The New York Giants defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 31-28, on Sunday afternoon at State Farm Stadium after rallying from 21 points down in the second half.
The comeback was the team’s largest since 1949 and kept their season alive. But they’ll have very little time to enjoy it as a Thursday night matchup with the San Francisco 49ers looms.
Buy Giants TicketsWhose stock is up and whose is down after the Week 2 win? Let’s take a look.
Stock up: QB Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones put the Giants on his back and carried them across the finish line on Sunday. His big throw to wide receiver Jalin Hyatt got the ball rolling and then he used his legs to get into the endzone, showing some emotion that his teammates seemed to respond to.
And DJ’s touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins later in the game? A thing of absolute beauty.
That second-half performance is what keeps Jones fans believing. There are times when he plays elite football and looks like an elite quarterback, and this was one of those times.
Stock down: LB Kayvon Thibodeaux
It feels like we’re piling on Kayvon Thibodeaux at this point but his lack of production and lack of impact is jarring. There were several instances where he was double-teamed in Week 2, but there were also several instances where he got bodied by a tight end one-on-one.
Thibodeaux’s body language also raised some eyebrows. He was isolated on the sideline bench while the rest of his team celebrated a touchdown in the second half and the question is, why?
It’s becoming a mental thing for Kayvon and he needs to snap out of it.
Stock up: WR Jalin Hyatt
How about rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt? He called his shot on Sunday, telling Jones to trust him and throw him the ball, and his first NFL reception sparked the comeback. His second NFL reception was even more impressive as he went up and high-pointed a contested ball and hauled it in for a big gain.
There are still some first-year weaknesses Hyatt has to iron out but it’s clear he can be an impact player for the Giants. And not down the line, either. Right now.
Stock down: OL Mark Glowinski
Mark Glowinski was benched in favor of Markus McKethan, who made his first career start on Sunday, but eventually returned to the field when Ben Bredeson suffered a concussion.
Almost immediately, Glowinski found himself beaten. It was a worst-case scenario for the veteran and didn’t redeem him in the eyes of the coaches.
Stock up: NT Dexter Lawrence
We couldn’t possibly run through this stock report without mentioning Dexter Lawrence.
Sexy Dexy was dominant from the jump on Sunday, but it was overshadowed by poor play from the remaining front 7. He was constantly in the backfield, pushing the pocket and getting his hands on Joshua Dobbs.
Lawrence ultimately finished the game with four tackles (three solo, one for a loss) and two QB hits. But those numbers do not highlight his true impact whatsoever.
Stock down: P Jamie Gillan
Jamie Gillan didn’t have the worst performance in Week 2 but it wasn’t anything to write home about, either. It was more bad than good.
Yes, Gillan did have one punt downed inside the 20-yard line (14) but his other two punts went for 36 yards and 42 yards. He had plenty more room to work with and for someone with such a big leg, he needs to drive the ball down the field further without out-kicking his coverage.
