Xavier McKinney, NY Giants steal 23-16 win over Raiders: Takeaways

Xavier McKinney’s signature performance powered the NY Giants’ defense in a victory over the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In some ways, the first half of the NY Giants’ season was about survival, and for 60 minutes Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium against the Las Vegas Raiders, New York experienced a microcosm of that.

Surviving without Saquon Barkley for four games. Without Kenny Golladay for three weeks. Without Sterling Shepard for four. For Daniel Jones, surviving behind an offensive line that entered Sunday having allowed 17 sacks and 47 pressures.

Sunday, against the Raiders, Jones and the NY Giants’ offense survived as the defense made enough plays to power a 23-16 win.

While Jones was held to 110 yards passing, with a touchdown pass to Evan Engram, as the offense only produced 17 points, the defense made enough timely plays to swing the outcome in the NY Giants’ favor.

Xavier McKinney had a pair of interceptions.

The defense held the Raiders to field goal attempts on consecutive fourth quarter red-zone opportunities.

Sunday, it seemed the NY Giants’ defense turned a corner and began playing much closer to preseason expectations, despite being without the likes of Blake Martinez, Lorenzo Carter, and former third-round pick and disappointment, Oshane Ximines.

Against Las Vegas, the NY Giants made enough plays to grind out a win, to pull within three games of .500, entering the bye week having survived myriad injuries in the first half. Might New York return a healthier, more explosive, and consistent team than it has shown so far this season, and Sunday?

Here are some key takeaways from the NY Giants’ win over the Raiders:

Xavier McKinney makes Derek Carr pay

The NY Giants believed Xavier McKinney could anchor their secondary for at least half a decade, when they chose him in the second-round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and Sunday afternoon the Alabama alum made two of the game’s biggest plays, and two of the more important defensive plays of the NY Giants’ season.

Sunday was McKinney’s second two-interception game of the season, the first coming in a loss to the Rams, but his pair of Week 9 picks proved to be game-altering. The NY Giants converted both of McKinney’s interceptions into points, on a pick-six and a Graham Gano field goal.

With the NY Giants nursing a 20-16 lead with 5:18 remaining, McKinney pulled down an interception off Carr along the sideline that handed Jones and the offense the ball back to salt out the win.

Earlier, McKinney made the kind of play on the Raiders’ first possession of the second half that attracted the Giants to take him in the second-round of the 2020 NFL Draft, in the first place.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr seemed to stare down wide receiver Hunter Renfrow along the sideline, and McKinney made him pay by intercepting the pass and returning it for a touchdown.

McKinney’s return was the first touchdown scored by the NY Giants’ defense this season, and second points scored, following a safety recorded against Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold two weeks ago.

The interception came on the heels of Carr missing a wide open Darren Waller, overthrowing him in the end zone to close out the first half.

The duo of McKinney and veteran Logan Ryan were flying around to the football on Sunday, offering a glimpse of what might be to come for this defense both over the second half of the season and for years to come.