New York Giants Zeroes and Heroes of Week 5 vs Minnesota

Zeroes of the Week

Dishonorable Mention – Golden Tate. So much was expected in Tate’s debut. Three receptions for 13 yards feels like a huge letdown.

Third Place Zero – Daniel Jones

Quarterback Daniel Jones was a hero for the New York Giants the past two weeks. Sunday he was schooled by a very good defense. Jones completed 21 of 38 passing attempts for 182 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. He missed on a few passes at crucial times that could have made a difference.

Welcome to the NFL, rookie. Most defenses are better than the teams Jones beat, Tampa Bay and Washington, the two weeks prior. He should have been taking notes because Minnesota should be the baseline of what the young signal-caller can expect on a weekly basis here on out. Rookie quarterbacks by nature are inconsistent, so hopefully, this is a blip on the radar.

Second Place Zero – Non-Janoris Jenkins Corners

Jenkins did a good job on Minnesota’s Stephon Diggs. He held the Vikings game-breaker to only three catches for 44 yards. The other New York Giants cornerbacks didn’t fare so well. Kirk Cousins (as promised on his podcast) got the ball to his other starting receiver Adam Thielen early and often. The pair hooked up seven times in eight opportunities for 130 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

DeAndre Baker and Grant Haley couldn’t get the job done. They each got beat in single coverage for TDs. It’s a recurring thing that teams with more than one quality receiver will beat the New York Giants. Baker is improving slowly, but he’s far away from being a top guy. The G-Men need some help opposite Jackrabbit.

Big Zero of the Week – Giants Offensive Line

This offensive line is performing much worse than it should be. Going into this season the O-line seemed to be one the few non-areas of concern. Mike Remmers, Kevin Zeitler, Jon Halapio, Will Hernandez, and Nate Solder have not gelled as expected. Their disfunction was very evident on Sunday. The New York Giants couldn’t run, and Daniel Jones barely had time in the pocket.

Without Saquon Barkley, then losing Wayne Gallman early in the game is enough to cripple any rushing attack. The line, however, had a hard time getting a push up-front and the G-Men gained 64 yards on 20 carries. In fact, they allowed a safety on a running attempt. The pass blocking wasn’t much better. Jones was harassed all game, was sacked four times and hit another four.