Giants report card: Pat Shurmur failed badly

Grading the Giants after their 27-21 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. 


You are beating no one if you give up eight sacks and if rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, under duress, turns the ball over three more times (one interception, two lost fumbles). Jones (22 of 35, 223 yards, 4-35 rushing) had some bright moments but consider this a dark period in his development. Return of Saquon Barkley (18-72, 1 TD) was helpful but not awe-inspiring. Line was the worst it has been all season, and made Chandler Jones (four sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery) look like a Hall of Famer. Bad drop by TE Evan Engram on what should have been at least a 24-yard gain, followed by a holding penalty on Will Hernandez that negated a 37-yard Barkley run.
Grade: F


Chase Edmonds (27-126) made the Giants look like Lehigh or Lafayette as the former Fordham running back did as he pleased, scoring three touchdowns on runs of 20 or more yards. Rookie Kyler Murray (14 of 21, 104 yards) was solid early and then told to hand the ball off and get out of the way. Giants were especially bad in first half, allowing Cardinals to convert 5 of 7 third downs. Terrible tone set early. Only one Murray pass deflected (Lorenzo Carter got it) and that is not enough. Pass interference penalty on Janoris Jenkins was bogus. Nice stand in fourth quarter limiting the damage to a field goal. Nothing dynamic here, though.
Grade: C-

Pat Shurmur
Pat ShurmurCorey Sipkin

Special Teams

Huge momentum-swing play by Michael Thomas with a blocked punt that Eli Penny fell on in the end zone for a touchdown. Huge momentum downer when Aldrick Rosas hit the right upright on 37-yard field goal attempt in third quarter. Why in the world did rookie Darius Slayton take a kickoff return out of the end zone in the last two minutes (he only made it out to the 12-yard line)? Riley Dixon got a third-quarter punt partially blocked. Golden Tate had a 17-yard punt return.
Grade: B-


Last 4 ¹/₂ minutes put together by Pat Shurmur will not be sent to Canton as a how-to instructional video on game management. If you have determined it is two-down territory, why a draw play on third-and-18? Oy vey. Shurmur lost a challenge trying to get a pass interference penalty overruled and he might as well quit on it now, because it is basically a waste of time and energy. Run-defense execution by James Bettcher’s defense was rotten in the first half.
Grade: F