upset win over the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately Ray-Ray Armstrong Jersey , ‘almost’ doesn’t count in the NFL, and the Giants couldn’t close out a game they lead for 59 of 60 minutes. But, at least from the offensive side of things, we can say that this was probably the Giants’ best game of the season. So then, what made it so different from the previous 14 games?OffenseQuarterbackFor the most part, Eli Manning played a good game against a Colts’ defense which was coming off a shut-out victory over the Dallas Cowboys. That good game wasn’t dependent, however, on Manning playing exceptionally well, but rather executing a well designed game-plan. The Giants started with the assertion that their offensive line wasn’t going to hold up to the Colts’ front seven. So rather than asking them to do so, Pat Shurmur relied on misdirection plays to slow down the Colts’ defense and give Manning time to make his reads. He also made great use of play-action and roll-outs to get Eli away from the pass rush and speed up his post-snap process with half-field reads. As a result, only three of Manning’s 33 passes were thrown into coverage, and the Colts only landed three quarterback hits all game. But despite relying on misdirection and quick passes, the Giants were not conservative in the passing game. Eli’s average pass was, per Next Gen Stats, only .8 yards behind the first down marker, which is a dramatic improvement over the previous games. All told, Manning distributed the ball well and didn’t shy away from looking down the field. Skill Position PlayersHeading in to the Giants’ game against the Tennessee Titans, the conversation was that the offense now flowed through Saquon Barkley. That cold, sloppy day against Tennessee proved that hypothesis to be incorrect. This game, the Giants acknowledged that without Odell Beckham they are missing a key cog in their offense. So rather than trying to force the ball through Barkley, they spread the ball around rather than rely on the running game. Over the last three weeks, Barkley has averaged roughly 2.5 yards per carry on 47 carries (excepting his two big runs for a total of 130 yards against Washington). It is a good sign that the Giants’ coaching staff was able to scheme around the lack of a run game and keep the offense moving and on schedule.Barkley played 57 of the Giants’ 65 offensive snaps, picking up a total of 77 yards from scrimmage. He carried the ball 21 times for 43 yards and a touchdown, and added another 5 receptions on 7 targets for 34 yards.The offensive stars of the game were Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram. Engram continues to be a weapon for the Giants in the absence of Odell Beckham. The Giants made great use of his talents and he lead the team with a total of 113 yards from scrimmage with 26 rushing and 86 receiving yards on 42 snaps (65 percent).Sterling Shepard had a fantastic bounce-back game after having his worst outing as a pro against the Titans. Shepard played 58 of 65 snaps (89 percent), and came up with 113 yards receiving on six receptions. He also lost three yards on his lone carry, to drop him behind Engram on the total yardage list. Beyond Engram, Shepard, and Barkley, Manning targeted six other receivers. Scott Simonson (3 for 3 Janoris Jenkins Jersey , 16 yards, 1 touchdown, 24 snaps)Rhett Ellison (2for 2, 18 yards, 25 snaps)Bennie Fowler (1 for 3, 26 yards, 54 snaps)Cody Latimer (1 for 1, 10 yards, 20 snaps)Eli Penny (1 for 1, 5 yards, 17 snaps) Corey Coleman (0 for 1, 1 rush, 5 yards, 15 snaps) DefenseFront SevenFilling in for the injured Alec Ogletree, UDFA rookie linebacker Tae Davis played every one of the Giants’ 67 defensive snaps. The Colts were able to isolate and exploit him in coverage, but he still showed up on the stat sheet with 7 total tackles and the lone sack of the game. After Davis, it shouldn’t surprise that Olivier Vernon played the second-most snaps among front seven players, with 64 of 67 snaps. Vernon was quietly disruptive as a pass rusher against the Colts’ talented offensive line. He had a strip-sack negated by penalty, but was credited with a pair of QB hits and was the Giants’ most successful rusher per Next Gen Stats. Surprisingly, DT B.J. Hill has emerged as one of the Giants’ core defensive players, and played just one less snap than Vernon at 63 on the game. That high snap count might have been influenced by the early loss of Mario Edwards Jr. to a calf injury, and Hill only came up with a single quarterback hit and no tackles. B.J. Goodson was second among linebackers with 55 snaps. And as usual, he was productive going downhill, with six total tackles and a tackle for a loss.On the defensive line, EDGE Kareem Martin and DT Dalvin Tomlinson were tied with 45 snaps. Martin was quiet, notching a single tackle, while Tomlinson finished with four tackles and a tackle for a loss.EDGE Lorenzo Carter saw 29 snaps, coming up with a pair of QB hits and a pass defensed (which probably should have been intercepted). Josh Mauro rounds out the major contributors with 25 snaps.SecondaryCornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and B.W. Webb, as well as safeties Michael Thomas and Curtis Riley played every one of the Giants’ 67 snaps. And while the Giants’ struggled to stop Kerry Wynn Jersey , or even slow, the Colts’ offense once it got going, their coverage was actually quite tight. Riley came up with an interception in the first half, sprinting to the endzone to catch an errant throw from Andrew Luck like a wide receiver running a corner route. Jenkins and Webb each had their hands on passes of their own, but both times the ball found the turf. Thomas has continued to thrive in his expanded role, racking up seven tackles and a pass defensed. Grant Haley is a starter in all but name, playing 57 of 67 snaps (85 percent), and picked up seven tackles on the day. Haley has his rookie moments in games, but he has done well to grow into his role as the nickel corner and looks to be a good piece for the future. Likewise, Sean Chandler might be the Giants’ most efficient defender. He had a tackle, a tackle for a loss, and a pass defensed in just 8 defensive snaps. The Giants’ other UDFA rookie defensive back doesn’t see much time on the field, but James Bettcher clearly has a plan for when to use him, and he produces when he gets on the field.When the Giants have the ball: Can the offense get in gear vs. Dallas? The New York Giants are still waiting to see the results from their massive offseason offensive makeover.Granted, in Week 1 the Giants were going against one of the the bestdefenses the NFL has to offer in the Jacksonville Jaguars, but their performance was still deflating. This week the stakes are even higher against the division rival Dallas Cowboys. Do the Giants have what it takes to win an important game on the road which could have profound implications for their playoff aspirations? Stats at a glanceGiants’ OffenseRushing yards - 114.0 yardsPassing yards - 210.0 yardsTotal yards - 324.0 yardsPoints - 15 pointsCowboys’ DefenseRushing yards - 147.0 yardsPassing yards - 146.0 yardsTotal yards - 293.0 yardsPoints - 16 points*These are only the results from Week 1, and should be taken with a grain of salt.It’s all on the lineThe Giants completely rebuilt their offensive line in the 2018 offseason, with coach Pat Shurmur likening their flurry of moves to changing a transmission as opposed to simply changing the offense’s oil. Granted we have a sample size of one game, against one of the fastest defensive fronts in the NFL, but the changes on the line look like differences without a distinction. Far too often against Jacksonville the line was leaking pressure into Eli Manning’s face, letting him get hit, forcing him to hurry, effecting his passes, and in once case, causing a tipped pass that to a game-changing defensive touchdown for the Jaguars.The Cowboys’ defensive front is not the Jaguars’. However, Dallas features some dangerous pass rushers. Defensive ends Demarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford are disruptive and must be accounted for on every play. Even against a Carolina Panthers’ offense which used the read-option to slow the pass rush, the Cowboys still managed to get three sacks. And if the Giants want any semblance of a running game against the Cowboys, they will need the offensive line to lead the way. Saquon Barkley saw 8 (or more) defenders in the tackle box on roughly 28 percent of his runs against Jacksonville, averaging 2.2 yards per carry on those attepts. Even worse http://www.giantscheapshops.com/cheap-a … ley-jersey , in the first half he averaged first contact half a yard behind the line of scrimmage.That is simply not sustainable for an offense which wants the running game to take (at least some of) the load off of its aging quarterback’s right arm. Perhaps the most important aspect of the Giants’ offense to watch against Dallas will be their offensive line. Playmakers making playsUntil the Giants’ offensive line can consistently allow them to play a more methodical brand of offense, this offense will be defined by big plays. That isn’t a terrible thing when an offense boasts athletic talents like Odell Beckham Jr., Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, and Sterling Shepard. In fact, for a team that boasts talent like that to not be known for big plays would be more worrisome. Even when not helped by scheme, players with the athletic profiles of the Giants' skill position players will eventually beat defenders and make plays. We saw it again and again from Beckham under Ben McAdoo and last week from Saquon Barkley. Against the Cowboys, the Carolina Panthers were able to eke out a win by being careful with the football, spreading the ball around (never letting the defense key on one player), and judiciously using Cam Newton's athleticism.The Giants' scheme is designed to spread the ball around carefully. But Eli Manning simply cannot do what Newton can athletically. To compensate, Shurmur and Shula will need to scheme ways to get the Giants playmakers the ball in space, and set them up to make plays. The team used a variety motions, including sweeps from Odell Beckham, to give the Jaguars more to watch and a threat for which they must account. Using those tactics, as well as using alignment to give receivers free releases off the line ofscrimmage, and putting playmakers in position will be key in this game. And every game for the foreseeable future. Red zone offenseThe Giants had one of the best red zone offenses in the NFL in 2017. They didn't get there often, but when they did, Engram proved to be a force. So far in 2018 the red zone offense has yet show up. The team struggled in the red zone in the preseason, and had to settle for field goals against the Jaguars. And while the Giants might need to to be a "big play" offense, they need to finish their drives.The Cowboys want to run a ball-control offense, and if the defense can't consistently get them off the field, it will severely limit how many offensive possessions the Giants will have -- making them that much more valuable. Likewise, the offense will need to score points to help out the defense. Landon Collins mentioned during the week that the defense felt it had the best chance to win if Dak Prescott was throwing the ball, rather than Ezekiel Elliott running it. Finishing drives with touchdowns puts pressure on the Cowboys offense to score, taking them out of their game plan.The Giants can't allow the game to devolve into the kind of slog which the first game became.