiah Simmons (44.7) solely noticed a bit motion, principally within the field.
Brian Burns (86.9) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (82.1) have been the Giants’ most impactful gamers on protection. Burns had a success and 5 hurries, plus 5 tackles (4 of them stops) and an help, but additionally had a missed sort out. Thibodeaux’s line was: a sack and 4 hurries, plus a pressured fumble. Boogie Basham (69.1) had a rush and three assists. Tomon Fox (52.0) didn’t make the stat sheet.
Within the inside, Elijah Chatman (77.0) continues to alternate good video games and dangerous video games. Yesterday was good Elijah: a success and two hurries, 4 tackles (two of them stops), and an help. Rakeem Nunez-Roches (62.3) had a sack, a sort out, and a pressured fumble. Elijah Garcia (57.0) had a sort out and an help, whereas Jordon Riley (42.3) had a sort out (a cease) but additionally a missed sort out. Armon Watts (68.6) had a strain and an help.

Snap counts

Within the secondary, Belton, Banks, and Pinnock performed all or a lot of the snaps, with Phillips on the sphere virtually three-quarters of the time, and Jackson and Flott about half the time.
Muasau and Summers dealt with a lot of the off-ball linebacker responsibility, with Simmons getting a number of snaps within the field as properly.
Burns and Thibodeaux performed virtually 80% of the snaps, with Fox and Basham getting the remaining.
Chatman, Nunez-Roches, and Riley every performed a bit greater than half the snaps, with Garcia getting a lot of the relaxation after Armon Watts was carted off the sphere early within the recreation with a doable severe knee damage.