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| Other Week 3 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL at NE | CAR at DAL | CHI at SEA | CLE at BAL | DEN at OAK | GB at STL | IND at ARI | JAX at HOU |
| KC at PHI | MIA at SD | NO at BUF | NYG at TB | PIT at CIN | SF at MIN | TEN at NYJ | WAS at DET |
Week 3 Game Recap: New York Giants 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
New York Giants
| QB Eli Manning, Pass: 14 - 24 - 161 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 9 - 0 |
It was another command performance for Eli. Early in the game, he was making quick, decisive reads, and delivering the ball on target to targets on short and intermediate routes, moving the offense and loosening up the defense for the running game. He also displayed patience when the initial reads weren't there, and even made a throw or two on the move and gained a first down by running when nothing was there. Eli didn't have to throw downfield often, although his best and boldest throw of the day was a downfield throw to Sinorice Moss for a TD. Manning put the ball in a tiny window over Aqib Talib, who had good coverage on Moss, but Moss made the leaping TD anyway. Eli is planning close to the same level he was at when he won the Super Bowl two years ago.
| QB David Carr, Pass: 2 - 3 - 10 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 |
Carr got in for mop-up duty, but he only handed off and threw short passes.
| RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 26 - 92 - 1 (2 targets) |
Jacobs had a good statisticaly game, and he got the job done establishing the Giants running game, but he didn't seize the bigger game that was possible for him. He was running with his typical bulldozer power and body lean upon contact, but he wasn't winning collisions in his usual devastating fashion, and he wasn't running with quite the same burst and urgency we've seen in the past. Jacobs got his number called a lot in the red zone, but only converted once. He also lost his feet on one run when he had a lot of green ahead of him. Jacobs was in on some third downs, and was also targeted on a pass on first and goal, so the Giants do still seem intent on getting him more involved in the passing game. A good game, but better numbers were left on the table in a game the Giants completely dominated.
| RB Ahmad Bradshaw, Rush: 14 - 104 - 0 |
Bradshaw was unstoppable early, gaining over 50 yards on his first two runs, showing outstanding vision, cuts, burst, strength, and determination. Bradshaw was also breaking tackles, dragging tacklers, and running with undeniable force. His moves were coming at full speed/force, and he even displayed a stiff arm. He did have three runs in the red zone, but no goal to go carries. Bradshaw looks like he will be a fantasy stud if he gets to be the lead back at any point this year.
| RB Gartrell Johnson, Rush: 6 - 23 - 0 (1 targets) |
It was garbage time, but Johnson ran with a terrific initial burst, and he delivered the blow at the end of one run in classic power back fashion. Johnson had his best run of the day called back by penalty, and also dropped a pass, but he showed the approach and efficiency to make one believe that he would be a fine fantasy option behind this offensive line if he moves up the depth chart due to injury.
| WR Steve Smith, Rec: 7 - 63 - 1 (7 targets) |
Smith didn't do anything flashy, but that's not his game. He consistently moved the sticks on precise short routes, and Smith also seemed to have a very strong sense of where to go when the play broke down and Manning needed a target. Smith scored a TD out of a bunch formation that caused confusion in the Bucs secondary. The other two receivers went deeper in the end zone and Smith sat down at the goal line for the easy score. He is definitely Manning's security blanket and most trusted target.
| WR Mario Manningham, Rec: 4 - 55 - 0 (7 targets) |
It was a quiet week for Manningham compared to week 2, but the skills that made him the waiver wire pickup of the week were still apparent. Manningham is always thinking about run after catch yards, making moves to set up would-be tacklers (including a spin move), and breaking tackles along the way. He had an excellent yards per catch average in a game with a conservative passing gameplan - this game represents his floor as long as he's a starter. Manningham and Manning are also developing chemistry - they were just off on an intentional underthrow/back shoulder throw. Those kinds of completions will come as the season goes on.
| WR Sinorice Moss, Rec: 1 - 18 - 1 (1 targets) |
Moss only had one catch, but it was a beaut, leaping and hanging in the air to catch a TD over Aqib Talib on a play that will surely earn him more trust from Eli Manning and the coaching staff.
| TE Kevin Boss, Rec: 2 - 27 - 0 (4 targets) |
Boss will continue to take a back seat in the passing game to the emerging young WRs. He did have a very nice catch on a downfield throw when he elevated over the linebacker trying to cover him. Boss also had a short reception on a screen that went nowhere and an end zone target that was too high to be caught.
| TE Travis Beckum, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) |
Beckum had a few short catches, but didn't display any eye-popping skills that would demand more work in the passing offense.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| QB Byron Leftwich, Pass: 7 - 16 - 22 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 3 - 0 |
Leftwich may start again next week vs. Washington, but his days are numbered after this horrendous performance - not that his teammated helped him much. He got off on the wrong foot with an interception downfield that seemed to be targeted to no one in particular, and never really recovered. The Bucs offense didn't convert a first down until there was five minutes left in the third quarter. Leftwich really didn't have time to throw, and the few times he did, he seemed out of sync.
| QB Josh Johnson, Pass: 4 - 10 - 36 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 15 - 0 |
Johnson finally got the call when Byron Leftwich took 40 minutes to convert one first down, and he looked ready for it. He was very dangerous the one time he broke the pocket, and Johnson put exactly the right arc on an intermediate and a long touch pass to the outside - the long pass drawing a pass interference call. Johnson displayed courage hanging in to take a hit to convert a fourth-down throw. He was comfortable running the offense until he got to first and goal, when he became a little anxious and seemed to throw with a little too much velocity.
| RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 5 - 2 - 0, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) |
Ward got the start against his old mates, and they seemed very excited to renew acquaintances, because they consistently met him in the backfield. Like the rest of the Bucs offense, he never even had a chance to get any momentum built up in this one.
| RB Cadillac Williams, Rush: 2 - 8 - 0, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) |
Caddy had the honor of converting the first first down by the Bucs forty minutes into the game, and he did show that same burst and tough running style that we saw in the first game, but he didn't make a tackler miss in the open field on a chance to convert an early first down, and spent most of the day in the garage.
| WR Sammie Stroughter, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (3 targets) |
Stroughter caught the outlet fourth down pass from Josh Johnson, and ran a real nice route on his second catch to set up first and goal, but he's still the fourth option in a very poor offense.
| WR Antonio Bryant, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (4 targets) |
Bryant did play, and even got a couple of targets (including one in the red zone), but he dropped the one catchable target he got. We didn't really have a chance to see how his knee responded because the Bucs offense spent so little time on the field.
| WR Michael Clayton (4 targets) |
You can drop Clayton in the same manner that he dropped a pair of passes from Josh Johnson on Sunday. He did draw a pass interference on the deep ball drop, and the end zone drop was on a Josh Johnson fastball, but it's clear that Clayton is still the same mediocre talent we've seen lately, not the top talent we saw in his standout rookie year.
| TE Kellen Winslow, Rec: 3 - 14 - 0 (8 targets) |
Winslow was Leftwich's preferred safety valve when the going was very rough early, but he couldn't make anything happen after the catch to get drives going, and while he showed soft hands on one catch, he had one of his inexplicable drops on another target. He is still the #1 target in this passing offense, at least until Antonio Bryant regains his health.
| TE Jerramy Stevens, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) |
Stevens had one drop and one short catch when he couldn't get anything done after the reception - just another bump in a road that led nowhere for the Bucs offense.