Week 17 Recap: Giants vs Bears
via Giants.com
The 4-10 New York Giants came into the Windy City to face the 5-10 Chicago Bears in what was a one-sided affair. While both coaches were on the hot seat, it was apparent which one was fighting to keep their job. Andy Dalton got the start with Justin Fields dealing with an ankle injury. Justin Fields known for his explosive playmaking despite his lackluster performances this year is just 2-8 as a starter. On the other side, Joe Judge put the fate of his coaching career in the hands of Mike Glennon. It is safe to say the Giants continue to surprise fans at how poorly their team performs week in and week out. The first play from scrimmage, Trevis Gipson of the Bears went unblocked to force a fumble, scooped up by Bilal Nichols, setting up their offense at the 2-yard line as David Montgomery finished it off to go ahead 7-0. Mike Glennon finished the first half 1 of 2 with 4 passing yards and 2 turnovers. He ended the game 4 of 11 with 24 passing yards, 2 interceptions, 2 lost fumbles, and a passer rating of 5.3. Arguably one of the worst performances by a starting quarterback and to make matters worse, Glennon’s winning percentage as a starting quarterback with a minimum of 25 games is the worst in NFL history. The Giants would lose 29-3 after being down 22-3 at halftime.
Shame:
Joe Judge: The fact that Joe Judge thinks his job is safe with the Giants is complete blasphemy. If it isn’t apparent to you, then it is to everyone else, this man has been nothing but terrible and, in his tenure, has not pushed this team in the right direction. He cannot produce points on offense and has not developed these players. Gettleman will be fired, and Judge’s job is not safe. Giants fans are rooting for another blowout to end the season to prove that this man is not capable of competing.
Saquon Barkley: I really do not care that he had a decent showing in his return to Soldier Field where he blew out his ACL back in 2020. He had 21 carries for 102 yards because Mike Glennon threw the ball 11 times and had 4 turnovers. If you think that Saquon Barkley is not part of this team’s problem, you’re the problem.
Aggressiveness: I understand Joe Judge wants to keep his job but running on 3rd and 10 with 8:23 left in the second quarter down 14 in Chicago’s territory just shows how scared the Giants really are. The Bears were perfect on 4th down in the first half, one of which Andy Dalton threw a 4-yard pass to Darnell Mooney in the back of the endzone.
Offensive Line: The Giants gave up 5 sacks, 4 fumbles, 2 of which were recovered. Glennon was pressured all day with 5 QB hits. The peak of this offensive line was when they were pinned on their 5-yard line, thanks to Pharoh Cooper calling for a fair catch not realizing the ball never went into the endzone. The offense proceeded to get blocked backwards for a safety also due to a costly false start by Derrick Kelly pushing the team back to the 1-yard line. Andrew Thomas was the only bright spot. Extreme Shame to Nate Solder, Will Hernandez, Ben Bredeson, and Matt Skura.
Wide Receivers: You really cannot blame their performances today, but Pharoh Cooper and David Sills got the start. With Toney out with a shoulder injury, John Ross out with a knee injury, and Darius Slayton out with Covid, these young guys saw a lot of playing time.
Highlights:
Robert Quinn: Finished the contest with 1 sack, putting him at 18 for the season, the most in Chicago Bears history, passing Richard Dent. Also finished with 1 hit, 1 hurry, and 1 forced fumble in 14 pass-rushing snaps (via PFF).
The Gipsons: Trevis Gipson finished with 2 forced fumbles and 2 sacks. Tashaun Gipson amounted 1 interception early in the first quarter and 1 tackle.
David Montgomery: Ran hard against the Giants to rack up 64 yards on 22 carries, with 17 yards on 2 catches in the air. Crossed the goal line twice to put him at 7 touchdowns on the year.
Daniel Jones: I really hope Giants fans miss Daniel Jones as much as I do and start to appreciate him a lot more playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in football. The showings from both Glennon and Fromm should open your eyes to how lucky some of these other young quarterbacks are in this league as compared to Jones.
Draft: The Giants are now 4-12 and hold the 5th pick. Chicago improved to 6-10 moving to the 8th pick. Unfortunately, Tom Brady happened to the Jets and the Giants were unable to move up in the order, but the Seattle Seahawks dismantled the Detroit Lions moving themselves further up. With the Jets away in Buffalo and the Texans home against the Titans in Week 18, it looks like the Giants will pick 5th. Also, granted the Bears lose to the Vikings, the Giants will hold two top 10 picks.
