The New York Giants entered a Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals well aware that it was a must-win given their upcoming schedule.
Or at least that’s what we all assumed.
Buy Giants TicketsThe first two quarters were an extension of a Week 1 beatdown at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys with Arizona scoring on all but one drive and taking a 20-0 lead into halftime.
The futility was highlighted by a Daniel Jones interception that went right off the hands of running back Saquon Barkley for the second consecutive week.
The Giants did come out in the third quarter and show some fire on the shoulders of Jones, but each time they punched, the Cardinals punched right back. Arizona’s lackluster offense was just more than New York’s defense could handle.
Poor tackling was a major reason for that.
Then came the fourth quarter. And that’s when DJ completely took over and the game flipped on its head. Everything that had gone wrong was washed away and the Giants suddenly started firing.
The defense picked up stops when they needed it and the Giants offense, which couldn’t buy a point for six quarters to start the season, scored on five consecutive drives.
Kicker Graham Gano connected on the game-winning field goal with just seconds left.
Final score: Giants 31, Cardinals 28
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Giants | 0 | 0 | 14 | 17 | 31 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 28 |
Keys to the game
- Giants had 26 first downs (Cardinals 24)
- Big Blue out-gained Arizona, 439 to 379.
- Giants went 7-12 on third down and 1-1 on fourth down.
- New York averaged 6.6 yards per play (Arizona 6.4).
It was over when...
Giants kicker Graham Gano connected on a 34-yard field with just 19 seconds remaining. It was the only time New York led in the game or over the first two weeks of the season.
The Cardinals and Joshua Dobbs had no timeouts remaining and couldn’t create any magic of their own in the final moments.
Players of the game
- QB Daniel Jones (380 total yards, 3 TDs,1 INT)
- RB Saquon Barkley (92 total yards, 2 TD)
- WR Jalin Hyatt (2 rec. for 89 yards)
Injuries
Early in the second quarter, safety Jason Pinnock left the field after suffering an apparent eye injury. He returned after missing just one play.
Midway through the third quarter, left guard Ben Bredeson collapsed to the turf following a play. He was quickly tended to by trainers and helped off the field before being carted into the locker room. He was ruled out with a concussion.
With under 2:00 remaining in the fourth quarter, running back Saquon Barkley got bent backward on a run and had to be helped off the field by trainers.
What's next?
Head coach Brian Daboll will hold a Zoom call with the team’s beat writers on Monday afternoon before a few players are also made available.
Big Blue will return to practice on Tuesday ahead of a Week 3 game against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, September 21 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Kickoff is 8:15 p.m. ET.
