EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Notes and statistics from the Giants' 33-18 loss to the New Orleans Saints in MetLife Stadium:
*The Giants finished the first quarter of their season 1-3, including 0-2 at home. They have lost their first two home games for the second year in a row.
*New Orleans had 25 first downs, the highest total by a Giants opponent since Seattle had 26 on Oct. 22, 2017.
*The Giants scored a touchdown on their first offensive possession when Eli Manning threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard. It was the second game in a row the Giants reached the end zone on their first offensive series; last week in Houston, Saquon Barkley scored on a 15-yard run. The Giants scored opening-possession touchdowns in consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 14-20, 2016 (on Rashad Jennings' two-yard run vs. Cincinnati, and then on Manning's 10-yard pass to Jerell Adams against Chicago). The Giants won both games.
*For the fourth time in as many games, the Giants won the coin toss and deferred taking possession of the ball until the second half. But they are now 9-22 since 2013 when they defer.
*Eli Manning completed 31 of 41 passes (75.6%) for 255 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a passer rating of 99.1
*Manning's touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard was the 343rd of his career. He moved past Pro Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton (342) and into sole possession of seventh place on the NFL's career list.
*Saquon Barkley had a season-low total of 10 carries, for 44 yards and a touchdown, plus six catches for 56 yards. He became the fifth player in NFL history with at least 100 scrimmage yards in each of his first four career games. The others are Detroit's Billy Sims in 1980, San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson in 2001, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson in 2007 and Kansas City's Kareem Hunt last year.
*Sterling Shepard led the Giants with 10 receptions for 77 yards. He is the second Giants receiver to catch at least 10 passes in a game this season; Odell Beckham, Jr. had 11 receptions in the opener vs. Jacksonville. The 10 catches are one less than Shepard's career high of 11, set twice last year (at San Francisco on Nov. 12 and vs. Philadelphia on Dec. 17).
*Beckham had seven receptions for 60 yards, including a game-long 27-yarder. He also had a fair catch when he was deployed as a punt returner in the third quarter.
*Russell Shepard was the Giants' third wide receiver because Cody Latimer was inactive with a knee injury. Russell Shepard caught one pass for nine yards.
*With tight end Evan Engram sidelined because of a knee injury, Rhett Ellison caught three passes for 29 yards. Another tight end, Scott Simonson, had a seven-yard reception in the second quarter, his first catch as a Giant and second of his career. Entering the game, Simonson had one catch in 21 career games, a 10-yarder on Dec. 13, 2015, for Carolina against Atlanta. He spent the entire 2017 season on the Panthers' injured reserve list with a back injury.
*Ray-Ray Armstrong started at linebacker. It was his second start since joining the Giants off waivers from San Francisco on Nov. 27, 2017, and first since last Dec. 24 at Arizona.
*Safety Landon Collins, who had 16 tackles the first three games combined, led the Giants with 14 stops (nine solo). Linebacker Alec Ogletree had 12 tackles (five solo).
*Rookie defensive lineman B.J. Hill had the Giants' only sack of Drew Brees.
*Wide receiver Jawill Davis made his NFL debut on special teams, most notably as the kickoff and punt returner and as a gunner on the punt team. He returned three kickoffs for 60 yards. A rookie free agent from Bethune-Cookman, Davis was signed off the practice squad Friday when running back Jonathan Stewart was placed on injured reserve.
*Defensive back Kamrin Moore made his NFL debut and defensive back Mike Jordan made his Giants debut on special teams. They joined the Giants on Sept. 2 after being released by New Orleans and Cleveland, respectively.
*Aldrick Rosas kicked a 33-yard field goal; he has made all eight of his attempts this season.
*The Saints' Wil Lutz kicked four first-half field goals to give New Orleans a 12-7 halftime lead.
It was the first time the Giants did not allow a first-half touchdown since Nov. 23, 2017 in Washington when a 3-3 halftime tie became a 20-10 loss.
*Lutz was the first Giants opponent to kick four field goals in a game since Dallas' Dan Bailey on Sept. 10, 2017 and the first to do it in a first half since Philadelphia's Alex Henery on Oct. 6, 2013.
*Saints running back Alvin Kamara carried 19 times for 134 yards and three touchdowns, including a 49-yarder. Kamara's rushing total is the highest vs. the Giants since Oct. 25, 2015, when Dallas' Darren McFadden ran for 134 yards and one touchdown in a 27-20 Giants victory.
*Kamara is the first Giants opponent to rush for at least three touchdowns since Nov. 9, 2014, when Seattle's Marshawn Lynch ran for four scores.
*Rookie tight end Garrett Dickerson was in uniform, but did not play.
*The Giants' inactive players were linebacker Olivier Vernon (ankle), cornerback Eli Apple (groin), tight end Evan Engram (knee), wide receiver Cody Latimer (knee), cornerback Antonio Hamilton (groin), offensive lineman Evan Brown and quarterback Kyle Lauletta.
*The Giants lead the series with New Orleans, 16-14.
