**QUARTERBACK**
\-Drew Lock: 21/49 – 227 yards / 0 TD – 1 INT / 48.6 RAT
This was another tough watch. Lock looks lost out there and no, it was not poor offensive line play. Yes, he did have guys open. He looks under-prepared and lacked a feel across multiple different areas. Two passes were near-interceptions and he had multiple balls batted at the line. He evaded the pocket over and over and it seemed his personal approach was to hope he and the offense could fall into a broken play. Lock added a team-high 59 rushing yards on the day. His athleticism is a positive but even there, his lack of instincts and decision-making left production on the field. Lock is a guy who struggles to play on time and within structure. Keep that in mind as we begin to discuss the NYG plan at quarterback in the draft next spring. After watching two starts, I do feel DeVito is a better option if the team is trying to win. He has more toughness, grit, and feel than Lock (a sixth-year pro).
**RUNNING BACK**
\-This ended up being one of the more disappointing components of the film. Tyrone Tracy rushed 16 times for 45 yards (2.8 per, a season-low in games with over 4 carries) and a touchdown. I assumed the offensive line would be the culprit, but that was not the case. Tracy had room to work with, but failed to locate the creases and he did not do much after contact. He also allowed a pressure and dropped two passes. He was targeted ten times and did bring in 5 for 38 yards, but the drops were hard to watch. The former wide receiver needs to be a factor there moving forward for him to reach his ceiling. Has he hit the rookie wall?
\-Devin Singletary barely saw the field, gaining 8 yards on 2 carries and also allowed a pressure.
**WIDE RECEIVER**
\-Rookie Malik Nabers appeared on the injury list with a groin strain last week. He was active, and while there were a couple of instances where he seemed to get up slowly, he played the entire game. He led the team with 79 yards on 5 catches, in addition to an impressive play on a two-point conversion that was tipped at the line and he had to go up and get it with multiple Saints defenders around him. Nabers made a few things happen with his strength and power, an underrated component to his game that will create a lot of extra production over his career. His route running is better than what you see on the broadcast. The sloppy, almost lackadaisical footwork at times makes him less effective at getting open the way he is capable of, however. He even fell, tripping over his own feet in the fourth quarter on a play that had explosive potential. Not the first time that’s happened. He needs more refinement. More on that below.
\-Wan’Dale Robinson caught 4 passes for 38 yards, all of which came in the second half. As the NYG offense appeared to wake up, Robinson was a key part to moving the chains. His ability to suddenly get open is and will be an asset with the right quarterback. However, something I want to bring up again is the fear a passer has when throwing in his direction downfield. Robinson did have a couple routes where he created separation vertically but that diminutive frame can make it tough for a passer to see it and actually pull the trigger. The margin for error is so small.
\-Darius Slayton was targeted downfield multiple times. He got open and was in position to make plays, but the throws simply were not there. Not that Slayton has much to stand on when it comes to what he has accomplished in this league, but I have to think he is miserable with this quarterback situation. A case can be made his career could be (much) better had he ended up somewhere else. I am surprised he did not get traded. He is a useful guy, but the throws need to be there. He cannot create much on his own.
\-Jalin Hyatt was targeted twice. Neither were quality throws. For the ninth game this season, he was held without a catch.
**TIGHT END**
\-With Theo Johnson out, Daniel Bellinger more than doubled his season production in this game alone. Coming in, he had three catches on the year. Against the Saints, Bellinger caught 5 passes for 47 yards. Three of those went for a first down. The third-year fourth-rounder has a huge opportunity to prove he can be a part of the solution moving forward. We know he can be reliable as an underneath, physical, yard-after-catch guy. He can confirm that like he did in this game, but we still need to see better blocking. Bellinger was abused by both power and speed against the quality NO linebackers. He and Chris Manhertz both allowed a pressure as well.
\-Greg Dulcich, a guy I want to get a good look at, played just one snap.
**OFFENSIVE LINE**
\-Evan Neal was a game-time decision and Josh Ezeudu was in for the injured Chris Hubbard at left tackle. This had the potential to be ugly, but after re-watching from the end zone angle, Neal finished with an even grade and Ezeudu was slightly below average. It started to get bad in the fourth quarter where the Saints edge defenders appeared to amp it up a notch. Neal allowed 7 pressures and had too many snaps with late hands. He was not delivering any good contact, but instead seemed to try and catch pass rushers. His anchor is solid, though. When his feet are where they need to be, he can stop power guys in their tracks. Ezeudu simply had no anchor and despite receiving plenty of help, allowed 7 pressures. It was a lot of bend, don’t break from both against a poor group of pass rushers.
\-Greg Van Roten and John Michael Schmitz were flagged and allowed one pressure each. Schmitz allowed a half-sack. The NO defensive tackles were getting off their blocks too easily but both did get the job done in the run game. They created holes for Tyrone Tracy but they were not capitalized on.
\-Jon Runyan left the game with an injury after taking a blindside hit to his lower body. Aaron Stinnie, a leading candidate for the starting RG job prior to the late Van Roten signing, came in and allowed a pressure and a sack. If Runyan is out, we will get a good look at him. He is on a one-year deal.
–Jake Kubas did not play until the fourth quarter when Schmitz went down. But he somehow came up with the two biggest mistakes of the game. His personal foul penalty on a made field goal for body slamming a defender mid-play was a dumb decision. He then allowed Bryan Bresee to block the field goal that ended the game. On offense, he totaled 29 snaps at right guard following the Schmitz injury. He lacked consistent body control, but I feel positive about his first real-game action. He showed the ability to move his feet quickly and had a strong punch.Tracy’s touchdown was right off his hip. This could be a good opportunity to see what they have in him.
**EDGE**
\-Against a pair of tackles that who been very up and down this season, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux made their presence felt. They each had a sack and four tackles, one of which went for a loss, respectively. Burns added 4 pressures and forced a fumble (that NO recovered). Thibodeaux also had a pressure and a QB hit. One thing I’m observing from both is the lack of variety in their rush arsenal. Burns at least has the occasional spin move (with a low success rate), but Thibodeaux has not developed his repertoire. He is almost always an outside shoulder only-type. It can work if your burst is elite, but his is not. NYG could use a guy who lines up outside but impacts more interior rush lanes.
\-Tomon Fox and Patrick Johnson saw time in backup duty. Both made a tackle but neither could disrupt the passing game. It appeared they were stalled out rather easily.
**DEFENSIVE TACKLE**
\-With Dexter Lawrence and Rakeem Nunez-Roches out, we got to see a few new bodies in there. Coincidentally, it was some of the best defensive line play we have seen in any game this season. Elijah Garcia was a post-camp signing from Denver who has been on the practice squad all season. He finished with 6 tackles and a pressure. He was in on three different tackles for losses. He did this on just 29 snaps (43%). I often get asked if NYG found something after a pop-up performance like this. His aggressive style and explosive hands displaced blockers. That kind of natural power can make things happen and we saw some of that in the 2024 preseason. I am intrigued.
\-Cory Durden, who was just signed off the LAR practice squad, finished with 2 pressures, 3 tackles, and a TFL. He was the one I am interested in the most and I hope to see more of him in the coming weeks. His get off made a difference. That is the number one trait I look for.
\-Elijah Chatman and Jordon Riley, two guys who were a step higher on the ladder than the others, were both excellent. Chatman had 1.5 TFL early on but did not get much done as a pass rusher. He relies on the initial win more than others. Riley’s massive frame and ability to keep himself low clogged inside lanes and kept linebackers clean. He added a TFL. Casey Rogers, an interesting piece who flashed in preseason, got penetration a couple times but did not make any standout plays. He is undersized.
**LINEBACKER**
\-Game ball goes to Micah McFadden. Had this been a must-win type situation and NYG nation was fully in it, McFadden would be talked about all week. He led the team with 11 tackles, 5 of which went for a loss. This will put him near or at the league-high by the end of Week 14. And off-ball linebackers making plays behind the line of scrimmage is the top metric I use in evaluation. It is not the end-all, but this level of production weighs a lot. He struggles in drop-back coverage and the missed tackle rate is a bit too high (but improving). However, McFadden is evolving into a guy who we will end up labeling a keeper.
\-Rookie Darius Muasau played a season-high 52 snaps. He finished with 8 tackles (second most). He missed two and did not make anything happen on or behind the line. He also allowed 5-of-5 targets to be completed and whiffed on the plays where he needed to play fast.
\-Isaiah Simmons played 17 snaps and finished with three tackles. Once again, he was mainly used in coverage roles.
**CORNERBACK**
\-Second-year corner Tre Hawkins III, a guy many in the building still like after an impressive 2023 training camp, snapped the longest team interception-slump in NFL history. It was only the second game he’s seen the field this season and it was the first career interception. He also broke up another pass and finished with 6 tackles. He played fast and physical. He left the game in the fourth quarter after a big hit on a Saints outside run. The weight of two players came down on him, breaking a bone in his back. Unfortunate. I would have liked to see him on the field as much as possible because talent has never been his shortcoming. He did allow a couple of 15+ yard completions, but when it game to his play speed, he looked faster.
\-Adoree’ Jackson got the start on the other side and was not tested much. He broke up a deep pass again and finished with three tackles, one of which went for a loss.
\-Greg Stroman got the snaps at nickel with Andru Phillips out. He was sent on five blitzes and finished with a pressure in addition to 3 tackles.
**SAFETY**
\-Jason Pinnock played every snap and finished with 6 tackles. He allowed one downfield pass, but otherwise was more active than he’s been. This will be an interesting free agency decision for the front office. While he isn’t making plays (nobody is), his week-to-week reliability has caught my attention. He is a coach’s favorite-type as well.
\-Tyler Nubin split snaps with Dane Belton because of an ankle injury. They both finished with 5 tackles a piece. Belton allowed a 32-yard catch in coverage, but also forced a fumble (recovered by NO). He played a solid game and responded well when he was tested against the run.
**SPECIAL TEAMS**
\-K Graham Gano: 1/2 (Made 43, one kick blocked)
\-P Jamie Gillan: 8 punts / 37.4 avg – 37.4 net
**3 STUDS**
\-LB Micah McFadden, DT Elijah Garcia, ED Brian Burns
**3 DUDS**
\-QB Drew Lock, RB Tyrone Tracy, OG Jake Kubas
**3 THOUGHTS ON NO**
(1) As bad as the NYG situation is right now, what’s happening in New Orleans may be even worse. Some of you may believe the fact they already fired their head coach is an advantage. But this is an ownership group who has never drafted a first-round quarterback and General Manager Mickey Loomis has been getting hosed in recent years by poor trades and bad contracts. They are an unlikely destination for a sought-after head coach and they will be out of the running for one of the top two (maybe three) quarterbacks. Really rough spot when looking at the long-term future.
(2) Is there anything to be optimistic about in New Orleans? I would say they have two cheap offensive tackles who appear to be solutions, and a defensive tackle who has the ability to be a big-time player. And lastly, they have two corners I am high on. Simply put, there are multiple premium positions that seem to have an answer. But as we know, without the right QB and coach, it won’t matter.
(3) Pay attention to the name Klint Kubiak. For those that do not know, I am a huge fan of the San Francisco / Los Angeles (N) coaching trees. Kubiak came over to NO as the offensive coordinator after spending 2023 on the San Francisco staff. He is the son of former NFL Head Coach Gary Kubiak, who was brought up under Mike Shanahan in Denver during the 90’s. He won a Super Bowl as the Denver HC in 2015. Klint has done a nice job with very poor personnel and his creativity screams Shanahan. If NYG wanted to take another swing at a young coach (he is 37), he could be a guy worth looking at.
**3 CLOSING THOUGHTS**
(1) One sneaky negative to pile on to this season is the lack of development for Nabers. It isn’t his fault. But one thing I would love Daboll to force a bit is getting him involved in the deep passing game. We need to see if he can be a real weapon there, and the best way for him to progress will come from reps. Nabers is a special talent, but he needs to improve his skill set from all angles. Talent is not enough. The obsession with details and quality reps in games are musts.
(2) Baltimore coming off a bye and a loss will not be pretty. Is there anything to look for in this game beyond the obvious evaluation of NYG’s players for future purposes? How about putting some attention on a 2025 free agent who may be one of the top targets for NYG? Cornerback Brandon Stephens (#21) was a stud in 2023, and he has built off that in 2024. He is a big and physical, try-hard type who brings personality to a secondary. He will never be a true number one, but he can be paid well enough with the amount of minimal spending NYG has committed at corner right now.
(3) As we get deeper and deeper into the season, the needs of this roster appear to be clearer. We know that quarterback is priority A, but where do you see the most gaping holes on this team? Cornerback is my top one, and another pass rusher is the other. I do not care where the pass rusher primarily resides. Outside, inside, both? Just get one in the building and create an identity off of it.