It was a sloppy game, but the Giants will gladly take the final result. Big Blue picked up their sixth win of the season and their fourth win in a row.
File this one under “a win is a win” and enjoy a happy team flight back home. That’s what the Giants should do after stacking another one in the win column. The four game winning-streak is the team’s longest since 2020. Now, at 6-1, the G-Men have their best record through seven games since 2008.
Cornerback Fabian Moreau, along with safeties Julian Love and Xavier McKinney, stopped Jacksonville receiver Christian Kirk at the 1-yard line with no time on the clock, preserving a 23-17 victory over the Jaguars.
Yes, we’re in a strange times right now. Here are my key takeaways from Sunday’s victory in Jacksonville…
Daniel Jones — Keep doing what you’re doing
Playing winning football is what Jones is doing. The starting quarterback of the New York Football Giants deserves every ounce of good press he’s getting these days. Week by week, we’re seeing more growth in his game. This week against Jacksonville was more of the same.
On the go-ahead drive, Jones had 35 yards rushing. He capped off the drive with a 1-yard plunge into the end zone with 5:31 remaining.
In key spots where the Giants needed to move the chains, Jones delivered with his legs. He set career highs with 11 rushing attempts and 107 yards. This has developed into a strength for Jones which opponents must begin doing better at scheming against. Until that happens, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
Committing to the run game — good things happen
Heading into this game, the Jaguars defense ranked third in the league against the run. Allowing just 3.6 yards a carry, Jacksonville had allowed just one 100-yard rusher in six games (Philadelphia’s Mile Sanders).
After a tough first half moving the football, the Giants opted to instead double-down on their commitment to the ground attack. The final result was the Giants out-rushing Jacksonville, 236-142.
Saquon Barkley finished with 110 yards on 24 carries, giving the Giants two 100-yard rushers for the first time since Brandon Jacobs (116) and Ahmad Bradshaw (103) accomplished the feat against Minnesota in 2010.
“I found a way to get on fire a little bit closer to ending of the game,” said Barkley, who had 18 yards at halftime. “I’ve got to do a better job of starting off faster.”
Jones and Barkley wore down the Jaguars with the run game in the second half, specifically the fourth quarter. The dynamic duel became the first QB-RB tandem in Giants history to rush for over 100 yards each in one game. It’s also just the third time in Giants history any tandem rushed for over 100 yards each.
The Giants are doing a great job this season of playing to their strengths. Everyone knows they’re suspect at wide receiver right now, hopefully that begins to change over the next couple of weeks as inactive players get healthy. Additionally, Darius Slayton and rookie Wan’ Dale Robinson are providing a much-needed lift to the passing game. Meanwhile, Barkley and Jones are the meat and potatoes of this Big-Blue offense.
The defense was stout when needed most
Give the defense credit for not breaking, despite a great deal of bending.
The Jaguars gashed the Giants all day for chunks of yardage. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 310 yards, completing 22 of 43 pass attempts. On the ground, Jacksonville rushed for 142 yards, with Travis Etienne Jr. running for 114 of them.
Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will have plenty to look at on film this week for corrections. However, there’s no overlooking the heart this defense played with on Sunday to make the winning plays.
There of course was Moreau, McKinney, and Love teaming to make the game-winning stop, standing up Kirk on the one-yard line. There were, however, a handful of key stops by the defense which led up to the final seconds where this game was won.
Jaylon Smith had a key stop in the fourth quarter on a fourth-and-one quarterback sneak by Trevor Lawrence. From there, Jones and the offense was then able to go 79 yards down the field for the go-ahead score.
With the Jaguars driving again, it was Adoree Jackson — on 3rd and five — breaking up a pass intended for former Giants tight end Evan Engram. The offense would capitalize and help the Giants put three more points on the scoreboard with a field goal.
Late in the first half, the Jags were again deep in Giants territory, but McKinney forced a fumble by Etienne that bounced into the end zone, where it was recovered by Love.
The Giants are getting MAX-effort from their players. There’s still plenty to learn from, as Brian Daboll noted afterwards. Eight penalties for 67 yards won’t go unnoticed this week by Daboll and his staff. Neither will allowing over 450 total yards.
This team is still a work in progress. However, they’ve brought in to Daboll, his coaching staff, and the direction they’re headed in.
Looking ahead
The Giants will begin preparing for their trip to the Northwest with a Week 8 matchup at the Seattle Seahawks, next Sunday.
Anthony Rushing is on Twitter @TonyRushingNY
Baseline Sports NY is on Twitter @Baseline_NY
