AT FIRST GLANCE
In a "Monday Night Football" game that featured five lead changes, the Giants finished in the fourth quarter and defeated the Dolphins 31-24 at Sun Life Stadium.
The win snapped their three-game losing streak and put them back into a three-way tie atop the NFC East. The Giants, Redskins, and Eagles are all 6-7 with three weeks to play.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Giants return home to host the NFL's last undefeated team, the Carolina Panthers, at MetLife Stadium in Week 15. Carolina improved to 13-0 with a 38-0 victory over Atlanta in Week 14, clinching the NFC South title and a first-round playoff bye in the process.
WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE OFFENSE
Manning got off to a hot start by completing his first eight passes of the game and never looked back. The franchise quarterback went 27 of 31 for 337 yards, four touchdowns, and a passer rating of 151.5. The first score was to Rueben Randle, who finished with five receptions for 58 yards. Entering Monday night, he had just three catches since the bye week.
The second went to tight end Will Tye, who became the seventh target to catch a touchdown from Manning this season. The Stony Brook product's first career touchdown was set up by a 45-yard completion to Odell Beckham Jr., who came up big in the second half of his duel with former LSU teammate and Miami wide receiver Jarvis Landry (11 receptions, 99 yards). Beckham finished with seven catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns, including an 84-yard score to give the Giants a 31-24 lead in the fourth quarter. The 166 yards were a season high and marked his sixth consecutive game with at least 100 receiving yards.
The offensive line got back starting right tackle Marshall Newhouse, who missed last week with a back injury. Meanwhile, left tackle Ereck Flowers, who left the Jets game with an ankle injury and was questionable heading into Monday night, was able to start for the Giants. However, he had to leave in the fourth quarter due to an ankle. Justin Pugh slid over from left guard to left tackle, and Dallas Reynolds came in to play guard.
After the ground game began with four rushes for a loss of four yards, running back Rashad Jennings found some traction and rushed 22 times for 81 yards, his highest total of the season. The Giants were able to grind out the clock on their final drive and finished with 92 yards on the ground.
WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE DEFENSE
The Giants' defense started out by doing what it does best: forcing turnovers. Rookie safety Landon Collins forced tight end Dion Sims to fumble on the opening drive of the game, and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul recovered the ball deep in Dolphins territory.
The Giants turned it into a field goal for the first points of the game. However, the Dolphins then gashed them at times, including a 38-yard rushing touchdown by Lamar Miller and a 47-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Tannehill to Kenny Stills. Miller averaged 7.4 yard per carry and accounted for 89 of Miami's 128 rushing yards. He also had two scores. However, the Giants forced the Dolphins to punt on their final four possessions of the game.
WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE SPECIAL TEAMS
A week after his franchise record of 29 consecutive field goals came to an end, Josh Brown made one from 35 yards but missed a 48-yarder wide right during a tie game late in the third quarter. It was the same distance as the one he missed wide left last week in overtime against the Jets. Meanwhile, the Giants lined up with new long snapper Danny Aiken, who signed with the team last week after special teams captain Zak DeOssie was placed on injured reserve with a wrist injury. It was the first game that DeOssie missed in his nine-year NFL career.
INACTIVES
NYG: WR Geremy Davis, S Brandon Meriweather, DB Tramain Jacobs, LB Devon Kennard, OL Adam Gettis, OT Emmett Cleary, DE Stansly Maponga.
MIA: WR Rishard Matthews, OL Jacques McClendon, OT John Ulrick, DE Jordan Williams, OT Ja'Wuan James, DE Terrence Fede.
STARTING LINEUP CHANGES
NYG: Mark Herzlich for Kennard at SLB; Craig Dahl for Meriweather at SS.
MIA: DeVante Parker for Matthews at WR; Jason Fox for James at RT.
GAME CAPTAINS
DT Cullen Jenkins, PK Josh Brown, and LB Mark Herzlich along with season captain QB Eli Manning.
INJURY REPORT
LT Ereck Flowers (ankle, did not return), DT Markus Kuhn (knee, did not return), LG Justin Pugh (burner, returned), RG John Jerry (burner, returned), WR Odell Beckham Jr. (cramping, returned), LB J.T. Thomas (ankle).
Five standout performers in the Giants Monday night matchup against the Miami Dolphins
QB ELI MANNINGManning got off to a hot start by completing his first eight passes of the game and never looked back. The franchise quarterback went 27 of 31 for 337 yards, four touchdowns, and a passer rating of 151.5.
WR ODELL BECKHAM JR.Beckham came up especially big in the second half to win his duel with former LSU teammate and Miami wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Beckham finished with seven catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns, including an 84-yard score to give the Giants a 31-24 lead in the fourth quarter. The 166 yards were a season high and marked his sixth consecutive game with at least 100 receiving yards.
WR RUEBEN RANDLEAfter having just three receptions after the bye week, Randle caught five passes for 58 yards on Monday night, including a six-yard touchdown from Manning in the second quarter.
RB RASHAD JENNINGSAfter the ground game began with four rushes for a loss of four yards, running back Rashad Jennings found some traction and rushed 22 times for 81 yards, his highest total of the season. The Giants were able to grind out the clock on their final drive and finished with 92 yards on the ground.
TE WILL TYEThe Stony Brook product caught his first career touchdown on five-yard pass from Eli Manning to tie the game late in the first half. He finished with five receptions for 30 yards.
