CHARLOTTE, NC -- The New York Giants gave the Carolina Panthers a lesson in big-boy football on Thursday night at Bank of America Stadium by waxing the home team 36-7.
New York seemingly did whatever it wanted offensively. Eli Manning was exceptionally effective and the ground game gave the team life and balance. The Panthers struggled in every facet of the game and are left wondering what happened to that good vibe that followed last Sunday's win over New Orleans.
Here's a quick look at how the teams performed in New York's second win in three tries and Carolina's second loss in three outings:
Giants offense: At times it appeared as if Eli Manning was playing 7-on7 because so many pass plays came with alarming ease. He didn't have to throw long because the mid-range and short stuff were always available, and the Giants' new-found ground attack was let with little resistance by Carolina's front seven. Manning completed 27 of 35 pass attempts for 288 yards and a touchdown. Former N.C. State tailback Andre Brown returned home and ran 20 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, New York amassed 405 total yards. Grade: A+.
Panthers offense: Carolina just couldn't sustain anything nor could it hit on any big plays. Cam Newton was just 16-for-30 for 242 yards and was picked off three times. The Panthers ran the ball 20 times for only 60 yards. The offensive line struggled all night with the Giants' pass rush, as their quickness off the ball created too many mismatches. Grade: F.
Giants defense: The defensive front was awesome pressuring Newton much of the night and the linebackers didn't really let the Panthers bust any long runs, which is generally their norm. The secondary covered well, picked off three passes, and overall this was a more impressive performance than either of the Giants' first two games. Grade: A.
Panthers defense: What defense? Seriously, the Panthers really didn't play any defense. They got to Manning once early but didn't get near him until the game was out of reach. It looked almost as if they were in a prevent defense much of the night the cushion for New York's receivers were so large, and the front line allowed a tailback with 71 career NFL yards entering the game to run for 113 on the night. Grade: F.
Giants intangibles: The Giants didn't exactly play like they had a game just four days ago and had to travel. This was a professional victory in every sense of the word for Tom Coughlin's Giants. They were excellent on offense, defense, special teams, and he was even able to get Manning out of the game for the second half of the final quarter. Grade: A+.
Panthers intangibles: Ron Rivera's young team just wasn't up t the stage and the test of having the Super Bowl champs in town. Carolina didn't appear well prepared, the team's body language was poor after the Giants had some early success, and the team seemed to never have a spark other than during pre-game introductions. Grade: F.
