Before Sunday’s game against the Commanders, the Giants weren’t playing their best football by any means. In their last two games, they lost by a combined score of 79-23. Sitting at a 2-8 record, many would expect the Giants to slow down. That however wasn’t the case on Sunday, as the Giants defeated the Commanders 31-19 in Washington. They showed a fire inside that you would usually see from teams competing for playoff spots. The defense turned the ball over numerous times and the offense played surprisingly well. It’s a credit to head coach Brian Daboll and the coaching staff for getting the players ready, and there were multiple times in the game where the Giants showed their resilience.
How the Giants Can Build on Their Win Over the Commanders
Tommy Devito Stands Strong Amongst the Pressure
As an undrafted rookie from Syracuse, quarterback Tommy DeVito has been given the chance of a lifetime to start in the NFL. He’s struggled in his first two starts against the Raiders and Cowboys, but has stuck in there and wavered through it all. Against the Commanders, DeVito was hit early and often. He was sacked five times in the first quarter. The Giants weren’t getting much from the ground game, so they kept throwing and DeVito rewarded their faith in him. In the first half, the rookie completed 13 of 17 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. He showed more zip on his passes compared to his first two starts. You could see he’s been gaining more confidence as he’s gotten more reps.
As the game went on, the Giants needed to close things out, and running back Saquon Barkley was the answer. Just prior to the conclusion of the third quarter, the Giants had no rushing yards against the Commanders. After DeVito had carried much of the load with his arm, Barkley started to take over with his legs. Just before the end of the third, Barkley ran the ball for 32 yards that put the Giants in Washington territory. Later on in that drive, he caught a pass for a touchdown that extended the New York lead to 11. On the next offensive drive, the running back had his best stretch of plays of the day. He carried the ball for nine, six, and 31 yards on three consecutive plays that put the team in position to kick a field goal. When things weren’t going their way, the offense did a very good job of not waning. They stayed committed to what they wanted to do and they were rewarded by a good, complimentary day.
Giants’ Defense Bounces Back Against Commanders
As stated earlier, the Giants have given up 79 points in their last two games. That’s a number that defensive coordinator Wink Martindale must not be a fan of. It’s gotten so bad, that reports have come out that Martindale’s job may not be safe after this season. He must’ve heard that because his defense came out and played like their hair was on fire. They applied pressure on Commanders quarterback Sam Howell, sacking him four times. The Giants also won the turnover battle against the Commanders by a pretty good margin. They were able to produce six turnovers, their high on the season.
It wasn’t that the Giants’ defense was only able to get a lot of turnovers, they did so at pivotal times of the game. Down 14-12 in the third quarter, the Commanders were driving down the field and got into Giants territory. Linebacker Bobby Okereke punched the ball out of Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez’s hands to force the fumble and the Giants were able to recover. It completely flipped the momentum back to the Giants’ side and the offense was able to capitalize with a touchdown. Later in the game, the Giants had given up a touchdown to shrink their lead to 24-19 and then quickly went three and out on offense. The Commanders then got the ball back with 1:49 left in the game. They got the ball across midfield and with 29 seconds left in the game, linebacker Isaiah Simmons returned a Commanders quarterback Sam Howell pass for a touchdown that sealed the game for Big Blue. It was a great showing from the defense as a whole. When they needed to make a play, they did it, and then some.
What’s Next for the Giants?
After a win against the Commanders improves their record to 3-8, they now travel back home after finishing up their three-game road trip. They take on the Patriots, who like the Giants are having a disappointing season. The Patriots sit at 2-8 and are also playing for pride at this point of the season. After that, the Giants go on their bye week. When they return, they play the Packers at home on Monday Night Football. It may not seem like it, but these next couple of games are important for the future of the Giants. It’s a chance for the Giants to play some good football against some likewise inferior teams. If they continue to play like they did against the Commanders and show the determination it takes to win games, they’ll have a shot to pull out a stretch of wins here later in the season.
Main Photo: Brad Mills – USA Today Sports
