Are the Giants for real? The Giants have won yet again as they have knocked off the Green Bay Packers 27-22 in London to improve to 4-1 and keep up pace for the division lead in the NFC East.
So, are the Giants actually going to make the playoffs this season? Call me crazy but I really think they are going to if they continue to beat teams that they normally would have lost to in the past. You know, teams like the Green Bay Packers.
Okay, I get that an obvious take, but its honestly something the Giants haven’t been able to do ever since they lost in the Wild Card round in the 2016 season. In the past five season, the Giants haven’t had a winning record AT ALL in any of the weeks of the season. So, in other words, the Giants have not even started out with a 1-0 winning record or any other variation of a winning record in the 81 games between 2017-22.
That’s crazy.
Yet, under new HC Brain Daboll, the Giants have been one of the best teams in the NFL. In fact, if it wasn’t for the Philadelphia Eagles’ amazing undefeated start, the Giants would be tied for the best team in the NFC right now. And this win over the Packers proves it.
Though, they didn’t get off to the greatest of starts as Aaron Rodgers light up their pass defense all throughout that first half. On the four drives the Packers had in the half, Rodgers led them to a score (2 TDs, 2 FGs,) each time. With him finishing the game with 25/39, 222 yards, and 2 TDs, I would have bet a lot of money that the Packers would run away with the game coming out of halftime.
But, to my shock, the Giants defense did the unthinkable: they shut out Aaron Rodgers for the remainder of the game.
Sacking Rodgers 2 times, hitting him another 6 times, and breaking up 6 of his passes, the New York Giants defense stifled Aaron Rodgers and his receiving core, not giving them even an inch to work with. If a Packers receiver wanted to rush for yards after the catch, he would have had to shed 2-3 Giants defenders.
They were all over the Packers in the second half.
Actually, the only points Green Bay scored was an intentional safety the Giants punter took in order to kill a few seconds off the clock at the end of the game. So, they really were fully shut out in a sense.
Anyway, I have to give credit to two members of the Giants’ offense for this incredible win: Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley.
The much-maligned QB may be one of the worst passers of the football in the NFL, while he’s also probably going to be replaced next season, but he’s nothing if not resilient. And tough as iron.
Coming into this game with an injured ankle, Jones put aside caution and his pain as he ran the ball for tough, difficult yards. The Packers defense had a tremendously difficult time stopping the 6’4” quarterback as he rushed for 10 times against the defense, picking up a respectable 37 yards for his efforts.
Like I said, these weren’t yards that he got by running out of bounds with no one around him. No, he ran into the Packers linebackers and defensive backs on each rush.
Nonetheless, Jones’ efforts would have been for naught if it wasn’t for the resurgence of Saquon Barkley. Simply put, when Saquon Barkley is healthy, he’s one of the very best running backs in the NFL. Rushing 13 times for 70 yards and 1 TD, Barkley took the Giants offense onto his shoulders and pounded them to victory.
Green Bay’s defense had no answers for stopping Barkley, and especially not Darnell Savage Jr. In what had to be the most distrustful juke of the season thus far, Saquon Barkley sent Savage Jr. back to Maryland as he left the Packers safety in the dirt on the eventual game-winning TD drive. It’s too bad that Barkey’s made of glass because he probably the most exciting running back to watch on his day when healthy.
Still, with the Giants winning 27-22 with just 7 seconds left in the game, and the ball in Aaron Rodgers hands on the 40-yard line of Green Bay, all Giants fans must have had their hearts in their mouths as shades of the 2016 ‘Hail Mary’ throw by Rodgers in the 2016 Wild Card Game must have crept into their thoughts.
Thankfully, for Giants fans, the defense redeemed the 2016 team as they not only stopped the ‘Hail Mary’ attempt, but also nailed and stripped sacked Aaron Rodgers on the play to win the game 27-22.
After so many years of just stinking, it’s good to see the Giants contend as one of the best teams in the NFC. As of now, they’re tied with 4 wins with the division leading Eagles, but that loss to Dallas two weeks ago is what’s keeping them in second place in the NFC East.
As for the Packers, this kind of loss should be slightly concerning. Getting shut out in the second half (yes, that safety doesn’t count) must really be a worrying sign about the potency of this offense without a bonified #1 WR. If the Packers hierarchy is smart, they should get on the phone and ring up OBJ right now.
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