#Giants report card: Still room for improvement

Grading the Giants after their 17-12 win over the Seahawks on Sunday.

Offense

Here’s to Colt McCoy. Usually cannot win with these stats — 13 of 22 for 105 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT — but he showed his veteran moxie and was much better after a shaky first half. He could not have done it without leaning on Wayne Gallman (16-135) and Alfred Morris (8-39). Morris ran for a TD and got his first NFL TD reception. Gallman is showing up big-time — his 60-yard burst energized his team. And the line is coming together wonderfully. There is something intrinsically wrong with Evan Engram (4-32) when it comes to hauling in passes he has to extend for and not exactly where he expects the ball to be. A deflection gave the Seahawks a gift interception and cost the Giants points. He did make a key grab in the fourth quarter, though. RB Dion Lewis got torched on a Jamal Adams blitz for a sack.

Grade: B-

Defense

What can you say? Guys like Carter Coughlin, Tae Crowder, Cam Brown, Darnay Holmes and the irrepressible Niko Lalos — rookies, all — are getting it done. Crowder got his first NFL sack, dropping Russell Wilson for an 11-yard loss in the first quarter. Jabrill Peppers, a menace all day, covered TE Jacob Hollister in the end zone in the first quarter and blitzed up the middle and blew up RB Chris Carson for a sack on the first play of the second quarter. Leonard Williams had 2.5 sacks (and five QB hits) and is a beast — how about that? Brown set the edge and dropped Carson for no gain in the third quarter. Coughlin’s speed is noticeable. James Bradberry prevented DK Metcalf (5-80) from wrecking the game — the longest gain was only 21 yards. Lalos had a fumble recovery. Wilson (27 of 43, 263 yards) was intercepted by Holmes off a deflection, was sacked five times and at times confused by what was going on around him. Wilson rushed for 45 yards but none were of the killer variety.

Grade: A

Special Teams

Lousy for the second consecutive week. Blocked punt late in the first half was unacceptable and Giants got lucky it was only a safety after Seahawks failed to control the ball in the end zone. On the next play, Riley Dixon’s free kick was returned 32 yards by D.J. Reed in a complete breakdown. In the third quarter, there was a false start on Levine Toilolo on the punt team. Dixon dropped a 41-yard put down on the Seattle 8-yard line late in the second quarter but had a bad touchback late in the game. Even Graham Gano caught the bug, missing his first extra point of the season. Gano did hit a 48-yard field goal, his 25th consecutive make.

Grade: D

Coaching

Kudos to Joe Judge for taking his team across the country with a backup quarterback and never once sounding or acting as if the Giants would not win. Judge showed immense confidence in McCoy and that rubbed off on his team. Patrick Graham is a wizard. His schemes confused Wilson and the back end of the defense is putting it together incredibly well. Jason Garrett called a smart offensive game. He leaned heavily on the run and eventually it paid off. He also allowed McCoy to take a few shots down the field in order to loosen up the Seattle defense. Only snafu is the regressing special teams.

Grade: A-