What we learned ...
Mark Sanchez has some escapability: In the second quarter, Sanchez showed why Jets coach Rex Ryan has put his faith in the relatively inexperienced rookie QB. Facing a Giants blitz, Sanchez scrambled out of the pocket and, with three defenders bearing down on him, kept his eyes downfield and connected on a 31-yard pass to WR Chansi Stuckey, who made a few nifty moves inside the 5 to get into the end zone. Sanchez finished 13 of 20 for 149 yards and one touchdown in two and a half quarters of work.
Eli Manning misses Plaxico Burress: Overthrowing Burress was nearly impossible, given his height and speed. And without Burress, Manning struggled with the long ball against the Jets. Manning overthrew TE Kevin Boss in the end zone in the first quarter, Domenik Hixon -- who had CB Darrelle Revis beat by a step on a post pattern -- in the second quarter and a wide-open Mario Manningham in the third. When Manning did make good throws, his receivers struggled to hold on to the ball. Manning put the ball right on the numbers for Steve Smith -- who beat CB Lito Sheppard on a post pattern -- only to have Smith drop it. On another play, Manning hit Hixon on the hands, only to have the ball pop into the arms of Jets LB David Harris. In just more than two quarters of work, Manning finished 9 of 21 for 91 yards and one touchdown with one interception.
Nicks shines with second team: One bright side for the Giants' offense was the play of rookie WR Hakeem Nicks. Playing mostly in the second half, Nicks caught two touchdown passes from David Carr on consecutive drives in the fourth quarter, including a 71-yard catch-and-run that brought the Giants within two points. The subsequent two-point conversion failed, and the Giants lost, but Nicks ended his day with six catches for 144 yards.
Lito Sheppard might have lost a step: Some questioned how the Eagles could let Sheppard go to the Jets in the offseason, but against a familiar opponent in the Giants, the eight-year veteran looked overmatched at times. Sheppard was called for two pass-interference penalties in the first half and was beaten by Giants WR Steve Smith in the first quarter. Luckily for Sheppard, Smith dropped the pass.
