There were plenty of mistakes on Sunday that could – and should have – sunk either team in a game that was highly anticipated all offseason as the rematch between Odell Beckham Jr. and Josh Norman. “We had many a reason and many a time to hang our heads and say, ‘Here we go again in 2016, ‘ but these guys kept fighting and got the win”. ‘There was no, ‘You get a warning.’ There wasn’t any of that. “The coaches treat all of us the same, coaches us up whether first- or second- or third- or fourth-string like we are starters”. With two minutes left on the clock Eli Manning got the ball, but was picked off four plays in. Beckham contacted Norman on the play before the ball was caught by Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard.
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The first came with 13:35 remaining and the Giants down 26-24. NY won’t want that for a third week in a row, so look for the G-men to put Washington away early, whether it’s a rivalry game or not. The Giants were flagged for 11 penalties, including one by rookie Andrew Adams that nullified a blocked punt in the fourth quarter.
A year ago, Beckham and Norman, then with the Panthers, got into a series of nasty one-on-one scuffles that led to Beckham receiving three personal fouls. Losing that many yards in such a close game is enough to cause the loss. “And make sure it didn’t get away from them early”. The G-Men had just taken a 21-9 lead, which went up in smoke in a flash in the second quarter. Three plays later, Manning threw an interception on a pass intended for running back Shane Vereen, sealing Washington’s first win of the season. Kirk Cousins completed 28 of his 46 passes for 364 yards, a touchdown and an interception good for the sixth highest yardage output by any quarterback in week 2.
And when it comes to football, here’s the simple truth: Beckham is a far better player than Norman, far better than just about every other wide receiver in the NFL, a sublime, supreme talent not yet 25 years old, a star of the present and future, and not just for the ridiculous one-handed catches that grab headlines, but for the completeness of a game that is only getting better. “We got to play smart”. “I think a lot has been said from this week all the way up to last time we played each other”.
“They were a more disciplined football team than we were today”, McAdoo said. “Real gritty, all the way down to the bone and gristle”. This team can not start the season 0-3, regardless of the division they play in.
New York’s revamped secondary, with the additions of cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple, has been tough on opposing quarterbacks.
They even scored a special teams touchdown last week.
Despite all the negative occurrences, the Giants had a chance to drive down the field and pull the game out after Hopkins’ field goal. “I was. I’m just so proud of the way he’s played”.
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While Manning got into a groove to start the game, the Redskins’ second half adjustments befuddled the quarterback, making life hard on him down the stretch. The Giants gained 457 yards in failing to gain their 700th franchise win. That offset a Redskins penalty for illegally batting the ball out of bounds.
