3 Takeaways from Giants' Week 2 Win
Coming into the 2022 season, the New York Giants hadn't been above .500 at any point in five consecutive seasons. After Sunday's win over the Carolina Panthers, however, New York is sitting at 2-0.
While neither of New York's wins has been particularly pretty, it's not a stretch to say that the Brian Daboll era is off to an ideal start. This season was always going to be about growth and roster evaluation, but the Giants are doing it while being very relevant in the NFC East race.
In Week 1, a gutsy call by Daboll allowed New York to steal a win from the Tennessee Titans. On Sunday, it was a strong defensive effort that paved the way to victory. The Giants are already halfway to last year's win total, and it's clear that they won't be a pushover for any opponent.
Here are our three biggest takeaways from the Giants' 19-16 win over Carolina.
Don Martindale's Defense Will Keep New York in Games
A little over a week ago, Daboll chose to go for the two-point conversion and the win late in the game. The gamble worked, and the Giants jumped out to a 1-0 record. However, Daboll was in position to make that call because New York's defense kept it in the game.
Against Carolina, Don Martindale's unit again put the Giants in position to win. On a day when the offense was very up-and-down, the defense was dominant. It held the Panthers to 275 total yards and a miserable 2-of-12 on third down. It also came up with two huge turnovers.
The Giants' first two series began in Panthers territory following fumbles. They led to a pair of Graham Gano field goals and an early 6-0 lead.
Late in the game, the defense needed a big play and got it. With Carolina facing a 3rd-and-6 from its own 46-yard line, Martindale dialed up a blitz that resulted in a nine-yard sack of Baker Mayfield. The Panthers punted, and the offense did enough to salt away the game.
Players like Julian Love (8 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack) and Oshane Ximines (2 tackles, 1 sack) can be stars in Martindale's aggressive scheme, and this defense will keep the Giants in a lot of games. It should be even better once rookie first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux returns from a sprained MCL.
"Well, you're talking about two first-round[-level talented], so it's a huge benefit," Martindale said of Thibodeaux, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan.
Thibodeaux, the fifth overall pick in April's draft, has yet to make his NFL debut.
The Offense Needs a Second Go-To Option
One of Daboll's challenges this year is determining whether players like running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones can carry the franchise into the future—both are slated for 2023 fee agency.
Barkley has done plenty through the first two weeks to suggest that he deserves to be in New York's long-term plans. However, the Panthers did an excellent job of limiting him Sunday.
A week after racking up 194 scrimmage yards, Barkley was held to 88 combined rushing and receiving yards and 3.4 yards per carry. Barkley made an impact, but the Panthers wanted to force Jones to beat them.
Jones was about as inconsistent as the offense. He finished 22-of-34 for just 176 yards and a touchdown. The Giants converted a mere six of 18 third-down opportunities.
When Barkley is rolling, the offense can click. The problem is that when he's not running wild, Jones doesn't have another go-to target on which to lean. Wideout Sterling Shepard led the team with 10 targets but caught just six passes for 34 yards. Richie James led the team with 51 receiving yards on five receptions.
Someone needs to emerge as a legitimate and consistent threat—be it Shepard, James or rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger, who caught New York's only touchdown reception Sunday. Otherwise, future opponents will continue clamping down on Barkley and making things difficult for the offense.
We Should See a Confident Team Next Monday Night
While New York has plenty to work on heading into next Monday night's matchup with the Dallas Cowboys—third-down efficiency should be the chief concern—the Giants should also have plenty of confidence.
This is a team that has won two hard-fought games in different manners. Finding ways to win ugly, close contests can help a team buy into the overarching game plan. Under Daboll, the Giants are building an identity as a tough, physical team.
"We have a bunch of tough-minded guys," Daboll said after the game, per Darryl Slater of NJ.com.
The Giants now know that they can come from behind against a playoff-caliber opponent and still win. They know that they can lean on the defense when the offense isn't painting a masterpiece. They should know that they're every bit as capable as a Cowboys team that won both matchups last season by a combined 65-26 margin.
The Cowboys won't have quarterback Dak Prescott next Monday, but they got mostly good play from Cooper Rush against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. Dallas will present a tough challenge, but the Giants will head into the contest knowing that a 3-0 start to the season is entirely achievable.