5 instant takeaways from the NY Giants thrilling 14-7 win over Washington

Anyone else almost pass out? The NY Giants have ESCAPED with a 14-7 win over the Washington Commanders and plenty of fans are feeling quite lucky this team is now 2-5 on the year. The Giants got off to a hot start, but then things went downhill in the second half.

Thankfully, however, Washington wasn't able to pull off a stunning comeback and Big Blue has ended their four-game losing streak. We have our takeaways for you in this piece, which includes a big-time negative, but also plenty of positives for Brian Daboll to look back on:

5. The Giants special teams are a mess

To start off, we've simply got to bring up the terrible special teams for the Giants, This has been a major issue for Daboll all season and more of the same was displayed in Week 7 against the Commanders. How is it possible for the unit to continue to look this bad? Giants fans have just about had it.

Early on, rookie Eric Gray muffed a punt, which was luckily recovered by the Giants. However, Gray has consistently showed us that he's a liability back there returning punts. He was battling a calf injury too, which opened the door for Sterling Shepard to take his spot. With Shep being a veteran, the Giants were in good hands... we thought:

Unreal. Shepard let the ball go through his hands and Washington was all over the ball. In the blink of an eye, Sam Howell and Co. were in a great spot to put some points on the board and they did just that. The Brian Robinson TD run made this a one-score game. The Giants were dominating play, but the Shepard fumble and Washington score gave the Commanders life.

4. The Giants defense stepped up massively

Take a bow, Wink Martindale. In recent weeks, Martindale had been called out for his guys not playing too well, but that wasn't the case against Washington at all. In the first half in particular, the pass-rush was on freaking fire. Dexter Lawrence was a man on a mission, as he was living in the backfield and putting constant pressure on Howell. Lawrence had two sacks in the first 30 minutes.

Kayvon Thibodeaux was also a beast, posting 1.5 sacks in the first two quarters. The heavy pressure on Howell was amazing to see and you had a feeling this would be a focus for the Giants after what they were able to get done on defense against the Bills last weekend. Oh, let's also not forget about the strong play of Deonte Banks, who had a moment in the first half he'll never forget:

Everything about that play was perfect from the No. 24 overall pick. Banks baited Howell into making a terrible throw and the rookie showcased some fantastic athleticism to come down with the ball. This is the kind of play you'd expect a first-round pick to make. Banks is getting better with each game - the kid is a true baller.

3. Saquon Barkley now dealing with an arm injury is concerning

You've got to give credit to Saquon Barkley, as no one can question his toughness. However, he just can't seem to stay fully healthy for the Giants. After missing three weeks with a high-ankle sprain, Barkley returned for the Week 6 game against the Bills and he looked strong. On Sunday, Barkley looked good early, but he suffered a left arm injury and it was bothering him throughout.

You could see Barkley in a ton of pain at times and there were multiple times where he'd motion to the bench to come out for a play or two because of his injury. Despite this, Barkley still toughed it out and was able to help this team out whenever his number was called. His highlight for the day was of course his long TD reception, which put the G-Men up 14-0:

In the second half, however, Barkley (who also had a costly fumble) wasn't running with the same kind of strength and he was barely able to move the ball forward whenever he got the ball from Taylor. Fans can only hope this isn't going to be a serious injury for Barkley, as the last thing the Pro Bowler needs to is be dealing with another ailment.

2. Leonard Williams had his best game of the season without a doubt

Big Play Lenny! That must be the nickname for Leonard Williams on Sunday, as the veteran defensive lineman had without question his best game of the season. We simply have to bring up Williams' game-changing play in the fourth quarter, as the Commanders were down 14-7 and looking to cut their deficit to 14-10 on a field goal. Williams got his hand up, though, and blocked that sucker:

WOW. Williams got his left paw up and made the unreal play. Coach Dabes was fired up right there and so was the rest of the Big Blue sideline. Williams came up with a key moment just when this team needed him too. Not only that, but Williams was also a monster in the trenches going after Howell as well.

Much has been said about Williams and his contract, but this felt like a needed game for the big fella. Lawrence is the best player up front on defense for Martindale, but people have been waiting for Williams to remind everyone of how much of an impact he can make for the G-Men. He did just that against Washington.

1. The Giants had everyone worried sick at the end of the game

Can't we just have one simple game for the Giants? New York was up 14-0 at one point in this game and it looked like they were going to cruise to a win. However, there were far too many miscues during this game and Washington made New York pay. All of the mental mistakes are something that Daboll and his staff need to fix ASAP.

In the fourth quarter, after Jalin Hyatt hauled in a brilliant 42-yard reception, the Giants were in business and looking to make this a two-score game. Instead, Barkley fumbled and Washington got the ball back down seven points. The Commanders then drove all the way down the field and almost did the unthinkable.

HOWEVER, everyone prayed to the Football Gods that the Commanders would choke, and they did. On 4th-and-5, Howell escaped out of the pocket and he had Jahan Dotson open for what would have been a first down. He missed him, Jason Pinnock broke it up and the Giants were able to capture a heart-stopping win.

The Giants did everything they could to lose this game, but sometimes you need a little luck on your side. With the W, the Giants are now 2-5 on the season and this victory was desperately needed for Daboll. Next up will be a showdown with the Jets. The Giants have a fantastic chance to improve to 3-5 on the year. We could look back on this close win as a turning point for them.