A suffocating Carolina Panthers defense stopped Eli Manning and the Giants' offense before it could start, cruising to an easy 38-0 victory.
Giants vs. Panthers 2013 game recap: Defense swallows Eli Manning, Panthers win 38-0
The Panthers got the monkey off their back with a big win over the struggling Giants.
Streeter Lecka
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Manning passed for just 119 yards in the loss, unable to find receivers despite playing against a lackluster Panthers’ secondary. He was sacked a total of seven times and was pressured almost every passing down, which resulted in an offense that couldn’t make any plays. The loss was the worst of head coach Tom Coughlin’s career with the Giants.
The Panthers appeared to learn from their early-season mistakes. Offensive coordinator Mike Shula allowed Cam Newton to succeed and fail on the strength of his athletic ability, rather than ask asking him to be a perfect intermediate passer. As a result, Newton completed just over 55 percent of his passes. tossed three touchdowns and added a fourth on the ground.
Panthers head coach Ron Rivera bought himself some time with the big win, as there were reports prior to the game that another loss could’ve led to his firing.
Injury Report
Wide receiver Steve Smith left the game for a series in the first half with a hip injury, but the Panthers’ veteran returned to the game.
Fantasy studs and duds
Cam Newton was a fantasy stud with four total touchdowns and 268 all-purpose yards,
Victor Cruz was the fantasy dud on Sunday, as the normally reliable receiver finished with just 25 yards.
Did they cover?
The New York Giants were 1.5-point favorites, according to OddsShark. They lost outright by a huge margin.
What’s next?
Sunday, Sept. 9/29, 1 p.m. ET: New York vs. Kansas City
The Panthers are on a bye.
More from SB Nation NFL:
See More:
