QB Eli Manning would find TE Evan Engram for a score, but the Lions would largely dominate the first half, scoring two QB Matthew Stafford touchdown passes, one each to WR Marvin Jones Jr. and TE Eric Ebron, and a field goal to lead 17-7 at halftime.
While the Giants would score a field goal in the second half, but the Lions would add a CB Jamal Agnew punt return for a touchdown and they would go on to win 24-10. With that, we give you our PFF exclusive takeaways from the contest for each team.
Top 5 Grades
EDGE Ezekiel Ansah, 85.9 overall grade
LB Jarrad Davis, 82.3 overall grade
TE Eric Ebron, 82.1 overall grade
G Graham Glasgow, 81.7 overall grade
CB Darius Slay, 79.8 overall grade
Performances of Note:
TE Eric Ebron, 82.1 overall grade
Ebron had a productive night receiving for the Lions, hauling in all five of his targets for 42 yards and a touchdown. Ebron's five catches came against five different defenders for the Giants and most of his damage came after the catch, as he racked up 20 of his 42 receiving yards that way.
QB Matthew Stafford, 74.8 overall grade
Stafford ended the night with a grade of 74.8. He extended plays throughout the game with his legs and was able to complete 71 percent of his passes. Facing no pressure, Stafford was lethal going 12 of 15 for 105 yards and a touchdown. Nights like this are going to keep the Lions competitive in their games.
EDGE Ezekiel Ansah, 85.9 overall grade
Ansah was a beast in the first half, proving to be nearly unblockable as he racked up three sacks lining up against LT Ereck Flowers. He also had two additional run stops and was shrinking holes all night for the Lions defense. He was so dominant that the Giants had to change their blocking scheme in the second half to make sure that he was double teamed on almost every play.
CB Darius Slay, 79.8 overall grade
Slay showed why he's the Lions No. 1 cornerback in this game, moving all over the field to cover the Giants talented receiver group. While Slay allowed five catches on six targets for 55 yards, he kept everything in front of him. Giants receivers only gained 15 yards after contact against Slay, and he didn't miss a tackle. He also broke up two would-be touchdowns, with a pass defensed on a deep ball to Brandon Marshall and an instinctive play in which he peeled off his receiver to deliver a hit on Evan Engram that knocked the ball out just before Engram secured the catch.
Top 5 Grades
G John Jerry, 80.1 overall grade
CB Ross Cockrell, 80.0 overall grade
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, 78.3 overall grade
DI Dalvin Tomlinson, 77.3 overall grade
DI Damon Harrison, 77.1 overall grade
Performances of Note:
QB Eli Manning, 74.0 overall
While Manning was far from spectacular in this game, he was hardly the problem for the offense. He actually pushed the ball downfield fairly effectively, going 2 of 6 with 56 yards and a touchdown on passes that went 20 yards or more down field. And that doesn't include a perfect deep ball thrown to WR Brandon Marshall that was dropped, and another that would've been a touchdown if not for an incredible play by Lions CB Darius Slay.
T Ereck Flowers, 47.3 overall
This is more an indictment on the Giants offensive line in general, which once again struggled. They allowed their quarterback to be sacked five times (though one of them was more Manning's fault for holding the ball too long), before adjusting protection schemes to give help with tight ends and running backs. They struggled more in the run game, where they surrendered stop after stop. Taking away Vereen's two end-of-half runs against prevent defense, the Giants running backs gained 40 yards on 14 carries, and averaged just 0.76 yards before contact per carry.
CB Ross Cockrell, 80.0 overall grade
Cockrell was called in to duty as he was filling in for injured CB Janoris Jenkins. He played well in Jenkins absence, as he recorded a coverage grade of 82.0, allowing only two catches on five targets for 18 yards. Cockrell limited Lions rookie Kenny Golladay to one reception on three targets for 8 yards when covering him.
EDGE Olivier Vernon, 75.7 overall grade
Vernon had a strong night rushing the passer, and when he rushing against Lions LT Greg Robinson, he forced five quarterback hurries and two holding penalties. Vernon's pass-rush productivity of 15.0 puts him just behind Deatrich Wise for fifth place among 4-3 defensive ends in Week 2. However, Vernon will look contribute more against the run in the coming weeks, as he ended with a run defense grade of 45.6.
PFF Game Ball: Ezekiel Ansah, EDGE
*Grades are subject to change upon review
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.