Giants coach Ben McAdoo's talk about being a "heavy-handed" team is empty words.

The Giants have attempted just 47 running plays, which is 13 fewer than any NFL team that has played three games. And it's not just the play-calling that contradicts McAdoo's hollow talk about being a physical team. The Giants also continue to rely on three-wide receiver sets despite the addition of a blocking tight end and a fullback this season.

The Giants used 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers) on 89 percent of their plays in Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Eagles, according to Pro Football Focus. That over-reliance is in line with their record-setting use of 11 personnel last season (90 percent). The league average for 11 personnel usage was 58 percent last season.

The Giants had shown more variety in their first two games, when they were in 11 personnel on roughly 75 percent of their snaps. But it was back to old trusty on Sunday, as the Giants ran a hurry-up passing attack.

Quarterback Eli Manning attempted 47 passes compared to just 17 runs. The Giants averaged just 2.9 yards per carry and were stuffed on fourth-and-goal from the 1-inch line late in the first half.

Fullback Shane Smith wasn't on the field for that fourth-and-goal play - or any others. Smith didn't play a single offensive snap on Sunday and he has logged just 12 snaps in the first three games.

General manager Jerry Reese touted Rhett Ellison as "one of the best blocking tight ends in the league" after handing the former Viking a four-year, $18 million contract this offseason. The Giants also hyped Ellison's untapped potential as a receiver. The sixth-year veteran has three catches for 30 yards and has played just 33.7 percent of the snaps through three games. Ellison was on the field for 20-of-69 snaps on Sunday.

Third tight end Jerell Adams didn't play an offensive snap on Sunday, while fourth tight end Matt LaCosse was a healthy scratch for the third straight game.

It was expected that slot receiver Sterling Shepard's playing time would decrease this season, but he has only missed one offensive snap in three games. Shepard's role was bigger in the first two games due to Odell Beckham Jr.'s ankle injury, but Shepard still led all receivers with 68 snaps on Sunday.

Brandon Marshall was close behind with 65 snaps, while Beckham played 55 snaps. The Giants kept Beckham on a bit of a pitch count and he missed a few plays after getting clotheslined on a deep pass that drew a pass interference penalty late in the fourth quarter.

Here are some additional takeaways from Sunday's snap counts:

*Linebacker Keenan Robinson had a heavy workload after missing the first two games due to a concussion. Playing in sub packages, Robinson logged 53 defensive snaps, which was second among linebackers behind Jonathan Casillas (68). Calvin Munson started at middle linebacker, but played just 25 defensive snaps after playing every snap last week.

The linebacking play was poor across the board, as the Eagles rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries.

*Cornerback Janoris Jenkins typically plays the entire game, but he was limited to 65-of-76 snaps on Sunday as the team managed the ankle injury that kept the All-Pro out of last week's game. The Giants rested Jenkins on an Eagles possession in the second quarter, but he entered immediately after replacement Ross Cockrell was burned deep for what would have been a touchdown if Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz hadn't over-thrown a wide-open Alshon Jeffery.

*Defensive end Olivier Vernon rarely comes off the field, but he was knocked out of Sunday's game with an ankle injury after 60 snaps. The Eagles appeared to target Vernon's spot with their rushing attack after he left the game. There is no word on the severity of Vernon's injury.

*Strong safety Landon Collins played every defensive snap for the 17th consecutive game. Collins has only missed five defensive snaps since the start of last season.

*Linebacker Curtis Grant led the way with 24 special teams snaps. Grant was promoted from the practice squad last week and he will likely maintain a big role in the kicking game at least until J.T. Thomas returns from a groin injury.

Offensive snap count totals (out of 69):

OL Ereck Flowers: 69

OL Brett Jones: 69

OL Weston Richburg: 69

OL John Jerry: 69

OL Justin Pugh: 69

QB Eli Manning: 69

WR Sterling Shepard: 68

WR Brandon Marshall: 65

TE Evan Engram: 57

WR Odell Beckham Jr.: 55

RB Paul Perkins: 34

TE Rhett Ellison: 20

RB Shane Vereen: 19

RB Orleans Darkwa: 16

WR Roger Lewis: 11

Defensive snap count totals (out of 76):

S Landon Collins: 76

S Darian Thompson: 74

CB Eli Apple: 74

DE Jason Pierre-Paul: 70

LB Jonathan Casillas: 68

CB Janoris Jenkins : 65

CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: 61

DE Olivier Vernon: 60

LB Keenan Robinson: 53

DT Dalvin Tomlinson: 45

DT Damon Harrison: 44

LB Devon Kennard 40

DT Robert Thomas: 25

LB Calvin Munson: 23

DT Jay Bromley: 21

DE Romeo Okwara: 15

DE Kerry Wynn: 9

CB Ross Cockrell: 9

S Andrew Adams: 4

Special teams snap count totals (out of 28):

LB Curtis Grant: 24

LB Calvin Munson: 19

WR Dwayne Harris: 18

S Nat Berhe: 18

S Andrew Adams: 18

DE Kerry Wynn: 15

LB Devon Kennard: 15

TE Rhett Ellison: 13

WR Roger Lewis: 12

S Landon Collins: 11

S Darian Thompson: 11

FB Shane Smith: 9

TE Evan Engram: 9

DT Dalvin Tomlinson: 9

K Aldrick Rosas: 9

RB Orleans Darkwa: 8

LS Zak DeOssie: 8

P Brad Wing: 8

DE Romeo Okwara: 7

DE Jason Pierre-Paul: 6

CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: 6

RB Shane Vereen: 5

CB Ross Cockrell: 5

TE Jerell Adams: 4

OL Ereck Flowers: 4

OL Brett Jones: 4

OL John Jerry: 4

OL D.J. Fluker: 4

OL Justin Pugh: 4

DT Robert Thomas: 4

CB Eli Apple: 4

CB Michael Hunter: 4

DT Damon Harrison: 3

DE Olivier Vernon: 3

WR Odell Beckham Jr.: 1

LB Keenan Robinson: 1

CB Janoris Jenkins: 1

Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.