The New York Giants withstood a furious late rally by the Washington Commanders on Sunday, ultimately heading home with an impressive 20-12 victory.
The win improves the Giants’ record to 8-5-1 on the season, guarantees they finish at .500 or better, and positions them well for a playoff berth.
Whose stock is up and whose is down after the Week 15 win? Let’s take a look.
Stock up: Kayvon Thibodeaux
Days prior to Sunday Night Football, rookie edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux told reporters, “prime time likes me.” He specifically told them to print the quote.
Boy oh boy was Thibs spot on.
In a game-changing, break-out performance, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft stole the show. He recorded 12 tackles (nine solo, three for a loss), one QB hit, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown.
Thibs was stout against the run, great against the pass, and left it all on the field.
Stock down: Evan Neal
There weren’t many Giants who underwhelmed on Sunday night but rookie right tackle Evan Neal was certainly one.
Neal continues to struggle in both pass protection and run blocking. And while he didn’t surrender a sack, he did allow several pressures on quarterback Daniel Jones that altered the outcome of plays.
It’s been a rough rookie season for Neal but we remain optimistic that he’ll develop similarly to Andrew Thomas.
Stock up: Saquon Barkley
Saquon Barkley had been in a lull over the last month and that continued through three quarters on Sunday. But with a victory in sight, he flipped a switched and returned to form with time winding down.
Barkley carried the Giants’ offense on a key drive late in the fourth quarter, ultimately leading to a score that put his team up eight points.
Throw all the numbers, which were solid, out the window. It was that one drive that sealed the deal for Big Blue. And it was a moment the team and Saquon desperately needed.
Stock down: Nick McCloud
Nick McCloud is a solid special teams player and may be headed to the Pro Bowl for that role. However, he’s not necessarily meant to be playing significant defensive snaps and is only doing so due to injury.
On Sunday, that nearly cost the Giants as McCloud dropped an easy would-be game-winning interception late in the fourth quarter. It breathed brief life back into the Commanders and had they not faltered, McCloud would be getting all the blame today.
Stock up: Landon Collins
Landon Collins was frustrated by not being elevated or seeing significant playing time this year, but that changed on Sunday.
Against his former team and in a hybrid position, Collins made several key third-down stops that helped lead to the biggest Giants win since 2016.
Collins has earned more playing time, especially with the inside linebackers lacking.
Stock down: Jaylon Smith
Speaking of lacking inside linebackers, Jaylon Smith continues to be a problem for the Giants.
His stats (nine tackles, four solo) may look good in the box score but that doesn’t accurately reflect his play. He’s a liability in coverage despite his speed and frequently seems out of position.
