The New York Giants were left heartbroken on Christmas Eve, falling to the Minnesota Vikings, 27-24, on a last-second, franchise-record 61-yard field as time expired.
The defeat dropped the Giants to 8-6-1 on the season and 1-4-1 over their last six games. It also left them without their first playoff berth since 2016, which they will have to fight for next Sunday.
Whose stock is up and whose is down after the Week 16 loss? Let’s take a look.
Stock up: Graham Gano
When Graham Gano isn’t dealing with a serious illness, he’s automatic. Mr. Automatic, if you will.
Gano connected on all three of his field goals, including one from 55 yards out, and his sole PAT on Saturday. He also boomed each kickoff into or out of the endzone, preventing the Vikings’ solid return unit from even having a chance.
Remind us again why Gano isn’t in the Pro Bowl?
Stock down: Evan Neal
Evan Neal is very clearly labored due to a shoulder/arm injury but we can’t allow that to be an excuse. He’s struggling against the opposing pass rush and his footwork leaves a bit to be desired.
We maintain that Neal will eventually round into shape and become a solid right tackle, but his rookie season has not gone according to plan. He’s a weakness along the OL and you see his name mentioned during game broadcasts far too often. That’s not a good thing for an offensive lineman.
Neal struggled again on Saturday and although the official numbers and grades aren’t out yet, they’re probably not going to be good.
Stock up: Daniel Jones
Yes, Daniel Jones threw an interception on Saturday. And no, it wasn’t anyone else’s fault. It was behind the receiver and should have been avoided.
He was not perfect.
But outside of that one throw, DJ played arguably his best game in weeks and maybe of the entire season. He was squeezing balls into tight windows, moving the offense up the field, and displayed an impressive pocket presence to go along with good footwork.
The Giants were able to keep pace with the Vikings’ high-powered offense because of Jones.
Stock down: Micah McFadden
Micah McFadden has plenty of potential but he and other ILBs have become somewhat of a liability. That is especially true in coverage, where McFadden frequently seemed out of position.
The box score will show eight tackles, which was good for second on the team, but he left entirely too many plays out on the field.
This is an area the Giants absolutely must address this offseason.
Stock up: Isaiah Hodgins
The Giants very clearly need a WR1 this offseason but the time has come to consider giving Isaiah Hodgins a multi-year deal. He has quickly built a rapport with Daniel Jones and has proven an ability to make an impact each week.
That was true again on Sunday when he lined up across from Patrick Peterson and managed to haul in eight receptions on 11 targets for 89 yards and one touchdown. He now has three touchdowns in the last four games.
Hodgins is a good complimentary receiver, runs good routes, and is only going to get better.
Stock down: Richie James Jr.
It was a hard decision to put Richie James Jr. in the “stock down” section but despite his eight receptions for 90 yards, he also had two drops. Both cost the Giants and led to the end of offensive drives.
James also had two fumbles against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8, which cost the team dearly.
Still, James has outperformed expectations this season and come on strong in recent weeks. But he desperately needs to avoid these unforced errors and become more reliable.
