The New York Giants rallied from a 13-point hole and took a risk by going for a two-point conversion for the winning points in a 21-20 escape over the host Tennessee Titans to open the season Sunday in Nashville.
Titans kicker Randy Bullock missed wide left on a 47-yard field goal on the last play.
This came after Daniel Jones fired a conversion pass to running back Saquon Barkley. The Giants did all their scoring in the second half in the head-coaching debut for Brian Daboll.
Jones went 17-for-21 for 188 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Barkley ran for 164 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw two touchdown passes to Dontrell Hilliard. Tannehill was 20-for-33 for 266 yards and Derrick Henry gained 82 yards on 21 carries.
The Giants took possession at their own 27 with 5:27 remaining. They capitalized on a fourth-and-1 conversion on the first play after the two-minute warning. Jones threw 1 yard to fullback Chris Myarick for the touchdown and then connected with Barkley for the two-point conversion with 1:06 left.
Tennessee built a 13-0 halftime lead.
The Titans scored on their first possession of the season, needing to go only 45 yards for a touchdown after Kyle Philips’ 46-yard punt return. Tannehill connected with Hilliard for a 7-yard play for the points.
Bullock made field goals from 46 and 23 yards in the second quarter.
After forcing a punt to begin the second half, the Giants went 90 yards in four plays, scoring on Barkley’s 4-yard run. The extra-point attempt was botched.
The next time New York had the ball, it took just two plays to strike again. Jones connected with Sterling Shepard for a 65-yard touchdown and the score was tied 13-13.
Tannehill’s 23-yard touchdown to Hilliard broke that tie with 3 minutes left in the third quarter.
The teams swapped turnovers in a potential game-changing stretch early in the fourth quarter. Tennessee’s Philips muffed a punt, giving the Giants possession at the Titans’ 11.
Three plays later, Amani Hooker picked off Jones in the end zone.
The Giants had 131 yards of total offense in the first half. They punted four times and lost a possession on a fumble.
–Field Level Media