Morale in the Giants locker room is at an all time low. Coach Burn has been giving talks to every player on his roster in order to get their confidence back up. Daniel Jones is one particular player who is so far down in the dumps that it will be affecting him in this upcoming game. His accuracy has been severely hindered, however, Coach Burn has been working with him in order to overcome this penalty. Jones and the Giants offense have a breakout this week, where they are required to pass for three touchdowns versus the Panthers. If they complete this goal then they will receive temporary bonuses for a few weeks.
The game plan this week was set for a balanced approach even with the gameday goal the Giants were given. Last week Barkley fumbled twice in two carries, however, he assured everyone on the Giants that his performance will change and he will be better if given the chance. The Giants offense and defense came out on fire. Before they knew it, they were up in this game and never surrendered the lead. The Panthers defense played for the run and stopped Barkley for no gain or a loss on most plays. The continued running approach did set up the pass and Jones picked apart the Panther defense for three passing touchdowns. The Panthers would give the Giants a scare in the fourth quarter as they pulled within four points. On their last drive of the game the Giants converted for a new set of downs on a beautiful pass from Jones to Engram. This sealed the game, giving the Giants the 24-20 victory.
Daniel Jones finally played a mistake free game this season. He threw 13 of 15 passes for 363 yards and 3 touchdowns. It was ironic that he had his best game of the season in a game he was most hindered. Watching the game, you could tell that Jones was playing smart, not forcing passes that weren’t there. For his first 6 games of the season, Jones has played very well statistically, however, he’s been playing carelessly as well. His 23 touchdowns lead the league, however, his 18 interceptions are good for top 5 in the league. Jones has the talent to be one of the better passers, he just needs to play more carefully, as he did in this game.
Barkley on the other hand didn’t play as well as he wanted. He rushed for only 52 yards on 17 carries, with his longest run going for 24 yards. He did not fumble the ball, which if you ask Coach Burn was more important than rushing for huge yards. Barley is a player that has the talent to take a play for a touchdown, he just needs to be given the chance. When he and Jones are playing in unison, the Giants offense can be deadly.
The Giants defense played a complete game for the first time this season. They were able to stop one of the biggest running back threats in the league. Mccaffery was held to under 100 yards rushing on the day. This speaks volumes as to the progress of the run defense as the Giants have given up huge chunks of yards to most running backs this season. Bradberry, and Peppers both had interceptions, while Williams had a sack and forced fumble. These three turnovers are what led to the Giants lead and ultimately what allowed them to get the victory.
It’s funny what one win can do for the confidence of a team. The Giants are feeling good after this win, and will look to take this confidence into their next two games against dangerous teams in the AFC. The Giants face off against the Chiefs, and Raiders, then have a bye. If they can win both of these games they will be sitting in a good spot going into their bye.
