How 'bout them Giants? After taking down the Las Vegas Raiders 23-16 on Sunday, the New York Giants have improved to 3-6 and could easily be 4-5 had they not been ravaged by injuries in Week 8.
The win now means that New York has played .500 football from Week 4 on, and they have honestly looked pretty good. This past Sunday's victory came at the expense of the Raiders, who, coming into Week 9, were the sole leaders atop the AFC West.
Most impressive in the victory were the Giants' defense and special teams, as they combined to force 4 turnovers, which consisted of two Xavier McKinney interceptions, a strip sack against Derek Carr, and a missed Raiders field goal. Sunday also marked the third straight game in which New York held their opponent to 20 points or less.
Playoff contention is still a long shot, but with their stellar performance of late, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Giants play spoiler and look scary heading into 2022 once Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard are healthy.
Was Week 9 a fluke for the Giants? Or have they seriously turned the corner? Here are 3 key takeaways from this most recent win.
3. Evan Engram needs to be heavily involved going forward
It was a slow day through the air for the Giants, but that didn't stop tight end Evan Engram from having a big game as New York's leading receiver. That included a dazzling touchdown grab down the sideline that got the Giants on the board in their first drive:
WHAT. A. CATCH.
📺: @NFLonCBS & Giants App pic.twitter.com/6trJBDNEaw
— New York Giants (@Giants) November 7, 2021
Engram is one of the league's most gifted athletes, physically, and is too good of a weapon not to see more targets. Yes, he's struggled with drops in the past, but a play like this one could certainly be a huge confidence builder moving forward, and there's too much upside here for the Giants to not at least try to incorporate him more.
2. The New York defense is dangerous
As mentioned before, the Giants defense has been balling as of late. Holding the Panthers to 3 points, then keeping the supremely talented Chiefs and Raiders offenses is quite the accomplishment, and they were able to do so without dynamic safety Jabrill Peppers. They force takeaways, squeeze the field in the red zone, and constantly keep opposing teams under pressure to play mistake-free. In the midst of their rebuild, New York can at least know they can lean on their defense to produce.
1. A healthy Saquon will complete a dynamic run game
Devontae Booker had a great game as he continues to fill in for Saquon Barkley, rushing for 99 yards on 21 carries. Nothing compares to Barkley's talent, though, as he has the power and speed to take any run to the house. Throw in Daniel Jones' sneaky elite speed, and the three-headed monster of Saquon, Booker, and Jones will allow for New York to carve up opposing defenses with ease.
It wasn't the prettiest of wins, but New York's performance on Sunday showed a lot to the NFL, and certainly gives reason for optimism moving forward. This will certainly be a team to keep an eye on.
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