Articles

 

By Michael Stewart

Introduction: The New York Giants were shutout for the 1st time this season 23-0 to the hands of the Arizona Cardinals. Once again the Giants running game was nowhere to been seen as Eli Manning had to carry his team with his arm. The Cardinals defense was playing as good as any team in the league over the last several games and they should why today with 3 turnovers and a shutout. Quarterback Drew Stanton connected for two touchdown passes to continue the Cardinals winning ways at home.

Top Reasons Why the Giants Lost:

  1. Larry Fitzgerald: The Giants didn’t have anyone to cover Fitzgerald as he caught 9 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown. Cornerback Brandon Dixon was Fitzgerald’s wiping boy for the most of the game.
  2. Time of Possession: This has been a consistent theme for the Giants this season, not winning the time of possession battle. The Cardinals had the ball for nearly 7 more minutes than the Giants; which kept their defense more rested than the Giants defense.
  3. Penalties: The Giants were sloppy on both sides of the ball with 10 penalties called against them for 101 yards. Most of these penalties halted any momentum the Giants had going for them.

Hero: Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald:  Fitzgerald was the best player on the field and based on his performance; any talk of retiring after the season should be reconsidered.  

Goat: Cornerback Brandon Dixon: Brandon Dixon must of drawn the short straw as he was assigned to cover Fitzgerald for most of the game and as expected, Fitzgerald dominated on the field with 9 receptions for 119 and a Touchdown.

Final Thoughts: At 2-13 now, the Giants will secure the 2nd overall pick in the 2018 draft with a loss in their final game of the season against the Washington Redskins at Home. There are no indications that rookie quarterback Davis Webb will see any action in the season finale; at least not yet. The Redskins beat the Giants in a very uneventful game earlier in the season and I expect the same in this game.