New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Rams: 2014 Week 16 Recap

Game story

In Week 16 of the 2014 NFL season on 2014-12-21, the New York Giants took care of business against the Los Angeles Rams, pulling away with a 37–27 final that built a comfortable lead.

The highest-scoring period was Q3 with 21 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.

S. Hill (Los Angeles Rams) paced the passing game, with +5.42 total EPA, and +7.2% completion percentage over expected.

On the individual side, E. Manning (New York Giants) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +24.78 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.

The momentum swing (+16.8% win probability) landed in the third quarter when New York Giants changed the game: (:55) (Shotgun) 10-E.Manning pass deep middle to 13-O.Beckham for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.

1. 1 E. Manning · New York Giants · Passing · +24.78 total EPA · 35 snaps · +0.71 EPA/play
2. 2 R. Randle · New York Giants · Receiving · +14.38 total EPA · 6 snaps · +2.40 EPA/play
3. 3 O. Beckham · New York Giants · Receiving · +9.02 total EPA · 12 snaps · +0.75 EPA/play
4. 4 S. Hill · Los Angeles Rams · Passing · +5.42 total EPA · 39 snaps · +0.14 EPA/play
5. 5 K. Britt · Los Angeles Rams · Receiving · +4.99 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.45 EPA/play
6. 6 C. Givens · Los Angeles Rams · Receiving · +4.16 total EPA · 1 snaps · +4.16 EPA/play
7. 7 L. Kendricks · Los Angeles Rams · Receiving · +3.82 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.91 EPA/play
8. 8 L. Donnell · New York Giants · Receiving · +1.92 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.38 EPA/play

Player of the game

FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

• New York Giants — O. Beckham (E. Manning pass) (Q1 53:28)
• New York Giants — O. Darkwa (Q2 34:55)
• Los Angeles Rams — T. Mason (Q2 32:25)
• New York Giants — R. Randle (E. Manning pass) (Q3 22:35)
• Los Angeles Rams — L. Kendricks (S. Hill pass) (Q3 16:51)
• New York Giants — O. Beckham (E. Manning pass) (Q3 15:55)
• Los Angeles Rams — C. Givens (S. Hill pass) (Q4 4:00)

Field goals

• New York Giants — J. Brown (Q1 55:44)
• Los Angeles Rams — G. Zuerlein (Q1 49:58)
• New York Giants — J. Brown (Q2 42:44)
• Los Angeles Rams — G. Zuerlein (Q2 30:04)
• New York Giants — J. Brown (Q4 8:34)

How it unfolded, quarter by quarter

A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.

The opening quarter: New York Giants won the period 10–3. New York Giants connected on a field goal from the LA 11 (Q1 55:44) — (10:44) 3-J.Brown 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.; New York Giants found the end zone from the LA 9 (Q1 53:28); New York Giants added 1 points from the LA 2 (Q1 53:24) — 3-J.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.; Los Angeles Rams connected on a field goal from the NYG 33 (Q1 49:58) — (4:58) 4-G.Zuerlein 51 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker..

The second quarter: The quarter finished even at 10–10. New York Giants connected on a field goal from the LA 19 (Q2 42:44) — (12:44) 3-J.Brown 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.; New York Giants found the end zone from the LA 12 (Q2 34:55) — (4:55) (Shotgun) 43-O.Darkwa left tackle for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New York Giants added 1 points from the LA 2 (Q2 34:49) — 3-J.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.; Los Angeles Rams found the end zone from the NYG 10 (Q2 32:25) — (2:25) 27-T.Mason left end for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN. PENALTY on NYG-26-A.Rolle, Face Mask (15 Yards), 15 yards, enforced between downs.; Los Angeles Rams added 1 points from the NYG 2 (Q2 32:18) — 4-G.Zuerlein extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker.; Los Angeles Rams connected on a field goal from the NYG 2 (Q2 30:04) — (:04) 4-G.Zuerlein 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker..

The third quarter: New York Giants won the period 14–7. New York Giants found the end zone from the LA 7 (Q3 22:35) — (7:35) (Shotgun) 10-E.Manning pass short right to 82-R.Randle for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New York Giants added 1 points from the LA 2 (Q3 22:29) — 3-J.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.; Los Angeles Rams found the end zone from the NYG 23 (Q3 16:51) — (1:51) 14-S.Hill pass deep left to 88-L.Kendricks for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Los Angeles Rams added 1 points from the NYG 2 (Q3 16:44) — 4-G.Zuerlein extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker.; New York Giants found the end zone from the LA 80 (Q3 15:55) — (:55) (Shotgun) 10-E.Manning pass deep middle to 13-O.Beckham for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New York Giants added 1 points from the LA 2 (Q3 15:45) — 3-J.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford..

The fourth quarter: Los Angeles Rams won the period 7–3. New York Giants connected on a field goal from the LA 34 (Q4 8:34) — (8:34) 3-J.Brown 52 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.; Los Angeles Rams found the end zone from the NYG 47 (Q4 4:00) — (4:00) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 14-S.Hill pass deep right to 13-C.Givens for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Los Angeles Rams added 1 points from the NYG 2 (Q4 3:56) — 4-G.Zuerlein extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.

• New York Giants (Q3 15:55) — (:55) (Shotgun) 10-E.Manning pass deep middle to 13-O.Beckham for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +16.8% · EPA +7.70]
• New York Giants (Q1 58:15) — (13:15) (No Huddle) 10-E.Manning pass deep middle to 82-R.Randle to LA 18 for 49 yards (23-R.McLeod). [WPA +14.6% · EPA +4.14]
• Los Angeles Rams (Q1 55:41) — 3-J.Brown kicks 67 yards from NYG 35 to LA -2. 36-B.Cunningham to LA 19 for 21 yards (43-O.Darkwa). FUMBLES (43-O.Darkwa), touched at LA 20, RECOVERED by NYG-34-N.Berhe at LA 21. 34-N.Berhe to LA 21 f [WPA -14.4% · EPA -5.90]
• Los Angeles Rams (Q1 46:05) — (1:05) 14-S.Hill pass short right intended for 11-T.Austin INTERCEPTED by 72-K.Wynn at NYG 37. 72-K.Wynn to NYG 44 for 7 yards (81-K.Britt). Ball Tipped by intended receiver #11 T.Austin. [WPA -14.2% · EPA -6.02]
• New York Giants (Q1 54:32) — (9:32) (Shotgun) 10-E.Manning pass deep right to 82-R.Randle to LA 11 for 16 yards (22-T.Johnson). [WPA +8.6% · EPA +2.36]

Impact plays

Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.

• New York Giants (Q3 15:55) — (:55) (Shotgun) 10-E.Manning pass deep middle to 13-O.Beckham for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +16.8% · EPA +7.70]
• Los Angeles Rams (Q1 46:05) — (1:05) 14-S.Hill pass short right intended for 11-T.Austin INTERCEPTED by 72-K.Wynn at NYG 37. 72-K.Wynn to NYG 44 for 7 yards (81-K.Britt). Ball Tipped by intended receiver #11 T.Austin. [WPA -14.2% · EPA -6.02]
• Los Angeles Rams (Q1 55:41) — 3-J.Brown kicks 67 yards from NYG 35 to LA -2. 36-B.Cunningham to LA 19 for 21 yards (43-O.Darkwa). FUMBLES (43-O.Darkwa), touched at LA 20, RECOVERED by NYG-34-N.Berhe at LA 21. 34-N.Berhe to LA 21 f [WPA -14.4% · EPA -5.90]
• Los Angeles Rams (Q4 2:00) — (2:00) (Shotgun) 14-S.Hill Aborted. 63-S.Wells FUMBLES at LA 21, RECOVERED by NYG-72-K.Wynn at LA 12. 72-K.Wynn to LA 12 for no gain (72-J.Barksdale). [WPA -1.2% · EPA -5.14]

Quarterback report card

S.Hill led all passers in efficiency for Los Angeles Rams, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

• S.Hill (Los Angeles Rams) · 39 dropbacks · 61.5% completion · +7.2% CPOE · +0.14 EPA/play · +5.42 total EPA
• E.Manning (New York Giants) · 35 dropbacks · 71.4% completion · +14.6% CPOE · +0.71 EPA/play · +24.78 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.

By the numbers

Despite the final score, New York Giants generated the better offensive EPA per play (+0.16 vs -0.03), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.

• Los Angeles Rams: 12 drives, -2.60 total EPA, 5 scoring drives
• New York Giants: 12 drives, +14.39 total EPA, 7 scoring drives

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.

• New York Giants leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
• E. Manning (New York Giants) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
• S. Hill (LA) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
• E. Manning (NYG) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.

Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.

1. New York Giants FG (+3) — Q1 55:44 · LA 11 · Score 3-0
   (10:44) 3-J.Brown 29 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.
2. New York Giants TD (+6) — Q1 53:28 · LA 9 · Score 9-0
   (8:28) (No Huddle) 10-E.Manning pass short right to 13-O.Beckham for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN. PENALTY on NYG-13-O.Beckham, Taunting, 15 yards, enforced between downs
3. New York Giants XP (+1) — Q1 53:24 · LA 2 · Score 10-0
   3-J.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.
4. Los Angeles Rams FG (+3) — Q1 49:58 · NYG 33 · Score 10-3
   (4:58) 4-G.Zuerlein 51 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker.
5. New York Giants FG (+3) — Q2 42:44 · LA 19 · Score 13-3
   (12:44) 3-J.Brown 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.
6. New York Giants TD (+6) — Q2 34:55 · LA 12 · Score 19-3
   (4:55) (Shotgun) 43-O.Darkwa left tackle for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
7. New York Giants XP (+1) — Q2 34:49 · LA 2 · Score 20-3
   3-J.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.
8. Los Angeles Rams TD (+6) — Q2 32:25 · NYG 10 · Score 20-9
   (2:25) 27-T.Mason left end for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN. PENALTY on NYG-26-A.Rolle, Face Mask (15 Yards), 15 yards, enforced between downs.
9. Los Angeles Rams XP (+1) — Q2 32:18 · NYG 2 · Score 20-10
   4-G.Zuerlein extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker.
10. Los Angeles Rams FG (+3) — Q2 30:04 · NYG 2 · Score 20-13
    (:04) 4-G.Zuerlein 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker.
11. New York Giants TD (+6) — Q3 22:35 · LA 7 · Score 26-13
    (7:35) (Shotgun) 10-E.Manning pass short right to 82-R.Randle for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
12. New York Giants XP (+1) — Q3 22:29 · LA 2 · Score 27-13
    3-J.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.
13. Los Angeles Rams TD (+6) — Q3 16:51 · NYG 23 · Score 27-19
    (1:51) 14-S.Hill pass deep left to 88-L.Kendricks for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
14. Los Angeles Rams XP (+1) — Q3 16:44 · NYG 2 · Score 27-20
    4-G.Zuerlein extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker.
15. New York Giants TD (+6) — Q3 15:55 · LA 80 · Score 33-20
    (:55) (Shotgun) 10-E.Manning pass deep middle to 13-O.Beckham for 80 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
16. New York Giants XP (+1) — Q3 15:45 · LA 2 · Score 34-20
    3-J.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.
17. New York Giants FG (+3) — Q4 8:34 · LA 34 · Score 37-20
    (8:34) 3-J.Brown 52 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-51-Z.DeOssie, Holder-5-S.Weatherford.
18. Los Angeles Rams TD (+6) — Q4 4:00 · NYG 47 · Score 37-26
    (4:00) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 14-S.Hill pass deep right to 13-C.Givens for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
19. Los Angeles Rams XP (+1) — Q4 3:56 · NYG 2 · Score 37-27
    4-G.Zuerlein extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.McQuaide, Holder-6-J.Hekker.