Giants vs. Falcons Full Team Grades

Rushing Offense Grade: C-

Sep 20, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Shane Vereen (34) runs with the ball while trying to avoid a tackle attempt by Atlanta Falcons defensive back Phillip Adams (20) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants rush offense was basically a no-show against the Falcons. While the team finished with decent numbers, rushing for 97 yards on 23 carries combined, it does not tell the whole story. When taking a deeper look, it gets much uglier for the Giants rushing attack.

For starters, Manning was the leading rusher through the first two quarters of the game. He reeled off the longest run of his career in the first half, scrambling 18 yards. He finished the game with 23 yards on two rushing attempts, and ended up being the second leading rusher on the team.

The leading rusher on the team happened to be Andre Williams. It wasn’t because he was rolling through the Falcons defense, but because he had the longest run of the day. On the drive that ended with Manning fumbling inside the 10, Williams started things off with a 35-yard scamper to get the Giants in business. That was about all the positives for Williams on the afternoon, as he managed only eight yards on his other five carries on the afternoon.

Nominal starter Rashad Jennings struggled all afternoon, as he managed only 12 yards on nine carries. Half of those yards came on one rush. While Vereen was able to hurt the Falcons in the passing game, the same cannot be said for his contributions in the running game. He gained only 19 yards on six carries, 12 of which came on one carry.

So outside a couple of long runs, the Giants rushing offense was downright pitiful against the Falcons. If you take out the 35 yard run and 18 yard scramble from Manning, the Giants gained only 44 yards on 21 carries. That is bad for anyone but the Philadelphia Eagles in the early going of the season.

Next: Pass Defense Grade