Week 11 Game Recap: New York Giants 10, Jacksonville Jaguars 26

What you need to know

New York Giants

The Giants played very badly for most of the game and held the ball for under 20 minutes. They did not register a first down until 26 minutes into the game.

Eli Manning had a poor game, completing less than half his passes and throwing two interceptions. He looked flustered throughout, and made a lot of errors.

Tiki Barber was held to 27 rushing yards on just ten carries. He dropped two of his five targets and appeared to be hampered by a hand injury suffered in the Giants’ previous game even though he repeatedly said during the week that it was not a factor. Brandon Jacobs was also ineffective on the ground.

Plaxico Burress scored on a 25 yard touchdown reception and was targeted 13 times. Many of Manning’s passes were inaccurate, and Burress struggled to adjust. He might have gone over 100 yards receiving but a 53 yard gain was ruled incomplete after a challenge as it clearly hit the ground. Jeremy Shockey caught five of his ten second half targets and ended with seven receptions for 82 yards. The other receivers were not very involved in the game.

The Giants’ defense could not stop the run, giving up two touchdowns on the ground. With Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan out for the game, the pass rush did not generate much pressure.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars dominated the game and held the ball for over 40 minutes. The only negatives were injuries to Donovin Darius and Ernest Wilford. Darius was initially thought to have sprained his ankle, but a later report by the NFL Network stated that Darius had broken his leg and will be lost for the year.

David Garrard managed the game well and did not make any errors in the passing game. He showed good mobility and was able to run for four first downs. Garrard’s receivers had a number of drops or his numbers would have looked even better.

The Jaguars controlled the game on the ground and ran for 165 net rushing yards and two touchdowns. Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew each had a score as the Giants seemed incapable of stopping the run.

Ernest Wilford seemed to be the one receiver that Garrard was able to trust to hold on to the ball. He had five receptions for first downs before leaving the game after rolling his ankle. Matt Jones had a 49 yard play but was unable to make any other receptions.

Defensively, the Jaguars caused all sorts of problems for the Giants. The pass rush troubled Eli Manning, as did the crowd noise. The result was three turnovers by the defense which enabled the offense to dominate time of possession.

What you ought to know

QB Eli Manning, Pass: 19 - 41 - 230 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - -2 - 0

Manning had a bad game. He looked uncomfortable against a strong pass rush in a hostile environment. His mechanics looked unsound and his decision making was questionable at times. The Giants started their first drive on the Jaguars’ 29 yard line but were unable to score a touchdown. Manning targeted Plaxico Burress in the end zone but the pass fell incomplete. Manning could not convert a first down on the following three drives, and 26 minutes passed before the Giants finally registered a first down. Manning then threw a pass that was much too short for Burress and Deon Grant made an interception. Manning had just 59 passing yards by the end of the first half.

The second half also began badly as Manning failed to find Tiki Barber on an attempted hand-off. Manning was sacked on the next drive and fumbled the ball. It was recovered by Paul Spicer and returned for a touchdown but a penalty in the secondary negated the play. Manning actually attempted to throw as he was sacked, and was very fortunate to keep possession due to the penalty. He made the most of his luck and completed a 25 yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress to end the drive. Manning appeared to complete a 53 yard pass to Plaxico Burress on the Giants’ third possession of the second half, but the play was overturned after a challenge when the ball clearly hit the ground. Manning was more successful in the fourth quarter but further errors prevented the Giants from getting back into the game. Burress was targeted on third down but a bad throw enabled Clint Ingram to intercept the ball. Manning looked for Jeremy Shockey a lot more in the second half after targeting him just three times before halftime. Shockey and Burress ended the game with 13 targets each and were also Manning’s preferred targets in the red zone. Manning was visibly disgusted with his play and looked angry on the sidelines when the Jaguars had possession.

RB Tiki Barber, Rush: 10 - 27 - 0, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (5 targets)

Barber had a tough day and was unable to move the ball on the ground. He carried the ball 10 times for a season low total of 27 yards as the Jaguars held the Giants to 25 net rushing yards (Eli Manning was charged with minus 2 yards rushing). Barber was targeted five times in the passing game but was less effective than usual. He dropped two balls and caught two passes for 13 yard gains, but the second one was negated by a hold. Barber’s problems in the receiving game may have been due to a hand injury suffered in the Giants’ previous game.

RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 3 - 0 - 0, Rec: 2 - 29 - 0 (2 targets)

Jacobs entered the game on third and one but was hit for a one yard loss. He only had three carries in the game and ended with zero total yards on the ground, although he did convert on third and one in the second half. Jacobs was targeted twice and made both catches. The first was for a nine yard gain on third and 11, but the second was a screen that gained 20 yards and brought up the Giants’ opening first down of the day.

WR Plaxico Burress, Rec: 5 - 65 - 1 (13 targets)

Burress saw most of the wide receiver targets for the Giants. Manning looked for him in the end zone on the Giants’ opening drive, but the pass was inaccurate. Burress caught a 15 yard pass on the Giants’ third drive and fumbled the ball away to the Jaguars. Fortunately for Burress, the call was reversed after a Giants’ challenge. Burress was the intended target later in the half when the Jaguars intercepted the ball and returned it to the Giants’ 30 yard line. Burress did not record a catch until the second half when he made a 14 yard reception for a first down on the Giants’ second possession. He completed the drive by catching a 25 yard touchdown pass and beating two defenders to find the end zone. Manning appeared to hit Burress for a 53 yard gain on the following drive, but the call was overturned after a challenge showed that it clearly hit the ground. Burress was the intended target on Manning’s second pick of the day. On the Giants’ final drive, Burress had a 16 yard gain for a first down. He was then targeted on fourth and nine in the end zone, but the pass was off target once again.

WR David Tyree, Rec: 2 - 15 - 0 (3 targets)

Tyree caught two of his three targets for a total of 15 yards.

WR Tim Carter, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (5 targets)

Carter was targeted once in the first half but the pass was uncatchable. Manning looked for him on a deep pass in the second half, but it was inaccurate. Carter did have an eight yard catch for a first down, and then had an 18 yard reception for what would have been another first down. Unfortunately for Carter, the ball was stripped and the Jaguars recovered.

TE Jeremy Shockey, Rec: 7 - 82 - 0 (13 targets)

Shockey saw just three targets in the first half due to the Giants’ inability to move the ball. He dropped the first pass thrown in his direction and then made catches of seven yards and 10 yards. Shockey saw ten targets in the second half but the first four were incomplete. One was in the end zone but was well defended, giving Shockey no chance. Shockey gained 21 yards on third and 15 on the Giants’ fourth possession of the half, but a Manning interception ended the drive. Shockey was able to make four more catches including first downs for 17 yards and 13 yards, but every drive broke down. Shockey was visibly angry on the sidelines throughout the game as the Jaguars frustrated the Giants’ offense.

PK Jay Feely 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points

Feely made a 40 yard field goal on the Giants’ opening possession and also converted an extra point attempt.

NYG Rush Defense

The Giants could not stop the Jaguars from running the football. Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew each had success, and both scored touchdowns. The Giants gave up 165 net rushing yards and also allowed David Garrard to scramble for four first downs.

NYG Pass Defense

The Giants rarely troubled Garrard with the pass rush, and missed an almost certain sack on one occasion. Gibril Wilson stripped Fred Taylor and Antonio Pierce recovered the ball in the Giants’ end zone, but that was the only success they had. Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan both missed the game through injury.

QB David Garrard, Pass: 19 - 32 - 249 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 9 - 31 - 0

Garrard managed the game well and avoided errors for the most part. He did fail to gather a high snap on the Jaguars’ first drive, and he had to run back to recover the ball at his own one yard line. He did a much better job on the next drive, hitting Ernest Wilford for an 18 yard gain and George Wrighster for 23 yards. He then targeted Wrighster in the end zone but the ball was just slightly overthrown and Wrighster let it slip through his outstretched fingers. Garrard connected with Wilford three times on the Jaguars’ fourth possession and Fred Taylor ran in a ten yard touchdown to end the drive. Garrard showed how effective he can be in the running game, converting four first downs in the game. Several of his passes were accurate but were dropped by the receivers. On the Jaguars’ opening drive of the second half, Garrard again looked to Wilford. He found him for gains of 17 yards and 15 yards before targeting him too deep in the end zone. The longest completion of the day went to Matt Jones when Garrard found him for a 49 yard gain.

RB Fred Taylor, Rush: 24 - 79 - 1, Rec: 3 - 16 - 0 (3 targets)

Taylor got most of the work on the ground for the Jaguars, and ended the game with 79 yards on 24 carries. He ran hard, with 22 of his runs going for positive yardage. Taylor scored the first touchdown of the game with a 10 yard run. He was unfortunate on the Jaguars’ final possession of the first half when he was stripped of the ball as he was about to score on a 14 yard reception. Taylor went over 2000 carries for his career during the game.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Rush: 9 - 45 - 1, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (3 targets)

Jones-Drew played a support role, relieving Fred Taylor when necessary. He was also preferred in short yardage situations. Jones-Drew converted a third down on his first carry of the game but only carried three times in the first half. He saw more work in the second half as the Jaguars continued to dominate possession. Jones-Drew scored on a three yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give the Jaguars a 13 point lead. He caught two of his three targets for a total of 16 yards and averaged five yards per carry.

WR Ernest Wilford, Rec: 5 - 72 - 0 (9 targets)

Wilford seemed to be Garrard’s first choice in the passing game and was the most reliable when it came to catching the ball. Wilford gave the Jaguars a first down when he caught an 18 yard pass on third down. He later turned defender to prevent a possible interception. On the Jaguars’ fourth possession, Wilford had three key receptions for first downs. He gained 17 yards, seven yards, and 13 yards, setting up a Fred Taylor touchdown run. Wilford was again heavily involved at the start of the second half. He caught passes for 17 yards and 15 yards, and was then targeted at the back of the end zone. The ball was thrown too deep and Wilford was shaken up as he fell after trying to make the catch. He did return but did not record another catch in the game. He later rolled his ankle and left the game for good.

WR Reggie Williams, Rush: 1 - 10 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (5 targets)

Williams ran a reverse in the first half and gained 10 yards for a first down. He was targeted five times in the passing game but did not distinguish himself. One pass was dropped and he was unable to make a catch on a target in the end zone after the defender made a good play. Williams ended the day with one reception for five yards. Williams was booed several times by Jaguars fans. Both for his poor play and because Williams reportedly got into a verbal argument with Jaguars’ fans that were booing at the last game.

WR Cortez Hankton, Rec: 2 - 28 - 0 (2 targets)

Hankton entered the game after Ernest Wilford was hurt in the second half. He was targeted twice and had catches for 15 yards and 13 yards to give the Jaguars two first downs. The drive resulted in a field goal.

WR Matt Jones, Rec: 1 - 49 - 0 (3 targets)

Jones was targeted twice in the first half, dropping one and failing to catch the other. But he was responsible for the longest reception of the day on his only target of the second half when he gained 49 yards to give the Jaguars a first and goal at the three yard line. 30 yards came after the catch was made.

TE George Wrighster, Rec: 4 - 54 - 0 (6 targets)

Wrighster caught a pass for a 23 yard gain on the Jaguars’ second drive. He was then targeted in the end zone but the ball was just slightly overthrown and Wrighster saw the ball slip through his outstretched fingers. He converted a third down near the end of the half by making an 11 yard reception. Wrighster was only targeted twice in the second half. He caught one ball for a gain of five yards. Wrighster looked like a capable receiving option in the passing game when given the opportunity.

TE Marcedes Lewis, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets)

Lewis was targeted once in the game. He made a good catch for a gain of nine yards.

PK Josh Scobee 4 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 14 points

Scobee was perfect on the day. He made field goals of 39 yards, 24 yards, 23 yards and 48 yards, as well as two extra point tries.

JAX Rush Defense

The Jaguars stopped the Giants on the ground and were very effective throughout the game. Tiki Barber was held to 27 yards rushing on ten carries and Brandon Jacobs was also ineffective. The Giants only converted three first downs on the ground.

JAX Pass Defense

Eli Manning looked terrible for most of the game against the Jaguars’ pass defense. Bobby McCray had the only sack of the game, but several passes were batted down and two were intercepted (Grant, Ingram). The Giants were pressured for the whole game and never appeared to find any rhythm in the passing game.