EAST RUTHERFORD >> The Giants’ starters played the game of inches Saturday night.
Because of shaky offensive line play, Big Blue’s offense was moving in small increments during the MetLife Bowl against the Jets, eventually resulting in a 28-18 loss.
Eli Manning and the starters played the whole first half and the line gave the quarterback next to no time to throw, which was reflected by Manning averaging just 5.7 yards per passing attempt. Only two of his throws went for more than 10 yards, with one being a 19-yard screen pass to running back Shane Vereen where the ex-Patriot did most of the work after the catch and a 12-yard throw to James Jones that came in the final seconds of the first half.
John Jerry got the start at right guard, but was pulled for Geoff Schwartz after the Giants first two series. Council Rock South product Justin Pugh was penalized twice as he struggled with the Jets’ Muhammad Wilkerson, and as a group, the line gave up two sacks.
“Those were unexcusable,” Pugh said. “The hands to the face and the false start were just a lack of focus on my part and I have to lock that in.”
On the ground, things weren’t much better, with Vereen, Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams collectively averaging 2.6 yards-per-carry on 13 attempts. Jennings was the most successful of the bunch, going 28 yards on nine carries and getting the starters’ lone touchdown with a one-yard dive at the goal line in the second quarter.
That scoring drive was aided by Vereen’s aforementioned 19-yard grab and two penalties from Jets linebacker Demario Davis. Vereen only had three carries for nine yards, but was effective on passing downs, catching all three of the balls thrown his way for 30 yards and helping out in pass protection.
Part of the Giants’ inconsistency was attributed to backup center Dallas Reynolds starting in place of Weston Richburg, who was out with a knee injury.
The line had not fully adjusted to Reynolds.
“We have to get everyone healthy, getting Weston back out there will be good because everything starts from the center,” Pugh said. “It’s just different, we’re running against a 3-4 team for the first time and we’re making those calls and everyone has to be on the same page. Dallas is a great player, there wasn’t a drop off, we just weren’t used to playing next to each other.”
Going back to Manning, except for one pass, he fared pretty with the limited time he had to work, going 12-for-16 for 90 yards.
Odell Beckham Jr. had his first receptions of the preseason, catching five balls for 31 yards.
“It’s still preseason, none of those catches count for anything really, but it’s great to be able to come out, run routes, get open in the game and catch passes,” Beckham said. “There’s so much we have to improve on that it’s kind of irrelevant.”
Manning had one interception that would have been costly in a real contest. In the final seconds of the first half, Jets corner Antonio Cromartie easily read that Manning was going to throw to Jones, so he muscled his way in front of the former Oakland Raider for a 59-yard pick six.
Ryan Fitzpatrick had the “Fitzmagic” going for him, completing 9-of-14 for 127 yards with no sacks or turnovers.
On the game’s opening drive, Fitzpatrick floated a pass to Eric Decker in the back of the end zone for an 18-yard TD pass.
Inside the final three minutes of the half, the Giants left Zac Stacy wide open for a screen pass that he took 24 yards nearly untouched for a touchdown, leaping over corner Brandon Meriweather at the goal line.
Decker and Brandon Marshall were the only Jets receivers to catch more than one pass, with each catching three balls for 52 and 33 yards, respectively.
Chris Ivory was the best among the Jets backs, taking six carries for 38 yards, with his longest run going for 16 yards.
The starters for both teams did not return after halftime, and on the opening drive of the second half, backup QB Ryan Nassib led the Giants into field goal range, where John Brown nailed a 48-yarder.
Throughout the first half, the Jets experimented with Decker as a punt returner, but he muffed two of his three return attempts. Meanwhile, Walter Powell showed he was the superior returner, taking his first return 54 yards to the end zone.
Nassib led a 10-play, 80-yard drive in the fourth quarter that the Syracuse product capped with a six-yard TD pass to tight end Jerome Cunningham and completed the two-point conversion with a pass to Julian Talley.
He went 11-for-18 for 122 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt with a touchdown and no interceptions, while also picking up 30 yards on the ground.
***Wide receiver Victor Cruz (calf), linebacker Jon Beason (knee), safety Bennett Jackson (knee), safety Nat Berhe (calf), corner Chykie Brown (knee), corner Chandler Fenner (hamstring), linebacker Jonathan Casillas (neck), tackle Will Beatty (PUP, pectoral), center Weston Richburg (knee) guard Brandon Mosley (back), defensive end George Selvie (knee) and linebacker Mark Herzlich (concussion) were all inactive for the Giants.
Tight end Jace Amaro, tackle Ben Ijalana, wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, running back Daryl Richardson, wide receiver Devin Smith, linebacker Erin Henderson, linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin, corner Dee Milliner, corner Dashaun Phillips, defensive end Kevin Vickerson, running back Stevan Ridley and quarterback Geno Smith did not play Saturday night… Defensive end Leonard Williams was questionable after suffering a knee injury… After Stacy’s touchdown in the second quarter, Nick Folk pushed the PAT-attempt wide right. Stacy rushed in for two points after Cromartie’s pick-six.
