Pro Football Focus takeaways from Week 17 vs. Bears
The Giants lost to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, falling 29-3 at Soldier Field.
Saquon Barkley averaged nearly 5.0 yards per carry while the team ran for 161 yards on the ground, but the offense otherwise struggled to move the ball down the field on the Bears defense.
Here are the Pro Football Focus takeaways from the Week 17 loss.
Let's start on the defensive side of the ball, where the performance of two Giants linebackers stood out. In just his third game with the team, Jaylon Smith earned the highest mark on defense with his 78.6 overall grade. Smith registered seven total tackles (five solo) with one sack, helping him receive a 72.2 pass rush grade, 80.5 tackling grade and 77.5 coverage grade.
Smith has made his impact on the Giants defense during his short time with the team. His 66.5 overall grade on the season (he did see limited action in six games with the Cowboys and Packers prior to joining the Giants) now ranks 18th among all linebackers, while his impressive 80.5 coverage grade is the fourth-best mark at the position.
Coming in right behind Smith with a 72.0 overall grade in Week 17 was Lorenzo Carter. Carter had a strong overall game, finishing with six tackles (five solo), one sack, two tackles for loss and one pass breakup. This showed in the breakdown of his overall grade, as Carter earned a 76.4 tackling grade, 70.1 run defense grade and 67.9 coverage grade.
In 13 games this season, Carter has a 78.7 coverage grade, which is the eighth-highest among all edge defenders. The fourth-year linebacker now has at least one sack and one pass breakup in each of the last three games, with four sacks total along with two forced fumbles during that stretch.
Other notable marks on defense come from Logan Ryan (80.7 tackling, 69.9 coverage), Adoree' Jackson (68.0 overall, 76.7 tackling, 67.6 coverage) and Quincy Roche (73.6 tackling, 70.2 run defense).
Roche's 69.1 run defense grade on the season now ranks second among all rookie edge defenders, while Jackson's 78.3 coverage grade comes in at No. 11 among all cornerbacks.
View photos from the Week 17 matchup between the Giants and Bears in Chicago.
Now let's move over to the other side of the ball, where two offensive linemen put up dominant performances. Ben Bredeson saw 31 snaps at left guard on Sunday and had perhaps the best outing of his young career. Bredeson earned an elite 94.7 overall grade from PFF, including a 90.9 run block grade (on 21 run plays) and a 71.1 pass block grade.
Andrew Thomas has been the Giants' most consistent lineman all season, and that continued in Chicago. Thomas was given a 79.5 overall grade for his outing against the Bears, aided by a strong 81.9 run block grade.
Thomas' 80.0 overall grade now ranks 17th among all offensive tackles, while his 82.2 pass block grade ranks 12th.
Nate Solder (70.0) and Will Hernandez (67.6) also received solid run block grades, as did Kyle Rudolph (75.4) and Evan Engram (64.5).
After running for a season-high 102 yards on 21 carries (4.9 avg.), Saquon Barkley earned a 71.6 grade in the run game.
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