The Giants have been a roller coaster of a team lately. In week 8 versus the Commanders, they played a complete game and blew them out 31-10. This momentum was supposed to go into week 9 versus the Jets This wasn’t the case as they played a very close game where Jones played well early in the game, but got hurt, then came back into the game in the second half a totally different quarterback. He threw interception after interception for a total of 5, the last one was the killer in the game. The defense played well enough to keep the game close but the Giants would lose 33-23.
In week 10, the Giants felt confident that they could compete with the division leading Cowboys. The game started out great with a first drive touchdown but would end up going down hill after that. The Cowboys did whatever they wanted on offense, and the Giants would match in terms of yards and getting into the redzone, however they had one key difference. The Cowboys scored two touchdowns, while the Giants settled for two field goals which were missed by Gano, leading to a 14-7 lead for the Cowboys going into the half.
This was another game where the Jekel and Hyde nature of Jones came into play. Jones played flawlessly in the first half, commanding the offense and making the correct protection adjustments. In the second half, Parsons was a man possessed, getting to Jones untouched on multiple occasions. This sped up Jones’ count in his head which led to bad timing throws and interceptions. The defense couldn’t keep it close and the Giants would get blown out 38-14.
Coach Burn took a long hard look at his team after this game and what was seen was shocking. Morale was in the toilet, with most players at 35 or below, causing everyone to have a negative 2 overall. He needed to take back the team and lead them to a string of wins and it needed to start in week 11 against the Commanders. The offensive line was “under siege” and had a goal to limit sacks in the next game. Jones also pledged that he would beat the Commanders and pass for 300 yards.
Coach Burn wanted to start the game with a balanced offense and establish the run even versus the second best defensive line in the league. Barkley started off running okay getting a few yards at a time, but it opened up the passing lanes for Jones. With the Commanders paying close attention to the run, Jones carved them up with precision. Besides a few deep shots that he missed, he made every throw that was needed, while running when nothing was open.
The defense sensed Jones poised and they forced three turnovers and multiple punts. The Giants played another complete game versus the Commanders winning the game in blowout fashion 41-14. Jones was 15 yards short of his goal, but the team was awarded 5 morale points as well as 1000 xp for the victory and limiting the sack total to 2. The Giants needed the win and hope that this will propel them for the rest of the season.
Key Injuries:
RT Norwell: 3 games
Key Statistics:
QB Jones: 19/26 285 Yards, 1 Passing TD, 2 Rushing TD
Jones was commanding of the offense and took over the game when the running game was starting slow. This is the 40 million dollar player that the Giants paid. Jones needs to continue up this same consistency for the rest of the season.
HB Barkley: 15 Rushes 51 Yards 1 TD, 6 Receptions 55 Yards
Barkley didn’t have the greatest day rushing the ball, but his consistency opened up the passing game. He had another drop this game and leads the league in drops. He needs to stay focused and stop trying to get ahead when catching passes.
WR Hyatt: 6 Receptions 95 Yards
With Slayton out, Hyatt knows he is the guy who the defense will focus on. He moved around the field and showed everyone even when he is focused on he can make plays. He is currently fourth in the NFC OROTY and will look to take over the top spot by the end of the season.
The Giants play the Patriots next and will look to have their first winning streak of the season.
