Five Takeaways: Falcons 24, Giants 20 [VIDEO]

1. Giants Have To Finish Better: Coach Tom Coughlin's message was clear, "The competitive nature and finish of the game has to be better." The Giants have held leads to start the fourth quarter in their first two games. Despite that they are 0-2. How do the Giants finish better? Mental mistakes, game management, and missed execution in key situations have all contributed to the big blue problem of closing out games.

2. The Playmaker Julio Jones: Julio Jones finished the first quarter with 6 receptions for 44 yards. Matt Ryan and his star wideout had the connection going early but the Giants secondary stiffened in the second quarter holding Julio Jones to only 2 catches for 7 yards. The rest of the story was much different for the Giants defenders as Jones returned strong in the second half, finishing the game with 13 key receptions for 135 yards. Coach Coughlin made note of one of the final plays in the game that setup the Falcons winning touchdown, "You know. The last play to Jones. Surprise. Surprise."

3. Giants Couldn't Force Turnovers: In his post game press conference Coach Coughlin was adamant that the inability to force turnovers hindered his team from winning, "We didn't get any turnovers and that was the difference in the game." The Giants did not record any sacks in their first game against the Cowboys and finished the day against Atlanta with only 2 sacks as a team.

4. The Dreaded 0-2 Start: It's often calculated that when a team starts the season 0-2  their chances of making the playoffs drops to 12%. This was the reality for the New York Giants the last two seasons starting 0-6 in 2013 and 0-2 in 2014. At the start of the 2015 NFL season the G-Men find themselves in that difficult 0-2 position once again.

5. Shane Vereen's versatility: When I talked to Justin Pugh in the off season he expressed the desire for the Giants to acquire a player with a skill set similar to that of a Reggie Bush. Luckily for him the G-Men added that type of player in Shane Vereen and he has made an impact on the field. Even after the loss to the Falcons, Coach Coughlin commended the back, "I thought Shane Vereen did very well and you see why he's here". This behind a game where Vereen kept some key drives alive with his ability to catch and run with the football. He finished the day with 8 receptions for 76 yards.