The New York Giants took on the Washington Redskins in a Thursday night showdown on Sept. 24, 2015. Who were the studs and who were the duds?
1. Eli Manning (Stud)
The face of one of the most historic franchises in the history of the NFL has finally made an appearance, showing the world why he received a monster extension in the offseason, leading the Giants to a 32-21 win over the Redskins.
According to NFL.com, Manning currently tallies four touchdowns and 764 yards through the air on a very acceptable 65 percent completion rate. He also has taken care of the football especially well recently, having thrown 0 interceptions in the past three games and making smart decisions with the football in his hands. If he cleans up his clock management issues, Eli could be a dark-horse candidate for NFL MVP if he lead his team to the playoffs with these continued numbers and some big plays, courtesy of Odell Beckham Jr and this Giants offense.
2. Shane Vereen (Dud)
Shane Vereen came from a Patriots team last year in which he rushed for over 391 yards in all 16 games he played in. Although the Giants like his rushing capabilities, Vereen was hired to do one thing for this football team: Catch the football and make plays. According to NFL.com, Vereen failed to catch any of the passes thrown his way on Thursday, and only gained 23 yards in handoffs, even though he logged 22 snaps, nearly the same as Andre Williams (23) and Rashad Jennings (21). Who knows how Vereen will fare through the rest of the season.
3. Odell Beckham Jr (Stud)
After coming off a strong performance in a week two loss to the Atlanta Falcons in which he caught seven receptions for 146 yards and one touchdown, Beckham is back to doing Beckham things. His high rise to stardom has allowed offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo to shift him all over the field. From the slot to the outside, Beckham was often times used as a decoy to get more players involved in the offense. But no worries, fantasy owners, we know Odell will always get his points from Eli Manning. On a second and 10 play in the fourth quarter, after Manning had torn the Redskins defense apart with short throws and slants, the Giants decided to get the ball to their best playmaker on a deep throw, resulting in his second touchdown of the season.
Beckham also broke two records in the Thursday night contest against the Redskins: Most catches (110) and most receiving yards (1,574) by a wideout through his first 15 games in NFL history.
One can only hope this kid turns into a force to be reckoned with, if he isn't that already.
4. Larry Donnell (Dud)
Larry Donnell has become a player I can no longer look at without gritting my teeth with fear in my soul.
His raw athleticism and abilities make him a very interesting receiving option for Eli Manning and the Giants, but I can't shake the feeling that he's going to cough up the ball again. It seems every time he touches the ball, something catastrophic could happen. Unlike Daniel Fells, who stays on his feet when being tackled and fights for extra yards, Donnell seems to want to do some weird stuff. On a 2nd and 17 play in the fourth quarter, Manning called for a play action pass that was supposed to go to Donnell. Although he caught the ball, Donnell decided the best course of action after catching the football was to somersault into a Redskins defender, effectively giving every Giants fan a heart attack. He was also unproductive against the Redskins, finishing with three receptions for 32 yards, according to NFL.com.
5. Devon Kennard (Stud)
I keep hearing people on the radio talking about Kennard.
How on earth could teams pass on this guy for five rounds?
An up and coming engineer on the defensive side of the ball for the New York Giants, Kennard is turning some heads in the NFL. According to NFL.com, the sophomore amassed a grand total of five tackles and provided a crucial deflection that turned into a touchdown for the Giants in the third quarter, putting them up 18-6. But perhaps Kennard offers something that doesn't come up much in the stat sheet: Hustle. The dude can really play football and being that he's only 24-years-old, he can really grow into his own in the next few years for the Giants.
6. Uani' Unga (Stud)
Where did this guy come from?
His tenacity is something one could get used to. Leading the Giants for yet another game in tackles with nine and one interception, Unga provided optimism for a Giants' linebacker squad that was thought to be mediocre coming into the season. According to NFL.com, Unga is also tied for first in interceptions for the year with two, joining Aqib Talib (DEN) and Marcus Peters (KC). Should Beason get injured again, the Giants and their fans can rest easy knowing that Unga will be there to hold down the fort.
