Big Blue View
Admittedly, it can be hard to think straight after a wild game like the New York Giants’ 40-37 overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Let’s see how well I did as we review the game in our traditional ‘Kudos & Wet Willies’ style.
Regulation Russ — Russell Wilson was PHENOMENAL in regulation. His 450 passing yards were two short of his career high, set against the Houston Texans in 2017. Wilson was 30 of 41 and three 3 touchdown passes. He hit Malik Nabers with a perfectly thrown moon ball for a 48-yard score with :25 left that nearly won the game for New York. He had a 33-yard fourth-down touchdown strike to Wan’Dale Robinson. He had a 52-yard pass to Robinson.
Russ was cookin’. This was vintage Wilson, the kind of game that will quiet the “Jaxson Dart needs to start” narrative for a while.
Malik Nabers — This is what the second-year receiver can do when he has quarterback play that gives him a chance. Nabers had 9 receptions of 13 targets for 167 yards with touchdowns of 29 and 48 yards, the last one nearly winning the game for the Giants with :25 left as he hauled in a 48-yard strike despite tight coverage.
Wan’Dale Robinson — This was a career day for Robinson. Apparently, the 5-foot-8 Robinson CAN get deep and make big plays, something we have rarely seen in three-plus seasons. He just needs play calls that get him open and a quarterback who can drop the ball in the ball. He had those on Sunday.
Robinson finished with 8 receptions for a career-high 142 yards. He had catches of 50, 32 and 29 yards.
Brian Burns — The veteran edge defender was outstanding. He had a sack, a quarterback hit, two tackles, for loss, a pass defensed and three tackles.
Offensive line (other than James Hudson) — I was going to give a solo ‘Kudos’ to rookie Marcus Mbow, who took over at left tackle after Hudson imploded. He deserves one, because I don’t believe he was noticed at all the rest of the game. I think, though, the entire, much-maligned, line deserves praise.
Wilson was sacked three times and hit just six other times while throwing 41 passes. The Giants ran for 4.0 yards per carry, and the line plowed the road for a 1-yard Cam Skattebo touchown run.
I can’t complain about anything on the line, with the exception of Hudson’s historically bad sequence.
Graham Gano — The placekicker did his part, going 3 for 3 with two 33-yard field goals and a 38-yarder.
The Giants’ return game — Gunner Olszewki had a 29-yard kickoff return, losing a 65-yarder due to a penalty. He had three punt returns for an average of 12.7 yards. Tyrone Tracy had five kickoff returns for an average of 26.8 yards. All-in-all, an excellent day that would have been MUCH better without the game-opening penalty.
**James...
