Despite missing several key weapons on offense, and facing a barrage of pressure from the Panthers’ defense, Daniel Jones rose to the occasion, leading a gutty NY Giants win
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Daniel Jones was without his three most important offensive weapons, was playing behind an offensive line anchored by Nate Solder and with someone named Korey Cunningham playing meaningful snaps, but none of it mattered, as the NY Giants’ quarterback delivered a signature performance of his young career.
Jones withstood three sacks and four more quarterback hits, ducked and dodged a relentless onslaught from the Carolina Panthers’ front, but showed the requisite poise and command in the pocket the NY Giants needed to calm the storm of pressure, in a 25-3 win.
With running back Saquon Barkley sidelined for the second consecutive week, due to an ankle injury, Jones led the NY Giants in rushing for much of the game before finishing with 30 yards, 20 yards fewer than Devontae Booker.
Meanwhile, with Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay out, Jones pulled down a circus catch, on a trick play that ignited the NY Giants’ first touchdown drive of the game.
Jones finished 23-of-33 passing for 203 yards and a touchdown, he caught a 16-yard pass, and rushed for 30 yards.
On a day that Sam Darnold, whom some bemoan the NY Giants not selecting with the No. 2 overall pick in 2012, was benched in favor of P.J. Walker in the fourth quarter, Jones rose to the occasion and showed that even when things are most chaotic around him, he has all the tools to be a steadying force and leader of New York’s offense.
Here’s a look at three key NY Giants takeaways from Sunday’s win over the Carolina Panthers:
Daniel Jones’ heroics mask offensive line’s dire straits
Andrew Thomas’ injury forced Nate Solder into action as the starting right tackle, alongside guard Will Hernandez, and the veteran right side of the Giants’ offensive line was dreadfully overmatched.
Solder offered little resistance whatsoever on a third quarter sack. Hernandez was flagged for being an illegal man downfield that negated a Giants’ big gain through the air.
And this was supposed to be the veteran, more prepared, more experienced side of the NY Giants’ patchwork offensive line.
Fortunately for the NY Giants, the Panthers’ offensive line is just as depleted, its receivers struggle mightily catching the football, and Darold is the same turnover prone quarterback today that he was in 2018 as a junior at USC.
Jones’ ability to improvise in the pocket, and some creative play-calling to give New York’s receivers the ability to improvise downfield masked some of the issues the NY Giants had up front. But, it’s difficult to see New York having much success a team not battling through such myriad of issues so long as this is the line that’s out there right now for the Giants.
Giants’ goal line offense comes up small
The nadir of this season for the NY Giants’ offense might have come in the waning moments of the first quarter Sunday.
When Kyle Rudolph’s right foot stepped on the boundary before he was able to stretch the ball to the pylon, a ruling that was originally a touchdown but reversed after replay review, it set up a three-down opportunity for the NY Giants to find pay dirt.
It turned into a disastrous turn of events.
On 2nd-and-goal from the two-yard line, Devontae Booker was stuffed for a loss. The very next play, the NY Giants faked a handoff to Booker, who leapt over the line as Jones rolled out to his right and missed a throw in the corner of the end zone intended for Evan Engram. Then, Booker got stuffed on 4th-and-goal.
That the NY Giants did not call one quarterback sneak, and were unable to punch it in from two yards out shows just how far away this offensive line is from being adequate and raises questions about the play-calling in an opportunity to jumpstart an offense that has scored touchdowns on a league-low 41 percent of trips into the red zone.
NY Giants dominant defense steps up
The effort of the NY Giants’ defense, particularly the secondary, shouldn’t be overlooked.
Safety Jabrill Peppers made a huge play in the second quarter, when he chased down Sam Darnold from behind for a sack. Later, cornerback James Bradberry goaded Darnold into an interception, when he hung back in coverage and pulled down a leaping grab on second-down, keeping points off the board in the red zone.
New York’s defense only allowed the Panthers to cross the 50-yard line on two of six first half possessions and held Carolina to just 121 total yards of offense in the first half.
The Panthers’ defensive line was nearly as banged up as the Giants’ entering Sunday’s game, and Carolina was without Christian McCaffrey. But, the Giants’ defense responded to a week of questions following last week’s lackluster showing against the Rams.