The New York Giants are an unbeaten team in the NFL.
As Giants fans enjoy and rejoice in Sunday’s 19-16 win over the Carolina Panthers, all involved know that improvements and work must be done. Still the team is what the record says it is, 2-0.
The Giants Defense was solid throughout the game only letting up one touchdown and giving Panthers QB Baker Mayfield fits and struggles all day. Mayfield finished up 12/26 for 145 yards with one touchdown and sacked twice for a total loss of 16 yards.
The game was secured with a sack on Mayfield by Julian Love with under three minutes left in the fourth. With a fourth and long, Carolina was forced to punt and the Giants offense ran down the clock which led to Big Blue’s victory.
We have officially gone three paragraphs in discussing a Giants win without discussing Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. Very odd right?
The offense had struggled right from the start of the game after special teams recovered a fumble off the opening kick off. Instead of having the offense punch in a touchdown the team settled for three.
Jones did not have a terrible day, but certainly not a banner one either. Daniel finished 22/34 with 174 yards and one touchdown pass while being sacked three times for a loss of 14 yards.
While the numbers were not terrible, you hope for more out of your QB. To Jones’s credit he stayed poise and was able to help seal the deal with multiple runs for first downs through the game on Sunday.
In his postgame news conference, Head Coach Brian Daboll discussed Daniel’s play and gave him credit for doing the right things.
“I thought he played a good game” said Daboll. “I thought he made great decisions with the football in his hands. He took care of it; he led the team down again to finish off a drive to win the game. So, that’s two good weeks I’d say for Daniel. Made the right decision, took care of the ball when there was pressure on him, threw it away if he needed to throw it away, and then took off on that last naked there to get the first down. He could have done a lot of different things, and he made the right decision under pressure in a critical situation. And he’s taken steps, and I’m happy for him.”
Saquon Barkely struggled compared to the win against the Titans last week as Barkley finished with 21 carries for only 72 yards.
After the game when asked about being 2-0, Coach Daboll said the team is happy not comfortable with their early success as being.
“I don’t think you ever get comfortable whether I was an assistant or a coordinator” Said Daboll. “This game will humble you really quick. There’s one week you can be on top of the mountain, and the next you fall right off. And what I just stress to the players and to the staff is, ‘Let’s just take it one day at a time. Let’s take it for what it’s worth.’ I told them in the locker room, ‘If we lost this game, I can live with it because I know what we’re doing during the week is the right thing.’ I think there’s a sound plan.”
Injury update:
Leonard Williams, the Giants’ best defensive lineman, hurt a knee in the third quarter and left the game. … New York had four starters out: OLBs Kayvon Thibodeaux (knee) and Azeez Ojulari (calf), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee) and CB Aaron Robinson (appendicitis).
Up Next:
The Giants play their second game in a three-game homestand when they face the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, Sept. 26.
We will have more on this with exclusive interviews on tomorrow’s Big Blue Report Podcast!!
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