4 NY Giants who saved the day in Week 1 win over the Titans

After the NY Giants thrilling Week 1 win against the Tennessee Titans, many fans of the team are ecstatic. This is the first season-opening W the squad has recorded since their last playoff appearance in 2016.

There were certainly some bumps along the way to this 21-20 victory. However, there are so many reasons to be excited about this season. No doubt that head coach Brian Daboll brings a certain excitement that has not been seen in nearly a decade.

With that being said, here are four NY Giants players who performed very well in the team’s stunning win over the Titans in Nashville.

4. WR Richie James

One of the more surprising performances this week was that of NY Giants receiver Richie James, who saw the most targets and catches out of all the receivers on the team: totaling five receptions for 59 yards.

While some questioned his heavy presence, opting to see more snaps for Kadarius Toney, I think James did quite well for the most part. Not only did he play very well as a receiver, but his work as a return man did not go unnoticed. He returned five punts for 62 yards with a long of 22.

James is seeming to be a very useful utility type player. At first, we thought Toney would fill this role, but it seems Daboll has other plans. As odd as it was that Toney did not see many snaps this game, it was nice to see an under-the-radar guy like James step up in his place and make some nice plays.

If James can keep up this level of play throughout the season, we could potentially see an unexpected breakout year for the 27 year old.

3. QB Daniel Jones

Yes, yes, Daniel Jones certainly had his bad moments during this game. However, there are no doubts that outside of some rough mistakes, he played quite well. In this game, Jones would complete 17 of his 21 passes for 188 yards, two TDs, and one interception.

The one play most critics are going to point out is the interception, which there is no defending. Jones stared down Saquon Barkley the entire play and made it obvious he was throwing to him. Just an all-around bad play.

Outside of this, Jones played pretty well and he made plays late to help this team win. If Jones manages to keep this up, he could potentially secure his spot as the QB of the team for the foreseeable future. He’s got a long ways to go, but we saw some positives from Danny Dimes.

The thing that has been the downfall of Jones the most throughout his career has been his issue with staring down receivers. Obviously it was still an issue during this game, however, it was much less prevalent than in past seasons.

Jones has had a very up-and-down career thus far during his tenure with the NY Giants. It would be nice if things can finally come together for the 25 year old in the final year of his contract.

2. WR Sterling Shepard

We know this one had some NY Giants fans emotional. Only eight months after tearing his Achilles in Week 14 of last season, Sterling Shepard came back with a bang, catching two passes for 71 yards and a TD.

While this play may have been the only noteworthy thing Shepard did all game, it was one of the biggest reasons as to why the Giants were able to pull out the victory.

Shepard has been a fan favorite since he was drafted by the team in 2016. He is a player who has gone through so much since entering the league which makes it even more special to see him come back from such a serious injury the way he did.

I know personally, I was very excited to see Shepard score on this play, as he was always been one of my favorite Giants in recent memory.

With the NY Giants receiving core constantly sustaining injuries, it would be a huge thing for the team if Shepard is able to stay healthy and continue to contribute throughout the season.

1. RB Saquon Barkley

In arguably the best game of his career, Saquon Barkley was simply unstoppable. Running the ball 18 times for 164 yards and a TD, while also catching the ball six times for 30 yards and scoring the game winning two-point conversion, this was vintage Barkley.

Barkley showcased the burst and agility that made him such a drool-worthy prospect in 2018. While injuries had seemingly caused this burst to go away, it seems as if things are finally back to normal for Barkley.

As well as Jones may have played at times during this game, there is no doubt that Barkley is the real reason the team was able to win. The excitement Barkley brought to this game is something the team has not seen since his rookie year. It is truly exciting to see the NY Giants finally have a staple to their offense for what can hopefully be the future.

This game really showed the league that Barkley was back, he was an absolute force of nature. No. 26 was showing that not only does he have his burst back, but he is also willing to pound the rock and put his head into the defense in order to get necessary yards. All around, this was a very exciting game from the NY Giants. One can only hope that this momentum continues into the rest of the season.

Brian Daboll’s quote on going for two is going to have NY Giants fans electrified

Brian Daboll's explanation on going for the two and the win against the Tennessee Titans will have New York Giants fans ready to run through a wall.