New York Giants Team Grades vs Detroit Lions

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Dec 18, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Detroit Lions running back Dwayne Washington (36) is tackled by New York Giants defensive end Kerry Wynn (72) during first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /

Rushing Defense Grade: A+

The Giants’ dominance in run defense continued against the Lions. They are a unit that makes this difficult for opposing offenses on the ground as they have some heavy hitters and big bodies that are tough to generate yards against.

The combination of Johnathan Hankins and Damon Harrison is immovable. They stuff the middle and then their teammates clean things up around them. Olivier Vernon is also very strong against the run as a multi-dimensional defensive end.

The Giants held the Lions to 56 yards on 19 carries. Dwayne Washington led the way with 31 yards on 14 carries, while Stafford was second on the team; he gained 13 yards on his scrambles. Zach Zenner ran for 12 yards on three carries but had a costly fumble near the goal line that Vernon recovered for a touchback to keep the Lions off the board.

As long as the Giants run defense continues to step up and makes opponents one-dimensional it will make their jobs that much easier.

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