Saints at Giants: Highlights, score and recap

A look at the Saints at Giants matchup from Week 2 of the 2016 NFL schedule including highlights, score, and recap of their game on Sunday afternoon.

The Giants were able to edge the New Orleans 16-13 in East Rutherford for their Week 2 game of the 2016 NFL schedule. New York had just one touchdown thanks to their defense, but that defense is what ultimately won them this game. A blocked field goal attempt in the second quarter led to Janoris Jenkins returning the ball 65 yards for the only touchdown all day for his team.

Eli Manning continued to play very well in helping his team to a win. In this contest he threw for a whopping 368 yards on 32 of 41 completions. Rookie Sterling Shepard had a solid game with over 100 yards receiving, while Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham achieved 91, and 86, respectively.

Drew Brees finished with 263 yards on 29-for-44 passing and threw for a touchdown. The Saints were held to just 41 yards on the ground though, which helped New York grab their second-straight win of the season since the Giants’ running backs couldn’t get a whole lot going either.

The game had initially been predicted to be a shootout between Brees and Manning, but that was far from the case. Just 29 points were totaled and each team scored just one touchdown. It ultimately came down to Josh Brown in his return to the team kicking a game-winning field goal in the fourth. With the win, it now moves New York to 2-0 on their season and puts them atop the NFC East division.

Highlights

Three Stars

1. Eli Manning

The New York Giants quarterback has now guided his team to a 2-0 start, giving them the division lead. In a game between two of the star quarterbacks of the game today, Manning stepped up big, passing for 368 yards on 32-of-41 completed throws. He was sacked twice, but never picked off. While he never found the end zone, he was able to find Sterling Shephard, Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham on big plays to set up key scoring drives.

2. Josh Brown

In a game of few offensive stars, both teams received a good bit of scoring from their kickers. In his return to the team, Giants’ kicker Josh Brown was the leading scorer for the team. Brown had 10 points, connecting on three of his four field goal attempts in addition to an extra point. Without that final field goal, this game would have gone to an overtime session and could have possibly gone the other way.

3. Sterling Shephard

With Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz considered bonafide stars, the Giants appear to also have a third weapon. Rookie Sterling Shephard was the star receiver in today’s game, catching all eight of the passes Manning threw his way. Shepard finished with over 100 yards for the game with a long reception of 32 yards. Thanks to he, Beckham, and Cruz, New York was able to get down the field when it mattered most, even if it resulted in three points. However, the rookie finished the day with the best stats and may have been less defended by the Saints than the other two.

Next: Every NFL Team's Best Draft Pick Of All-Time

Odds

The Giants were 4-1/2 point favorites at many sportsbooks heading into this game.

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Next Week

The New York Giants host the Washington Redskins next Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. The New Orleans Saints will also play at home in Monday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons starting at 8:30 p.m. ET.