The New York Giants got a much-needed win on Sunday as they defeated the Washington Commanders 14-7 to end their four-game losing streak.
This was a big win for New York because had they lost, they almost would have certainly become sellers before the October 31st trade deadline. Now with Andrew Thomas poised to make his return next week against the Jets, there’s optimism that the season is not lost just yet.
The offense, defense, and special teams all contributed to the team’s first win in over a month. Here are three takeaways from Giants’ win over the Commanders.
Offense flows better with Tyrod Taylor
For the second week in a row, the offense showed signs of life with Tyrod Taylor at quarterback. For the second week in a row, the 34-year-old backup quarterback did not turn the ball over and showed poise operating behind an injury-ravaged offensive line.
He completed 18-of-29 passes for 279 yards, and his two touchdown passes to Darren Waller and Saquon Barkley in the second quarter ended the team’s dubious streak of not scoring an offensive touchdown in the first half all season.
Daniel Jones has not been cleared yet for contact due to his neck injury that he suffered in Week 5 against the Dolphins. But even if he’s cleared this week, you have to wonder if Taylor will remain the starter. Head coach Brian Daboll has stated in the past that he doesn’t care how much a player makes or where they were drafted, the best player will play. If he remains consistent with this philosophy, he can’t insert Jones as the starter until Taylor falters.
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New York’s defense is starting to come alive
After being embarrassed through the first five weeks of the season, the defense has improved greatly in the last two games. Over the last eight quarters, the Giants haven’t allowed a point in six of them.
Coming into Sunday’s game, the defense was giving up an average of 147.5 yards per game on the ground. On Sunday, they held Brian Robinson and the rest of the Commanders running backs in check, only allowing 76 yards on 19 carries.
But what was most impressive about the Giants’ defense was their pass rush, as they sacked Sam Howell six times. After only registering five sacks for the season, Wink Martindale’s defense put constant pressure on Howell by blitzing and winning their one-on-one matchups against the Commanders linemen. Five different players were credited with at least half a sack, including Dexter Lawrence had his first two sacks of the season.
When Big Blue’s defense wasn’t taking down Howell, they were applying blanket coverage on his receivers. The Commanders’ signal caller barely completed 50 percent of his passes as he finished the game, completing 22 out of 42 passes for 249 yards and was intercepted by rookie Deonte Banks in the second quarter. Banks and the entire Giants secondary deserve praise for how they performed on Sunday, especially with Adoree Jackson missing the game due to a neck injury.
Sometimes it takes a few weeks for a defense to gel. Fans have to hope that what they saw on Sunday is a signal for things to come for the remainder of the season.
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Darren Waller is beginning to live up to the preseason hype
When the Giants traded a third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire Darren Waller, the belief was he would give the team their first legit No. 1 receiving option since Odell Beckham Jr. On Sunday, he delivered his best performance of his short Giants career.
He caught seven out of eight targets for 98 yards and scored the game’s first touchdown as well as his first Giants touchdown in the second quarter on a 15-yard strike from Taylor. Washington simply couldn’t matchup with the 6-foot-6, 245-pound tight end, as five of his seven receptions went for at least 13 yards.
Over the last three games, Waller has caught 20 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown. The rapport he’s developing with Taylor cannot be denied, and if the team is going to have a successful second half of the season, Waller will play an even bigger role in the offense. The connection he has with Taylor adds to the dilemma Daboll will face once Jones is healthy.