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Two NFC East teams hit the field on Thursday Night Football last night, as the New York Giants (1-2) and the Washington Redskins (1-2) both were in search of their second win of the season and trying to even things out at .500 after four weeks. In the end, it was the Giants who made it happen, as they turned a relatively close game into a 45-14 blowout.
There’s more to learn than just the score here, though, so let’s break down the key happenings from last night’s NFL contest:
Robert Griffin III’s Job Might Be Safe
There’s no denying Kirk Cousins’ solid play in week two or week three, but last night’s debacle might slow down those “replace RG3 with Cousins” chants. Cousins regressed mightily in prime time, as he turned the ball over an insane five times (four interceptions). He stared down his targets and made poor decision after poor decision. If he has even one more game remotely like this, it will be beyond an easy call to hand RG3 his starting gig back when he returns from a dislocated ankle.
Eli Manning Looks Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good
Week one was brutal and week two still showed a bit of a learning curve, but it looks like Manning and the rest of the Giants are finally understanding their new offense. Manning has now looked better than sharp in three straight games, and the rest of his team has followed suit the past two weeks. With five total touchdowns last night (one rushing), it looks like Manning is well on his way to exercising the demons of a lost 2013 season.
Larry Donnell is…Wait For it…Amazing?
Donnell had a touchdown and a litany of targets/receptions through the first three weeks, but it was kind of hard to take him seriously. Not anymore. Big Blue’s starting tight end officially made his presence known in last night’s prime time affair, as he secured seven of eight targets for a whopping three scores. Donnell isn’t overly athletic or explosive, but he’s a massive target who has proven to run clean routes and catch anything thrown in his direction. That’s enough to write him down as a quality option for Eli Manning going forward.
