The Giants have been to London three times, and they’ve won all three times, and it’s safe to say that their most recent victory is also their least likely.
On paper, the Giants didn’t appear to have much of a chance to beat the Packers on Sunday, but the Giants clearly didn’t read the paper. In front of a raucous crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Giants won 27-22 in a game no one thought they could win. Not only did they enter Week 5 with a poor starting quarterback (Daniel Jones), but they also lacked several key receivers.
Honestly, it’s actually worse than that. Here’s what the Giants deal with this week:
With his limited offensive options, Giants coach Brian Dabore decided to throw the kitchen sink at the Packers: He worked out a game plan with offensive coordinator Mike Kafka to keep the Giants’ offense nearly full game Game-leading Packers defense.
The Giants saved their most unique game for the red zone. Their first touchdown of the game in New York came on a 2-yard run by Daniel Bellinger, which was more exciting than a standard 2-yard run.
The score came in the second quarter, cutting the Packers’ lead to 17-10.
The Giants were better offense in the second half, scoring the first three possessions. A big reason they were able to do this was because of Saquon Barkley’s play. After briefly leaving the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury, Barkley stormed back to the court to give New York two of the most important games of the game.
With the first short pass from Jones, Barkley was able to turn into a 41-yard gain.
In the four games since then, Barkley lined up for the Wildcats in one game, and he ended up in the end zone for a game-winning touchdown.
Barkley had 13 carries for 70 yards in one day, 5.38 yards per rush, tearing the Packers defense apart.
As great as Barkley is, you could argue that the Giants’ offensive MVP is Jones, who provided his team with a key despite his ankle injury. Jones was nearly perfect, going 21-for-27 for 217 yards. He also rushed for 37 yards, which may have come as a surprise to the Packers, who didn’t seem to expect him to run due to an ankle injury. One of Jones’ big plays came in the third and third quarter, when he ran for 4 yards in a QB tie to hold a tee shot.
The Giants are 4-1 on the season for the first time since 2009, and there’s no reason to think they can’t keep winning. Not only did they prove they could play with big men on Sunday, they also proved they were one of the big men by beating the Packers.
The Giants may also want to start voluntarily playing more in London. They’re perfect in England right now, and they’ve played the playoffs overseas every year.
Well, let’s take a look at the results for each game from week 5 onwards. If you want a more in-depth look at the Colts’ 12-9 win over Denver on Thursday, be sure to click here.
New York Giants beat Green Bay (London) 27-22
John Breech’s Giants-Packers grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Los Angeles Chargers beat Cleveland 30-28
John Breech’s Chargers-Browns grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Minnesota beat Chicago 29-22
John Breech’s Bears-Vikings grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
New Orleans beat Seattle 39-32
John Breech’s Seahawks-Saints grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Tampa Bay defeats Atlanta 21-15
John Breech’s Falcons-Buccaneers grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Tennessee beat Washington 21-17
John Breech’s Titans-Commanders grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Houston defeated Jacksonville 13-6
John Breech’s Texas Jaguars results (Love results? Hate results? Let him know on Twitter.)
Buffalo beat Pittsburgh 38-3
Bryan DeArdo’s Steelers-Bills grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
New York Jets beat Miami 40-17
Jordan Dajani’s Dolphins-Jets grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
New England 29-0 Detroit
John Breech’s Lions-Patriots grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
San Francisco beat Carolina 37-15
John Breech’s 49ers-Panthers grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Dallas beat Los Angeles Rams 22-10
Jordan Dajani’s Cowboys-Rams grades (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
Philadelphia beat Arizona 20-17
Eagles-Cardinals grades by Jeff Kerr (Love grades? Hate grades? Let him know on Twitter.)