3 Takeaways from Giants' Week 7 Win vs. Jaguars
It was another day, another close game and another win for the New York Giants on Sunday. The Giants outlasted the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars in a 23-17 contest that was decided in the final quarter.
New York trailed for much of the game, but a 10-point outburst in the final period allowed the Giants to once again snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
What has become apparent through the first seven weeks of the 2022 season is that the 6-1 Giants are no fluke. This is a well-coached, hungry, and physical team that is more than its individual pieces might suggest.
The Giants have the second-best record in the NFL and now own as many wins as the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles, who were on bye this week. New York has a real shot at stealing the NFC East this season, and they have to be taken seriously.
Here's what else we learned from the Giants' Week 7 win over the Jaguars.
Brian Daboll
Head coach Brian Daboll deserves almost all of the credit for New York's surprising 6-1 record. He has changed the culture of the Giants, has devised the right late-game strategies in tight games and has his players believing in themselves.
Daboll has also created high expectations for a team that has rarely had them over the past half-decade.
"Made it tougher than we needed to,” Daboll said after the game, per Dan Benton of Giants Wire. "Good to get a win. Shouldn't have came down to that, though."
Along the way, Daboll has helped to get more out of quarterback Daniel Jones, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. While Jones still isn't overwhelming as a passer, Daboll has crafted an offense that complements his skill set.
Against Jacksonville, Jones finished 19-of-30 for 202 yards and a touchdown, and he was plagued by dropped passes. He also rushed for a whopping 107 yards and another score. On the season, he has six touchdown passes, two interceptions and a career-best passer rating of 90.8.
Has Jones done enough to warrant an extension beyond 2022? Well, we're not at that point just yet. However, the Duke product continues to improve under Daboll, and it's clear that the Giants can win with him, not in spite of him, this season.
Saquon Barkley Might Have a Shot at Offensive Player of the Year
Jones got a ton of help from star running back Saquon Barkley on Sunday. The Penn State product was electric, especially late. He finished with 110 rushing yards, 25 receiving yards and ran for 72 yards in the fourth quarter alone.
Barkley has returned to the form he showed in 2018, when he was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He has a legitimate chance this season to add another individual award to his trophy case.
Through seven weeks, Barkley has racked up 726 rushing yards, 25 receptions, 180 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He leads the league with 143 rushing attempts and is obviously the most reliable player on the Giants' offense.
Barkley's ability to put the offense on his shoulders—especially late, as he did on Sunday—will earn him consideration for Offensive Player of the Year. He'll need to find a few more touchdowns to claim the award and may need to unseat Cleveland Brown running back Nick Chubb (740 yards) as the league rushing leader. However, the fact that Barkley is even in the conversation is huge.
Injuries seriously hampered Barley over the last three seasons, but he's now averaging a career-best 5.1 yards per carry. His ability to be great once again is no longer in question. The unknown now is whether the Giants will lock up Barkley after the season.
New York Was Wise to Keep Darius Slayton
In late August, the Giants had an opportunity to trade wide receiver Darius Slayton, who largely fell out of the game plan in 2021.
"Giants have gotten trade inquiries on WR Darius Slayton, per source," ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted at the time. "One more name to watch in a busy week of moves."
Instead of dealing Slayton, the Giants reworked his contract and kept him as depth. That depth has been tested over the past few weeks because of injuries to wideouts Kenny Golladay, Wan'Dale Robinson and Kadarius Toney.
Slayton, who didn't catch a pass over the first three weeks, has reemerged as a playmaker for New York. On Sunday, he caught three passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. Two weeks ago, he caught six for 79 yards.
The decision to keep Slayton was a brilliant one, even if the receiver's long-term future in New York is uncertain.
Slayton racked up more than 700 receiving yards in each of his first two NFL seasons, However, his production dipped to just 339 yards last year. As Slayton showed on Sunday, though, he can still be an important piece of New York's offense when given the opportunity.
Daboll deserves a lot of credit for turning the Giants into contenders. However, general manager Joe Schoen deserves a little praise for putting this squad together. While the decision may have been overlooked at the time, keeping Slayton has proved to be a valuable move.