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Giants - Jaguars
Mikefan - Gamegirl Reviews

Sept. 9, 1:00 PM Jaguars at Giants
Game 1
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Jaguars3100720
Giants333615
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Giants lose to the Jaguars 20-15.
Eli Manning was 23 of 37 for 224 yards, and 1 INT.
Saquon Barkley rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries, 1 TD, and caught 2 passes for 22 yards.
Jonathan Stewart rushed for 8 yards on 2 carries.
Wayne Gallman rushed for -1 yards on 1 carry.
Odell Beckham Jr. caught 11 passes for 111 yards.
Sterling Shepard caught 5 passes for 48 yards.

Evan Engram caught 2 passes
for 18 yards.
Rhett Ellison caught 1 pass for 16 yards.

Janoris Jenkins had 1 INT.
Kerry Wynn and Kareem Martin each had .5 sacks.
Kaelin Clay had 1 fumble.

Aldrick Rosas kicked 27, 31, and 44 yard field goals.

"I was feeling good that the Giants were starting off the season with a home game at MetLife stadium. It's been a few years since that's happened, and there's always that extra thrill in the crowd for the opening day game. I know the Giants finished up at the Met last year with a win over the Redskins, but it's hard to remember much excitement about that. A 3-13 season is something your mind wants to forget. Still it was nice that interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo got us that last win at home, and it was a good way for him to finish up as a coach here.
Today the Giants got off to a poor start. They let the Jaguars move the ball and score a field goal on the opening drive. Then when they got the ball it was 3-and-out, but not without some drama.
Let's just say the fans weren't happy to see Ereck Flowers pull two penalties in 3 plays. It took away two Eli Manning completions, and the Giants were backed up at the 4-yard line. Saquon Barkley lost yardage on the next play, and the Jaguars almost came away with a safety. Manning then completed a pass to Rhett Ellison which got the Giants to the 17-yard line, and they punted.
Things weren't looking good, but Janoris Jenkins intercepted Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles three plays later, and the team went on to tie the score at 3-3 with a field goal. You felt the Giants had calmed down a bit and things were going to turn out right. Instead, the Jaguars next scored a field goal, and on their next drive added a touchdown to put them up 10 points. The Giants had a chance to score a touchdown before the end of the half, but they still couldn't get their act together on the offensive line, and there was constant pressure on Manning. They did manage a field goal to trail the Jaguars 13-6.
The Giants got the ball at the start of the second half and Aldrick Rosas kicked another field goal. Then neither team moved the ball much, and there was no scoring until the fourth quarter when Manning was intercepted on a tipped ball. It was returned for a touchdown, and with the Giants trailing 20-9, you kind of got that sinking feeling that things weren't going to pan out today for the Giants.
Just then, two plays later, Barkley broke free with a 68 yard touchdown run. Their two point conversion failed, and the score was now 20-15 in favor of the Jaguars. Unfortunately, when the Giants couldn't come up with anything on their last two possessions, that became the final score. The ending to this game was a real killer because Manning would have had one more shot, but Kaelin Clay fumbled the punt over to the Jaguars. You always want to see the Giants win, but I saw some good things, and I'm looking forward to the next game against the Cowboys."

"It was the first game of the season, and both teams showed some of the unsteadiness that goes along with that. Quarterback Blake Bortles led his Jaguars team downfield on the opening drive, and Jacksonville took an early lead with a 39-yard field goal. After the kickoff, Eli Manning was on the field at the 14-yard line. His first pass of the season was a 6 yard completion to Odell Beckham Jr., but Ereck Flowers drew a penalty for tripping, so no play. Next, Saquon Barkley ran with the ball for no gain.
Manning's next pass was a completion to Evan Engram for 34 yards, but Flowers was hit once again for a penalty, this time for holding. The Giants were now backed up at their own 4-yard line, and on the next play, the eager Jaguar defense was all over Barkley and almost nailed him in the endzone for a safety. Manning then managed to complete a penalty free pass to Rhett Ellison that went for 16 yards. That provided some decent kicking room for Riley Dixon.
While the Giants offense showed how badly they could play, their defense showed how good they could be. They allowed Bortles an 11-yard completion, but sacked him on the next play. Janoris Jenkins intercepted Bortles next pass, and the Giants offense looked much better on their second possession, with some nice runs by Barkley and catches by Beckham. The Jaguars defense is tough to crack, and the Giants stalled down near the goal line. Aldrick Rosas kicked a 27 yard field goal to tie the score at 3-3.
The Jaguars used up over half of the second quarter on their next drive working their way downfield before kicking another field goal. They scored a touchdown on their next drive and were up 13-3. Manning was under constant pressure, and he took two sacks trying to get points on the board. Despite that he was 10-10, completing every pass in the first half until he got down to the Jacksonville 13-yard line. Reaching for a high snap, and then throwing quickly to avoid yet another sack that would have closed out the half, he failed to connect with Beckham in the endzone. It was third down, but with only four seconds left, they had to go for a 31-yard field goal which made the score 13-6, and that ended the half.
The Giants had the ball at the start of the third quarter, and added another field goal to cut the lead to 13-9. After a Jaguars 3-and-out, the Giants went for it on a 4th-and-2 from the Jacksonville 38 yard line. Barkley ran up the middle, but picked up only one yard. Neither team was able to score again until the fourth quarter. The Giants had the ball at their own 30-yard line, and with the Jaguars once again breaking through the line, Manning threw a pass that was tipped, intercepted, and returned for a touchdown.
The Jaguars had 20-9 lead, and the way things were going it looked like the Giants were done. Two plays later though after Manning completed a 7 yard pass to Beckham, Barkley took off on a 68 yard run for a touchdown. They tried for a two point conversion running the ball, but Barkley came up short. It seemed a strange play to call, as Barkley was coming off a big running play. Still, the Giants were close, trailing 20-15 with more than 10 minutes left to play.
The Giants defense kept the Jaguars from scoring for the rest of the game, but Manning's group just couldn't get it done today. With about two minutes left, Manning at the Jacksonville 36-yard line, tried to get a pass to Sterling Shepard on a 4th-and-6, but it was incomplete. After a thee-and-out, with just under a minute left, the Jaguars had to punt. Kaelin Clay muffed the punt and the Jaguars recovered the ball. Manning was robbed of any chance for a miracle comeback, and this game was over.
Overall the fans got to see the Manning connection to Beckham and Shepard looking strong. There was a glimpse of what Barkley could do, and the defense held its own. The offensive line is still a work in progress. So some pieces came together today, and some pieces are still broken from last year. Let's hope Pat Shurmur can glue things together before next week's game in Dallas."

First Quarter

JAGUARS - FIELD GOAL
Play: Josh Lambo 39 Yd Field Goal
Drive info: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:48
Jaguars 3-0

GIANTS - FIELD GOAL
Play: Aldrick Rosas 27 Yd Field Goal
Drive info: 9 plays, 54 yards, 5:17
Tied 3-3

Second Quarter

JAGUARS - FIELD GOAL
Play: Josh Lambo 39 Yd Field Goal
Drive info: 15 plays, 54 yards, 8:04
Jaguars 6-3

JAGUARS - TOUCHDOWN
Play: T.J. Yeldon 1 Yd pass from Blake Bortles (Josh Lambo Kick)
Drive info: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:36
Jaguars 13-3

GIANTS - FIELD GOAL
Play: Aldrick Rosas 31 Yd Field Goal
Drive info: 10 plays, 62 yards, 2:38
Jaguars 13-6

Third Quarter

GIANTS - FIELD GOAL
Play: Aldrick Rosas 44 Yd Field Goal
Drive info: 11 plays, 49 yards, 5:42
Jaguars 13-9

Fourth Quarter

JAGUARS - TOUCHDOWN
Play: Myles Jack 32 Yd Interception Return (Josh Lambo Kick)
Drive info: 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:49
Jaguars 20-9

GIANTS - TOUCHDOWN
Play: Saquon Barkley 68 Yd Run (Two-Point Run Conversion Failed)
Drive info: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:45
Jaguars 20-15


Notes:

Giants lost their opener for the 7th time in the last eight years (50-39-5 in opening games).

Giants are 17-13 in season-opening home games (50-41-3 in home openers).

Giants Eli Manning played in his 217th regular-season game (breaks a tie with Michael Strahan).

Giants Eli Manning is the fourth player to play 15 years with the team.

Giants Odell Beckham, Jr. now has 8 games with at least 10 receptions, extending his record.
Next Games:
Sept 16 Giants at Cowboys.
Sept 23 Giants at Houston.
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