The NY Giants moved into first place in the NFC East race after toppling the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday
Sunday’s 19-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals will go down among the NY Giants’ most bittersweet victories of the season.
Daniel Jones was in the midst of a strong performance — his third turnover free game in as many weeks — when disaster struck in the third quarter.
Jones landed awkwardly while running for a first down and looked awkward on the next play, before two plays later hobbling to the ground and suffering a hamstring injury. While Jones returned to the game for a pair of plays on the Giants’ next possession, he was ultimately knocked from the contest when his leg gave out on an awkward passing attempt and he was unable to put any weight driving off his back leg.
Colt McCoy came on in relief of Jones and completed 6-of-10 passing attempts for 31 yards, and led the Giants to a critical two-point victory over the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium that vaults New York to the top of the NFC East standings.
Before getting hurt, Jones completed 16-of-27 passes for 213 yard, but Sunday’s game was all about the dominance of running back Wayne Gallman.
The Bengals were given new lift when a controversial pass interference was called on Giants cornerback Darnay Holmes in the end zone, when Holmes — despite having his back to the play, turned his head and made a play on the ball. Bengals quarterback Brandon Allen found Tee Higgins for a touchdown to pull Cincinnati to within 19-17.
But, the Giants’ defense did just enough to slam the door shut on the final possession, on offense it was all about Gallman.
Gallman’s punishing running style and the Giants’ commitment to the ground game had all the hallmarks of a team capable of making some noise down the stretch and potentially in the playoffs. But, the uncertainty surrounding Jones’ injury and availability in coming weeks casts a dark shadow over one of the most promising stretches of Giants football in recent memory.
Here’s a look at our instant analysis from Sunday’s victory: