5 takeaways from the NY Giants season-saving win over Arizona

Never a doubt! Goodness, it looked like the NY Giants were going to fall to 0-2 on the year, with the Arizona Cardinals dominating play in the first half. Fans across the globe had basically given up on the Giants. However, Daniel Jones and Co. never stopped believing.

In heart-stopping fashion, the Giants were able to come all the way back and post a 31-28 victory over the Cards. So, 24 unanswered points by the Giants to get the job done? Oh, you better believe it. This was the textbook definition of a thriller. Here are our takeaways from the incredible action.

5. Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley came up huge for this team

This is what we're talking about. With the offense looking terrible in the first half, head man Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka decided to put the ball in the hands of their best playmakers: Danny Dimes and Saquon Barkley. These are the two best players on offense, outside of Andrew Thomas, for Big Blue and they proved it in the second half.

For Jones, goodness, he has silenced a lot of his haters out there. Jones put this team on his back in the final 30 minutes of action, helping them record the unforgettable win. On the day, Jones tossed for 321 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 59 yards and another score on the ground. That's how you do it.

With Barkley, he had a terrible drop in the first half that led to another Jones interception. This was infuriating, but No. 26 was able to bounce back in the best way possible. He rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. He also added six receptions for 29 yards and another score. Without those two players, there's no chance NY would have come from behind to improve to 1-1.

Also on Barkley, we must keep our fingers crossed that he's not seriously hurt. On one of the last plays of the game, Barkley hobbled off the field with what looked to be an ankle injury. He slammed his helmet in frustration, making it seem like he'll likely miss the showdown vs. the 49ers. Let's hope to get some good news on him soon, though.

4. Another slow start from the Giants was unacceptable

As great as this win feels, the start was forgettable. With the way they were smacked around last week, Giants fans were hoping that Daboll would have his men ready to rock for this one. That of course wasn't the case. On the first offensive play of the game, left tackle Joshua Ezeudu, getting the start in place of the injured Andrew Thomas, was flagged for a false start.

That's absurd and it can't happen. The Cardinals and Joshua Dobbs looked sharp offensively in the first half, landing the first punch thanks to a James Conner touchdown run. Arizona kept moving the chains, but New York was having all kinds of issues getting into any kind of a groove on offense. Against Arizona? Seriously?

At halftime, the Giants were down 20-0. Meaning they had been outscored a total of 60-0 in the first six quarters of the campaign. This is something that Coach Dabes and his staff need to get figured out as soon as possible. With the Giants taking on the 49ers on Thursday night, another slow start could lead to a blowout being recorded. A win like this will happen vs. Arizona, but they can't expect to post a comeback victory of his fashion vs. SF.

3. The Giants front seven had another tough showing

With the depth up front for the Giants defense, led by All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, you'd think that they'd have a strong showing vs. a struggling Cardinals squad. However, once again, there was basically no pressure put on the quarterback early on in this one, with Dobbs having nothing but time to scan the field and make plays.

You know your defense has had a rough showing when you make Dobbs, a journeyman QB, look like a Pro Bowler. Not only that, but the run defense could not stop Cardinals running back Conner, who eclipsed 100 yards in the third quarter. Whenever Conner had the ball in his hands, it felt like he was going to break free for an impressive run.

Thankfully, the Giants defense was able to record a 180 in the second half. There were some fantastic stops to get the ball back in the hands of Jones. Without those stops, NY would be 0-2 on the year. With that said, we'd like to see the pass-rushers play a bit stronger moving forward.

2. Jalin Hyatt needs to see more playing time

Talk about making a statement. With the Giants down 20-0, the offense was desperate to make something happen to start off the second half. Jalin Hyatt's number was called and he delivered in the best way possible. Seriously, this is a grab that's going to be talked about by the Big Blue supporters for quite some time:

That was a 58-yard reception for Hyatt, injecting some life into this team. Soon after, Jones rushed in for a score to give NY some hope. Hyatt is known for his speed and he showcased that in a huge way on that particular play. He left the Cardinals secondary in the dust and he also not only ran a great route, but he showcased strong hands too.

The aerial attack has been a bit of a disappointment for the Giants so far this season, with Parris Campbell having a case of the drops to start off his Big Blue career. That needs to change as soon as possible. With that said, Hyatt needs to be more involved with this offense. The more comfortable he gets out on the field, the better it will be for Jones for the long haul. He finished with two receptions for 89 yards, which led the team.

1. Darren Waller lived up to the hype in this one for the Giants

How awesome was it to see Darren Waller ball out the way he did against the Cardinals? In the Week 1 loss to the Cowboys, Waller had three receptions for 36 yards. It wasn't what people were hoping to see out of him. Against Arizona, especially in the second half, Waller was a focus for the aerial attack and he posted some great catches for Jones.

Against Arizona, Waller caught six balls for 76 yards. No, he didn't reach 100 yards or find the end zone, but No. 12 was a reliable option for Jones and he helped this offense get going when they needed to the most. It felt like whenever the Giants needed a pass-catcher to step up, Waller was there ready to make something happen.

In order for the Giants to keep the good vibes going and record some close wins, they'll need Waller to be at his best. That wasn't the case in Week 1 vs. the Cowboys, but what we saw out of him vs. Arizona was just what the doctor ordered.