New York Giants: Five Takeaways from Loss to Minnesota Vikings

Giants Go Conservative

As mentioned, the Giants decided not to rock the boat at all on offense. Manning’s passes targeted underneath routes throughout the contest. On the rare occasion when he threw downfield, the Vikings secured an easy interception due to a quarterback-wide receiver miscommunication.

For whatever reason, Beckham couldn’t haul in the difficult catches. Two passes hit his gloves, but he failed to hold onto the ball.

In most cases, he looked mentally removed from the game. Typically, after a miscommunication or lack of continuity between a quarterback and receiver, the teammates gather on the sideline to iron out the kinks. After Manning sailed an interception in Beckham’s direction, the two barely spoke about the play.

Aside from Beckham, Manning barely targeted widoeuts Sterling Shepard or Victor Cruz downfield. Running back Bobby Rainey led the team with seven receptions. He caught plenty of short passes and high-percentage tosses to the flat. It’s baffling to see the Giants decide not to challenge the Vikings secondary with a talented wide receiver unit.