Giants vs. Falcons Full Team Grades

Passing Defense Grade: C+

Sep 20, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) makes a catch in front of New York Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara (20) during second half at MetLife Stadium. The Atlanta Falcons defeated the New York Giants 24-20.

Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants pass defense had some positives against the Falcons, as it looked like a totally different unit from Week 1 in terms of getting pressure on the quarterback. But, there were also some real negatives, such as blown coverages and an injury suffered.

Right off the bat, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie got hurt on the first play of the game. He got a stinger tackling Julio Jones, but was able to return to the game a little later. The return was short lived, as he then was forced from the game with a concussion on his first play back, as he was kicked in the face while tackling Tevin Coleman. He did not return from that one, and his status for this week’s game is unknown at this time. One thing for sure though is that the short week will do him no favors.

That left the Giants extremely shorthanded in trying to slow down Jones, which is a hard enough task when at full strength. The Falcons took full advantage, as Matt Ryan peppered Jones with target after target and he made the most of them. Jones caught 13 passes for 135 yards on 15 targets, as Prince Amukamara had a tough afternoon trying to stay with him.

Ryan also made backbreaking plays to his other options, as Leonard Hankerson picked up some third-downs and also caught Ryan’s lone touchdown pass on the afternoon, a ball that barely went over the outstretched arm of Trumaine McBride. Jacob Tamme also had a backbreaking 41-yard reception after the Manning fumbled to get the Falcons out from inside their own 10-yard line.

Also, while the problems weren’t as persistent as they were in Week 1, the Giants need to find an alternative to Uani Unga. He struggles to get the team lined up correctly, and is pretty useless in the passing game despite being a three-down player currently. Getting Jon Beason back to lead the defense will be a huge boost, as Unga’s inexperience is right up there for reasons the Giants have started the season off with two losses.

But, the Giants pass rush was much better this week. They were able to pick up their first two sacks of the season, and hit Ryan another eight times. Robert Ayers and Cullen Jenkins picked up the sacks, while Ayers and Devon Kennard led the way with two quarterback hits each. Brandon Meriweather was also strong in coverage again, as he has proven to be a godsend for the Giants through two games, really shoring up an area of major concern in the safety position.

While there were clearly things to be happy about from the pass defense against the Falcons, the negatives outweighed the positives, as some clear drops by the Falcons kept Ryan’s already strong 30-of-46 for 363 yards from being that much stronger.

Next: Run Defense Grade