Week One: New York Giants Ground Game Rushes Headlong into Steel Curtain

From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

WEEK ONE

STEELERS     26

GIANTS         16

FINAL

GIANTS RUNNING GAME STOPPED COLD IN ITS TRACKS

I left off saying my attention would be focused on the offensive line's performance.  Game one is done and the results are in.

Facing a stout Pittsburgh defense, the line fails to create even a glint of daylight for Saquon Barkley who rushes fifteen times for an inconsequential six yards.  Dion Lewis rushes once for one yard giving the Giants backfield seven net yards on sixteen rushes.  Daniel Jones triples their output scrambling four times for 22 yards.

Insofar as pass protection goes, Jones is sacked three times and hit another eight times.  Playing under duress throughout, Jones throws 26/41 (63%) for 279 yards with two interceptions and a pair of touchdown connections with Darius Slayton.  The sophomore receiver makes six receptions for 102 yards.

Daniel Jones actually keeps the Giants on par with the Steelers insofar as first downs and third down efficiency.  In fact, Jones out-passes Big Ben who only throws 21/32 for 229 yards.  Of course the major difference is Pittsburgh's ability to rush for 141 yards on thirty attempts.  Even then, in the absence of an effective running game Daniel Jones still manages to keep possession of the ball for 28:16 minutes.  But two interceptions ruin his cause.  The first is an ill-advised dying quail intercepted by Cameron Heyward in the end zone and the second is intercepted in Giants territory by defensive lineman T.J. Watt who appears to read the play like a book.  Last season Daniel Jones accounts for 30 turnovers.  So far that's two TO's in the books with fifteen games to go.

The beleaguered Leonard Williams and second year lineman Dexter Lawrence register their first respective sacks.  Otherwise, the Giants defense allows 132 rushing yards (not including nine yards from Big Ben) and yields ten decisive points in the fourth quarter.