On Sunday, the New York Giants(1-1) went into halftime trailing the Arizona Cardinals(0-2) 20-0. At that point, it appeared that the Giants were on their way to falling to 0-2.
The Giants, who were routed by the Cowboys 40-0 in Week 1, were the first team to surrender at least 60 points in a season before scoring since 1978.
However, the second half was a much different story for the Giants. New York trailed 28-7 in the third quarter, but they would score 24 straight points and take the lead on a Graham Gano 34-yard field goal as they defeated Arizona 31-28 at State Farm Stadium.
The last time New York came back from a 21-point deficit was in 1949.
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and the offense struggled mightily in the first half. The team had zero points and had only 81 yards of total yards.
However, n the second half, Jones woke up. He completed 17/21 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns. In addition, he scored a touchdown on the ground. Jones ended the night completing 26/37 passes for 317 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception(first half). He also added 59 yards on the ground.
The Giants finished the game with 439 total yards, the second-highest total of the 21-game Brian Daboll era and the most they’ve had in a victory.
Daboll was happy with how Jones finished the game.
“Yeah, I thought he finished strong,” Daboll said. “Played a really good second half. We had a couple of things that we could have improved on in the first half, (we) talked about those. But he is a resilient young man who went out there and played well along with, I’d say, a number of people.”
Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard was also impressed by Jones’ resiliency.
“It’s resiliency,” Shepard said. “It’s something that we talk about all the time too. Those are two guys that are very competitive and want to win, and they play with a lot of heart and passion. That’s exactly what was just played.”
Jones, who improved to 8-1-1 in his last ten games following a loss (since Week 7, 2021), felt the team needed to execute better in the second half, which they did.
“I think it’s about execution, and you can’t really afford to think about any of that or get emotional or think about anything outside of what your job is, and that’s to execute and focus on one play at a time and being right there in that play and making sure you’re taking advantage of it and making good decisions, giving guys chances to make plays. That was my focus, and I thought we did that well as a team.”
New York avoided disaster on Sunday. This would have been a terrible loss but credit to Jones and the rest of this team for getting things right in the second half.
Saquon Barkley:
Barkley led the Giants with 63 rushing yards on 17 carries, including a one-yard touchdown run, and tied with Darren Waller for the team lead with six receptions (for 29 yards, including a nine-yard score).
However, late in the game, Barkley injured his right ankle. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Barkley is scheduled to undergo an MRI on the ankle Monday in Arizona to determine the severity of his injury and how much time he could miss.
Entering the 2023 NFL season, there was a lot of excitement surrounding the New York Giants. However, that excitement has been quieted down for now after New York(0-1) was routed by the Cowboys 40-0 in the season opener at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night.
Dallas(1-0) scored its first points of the season after a block field goal that Noah Igbinoghene returned 58 yards for a touchdown; after a field goal that made it 9-0, the Cowboys would score again as DaRon Bland picked off Daniel Jones and returned it 22 yards for another touchdown.
The Cowboys extended their lead to 26-0 at halftime, and the rout was on.
Everything the Giants did on Sunday went wrong. They couldn’t protect their quarterback; Jones was sacked seven times. They didn’t protect the football; New York had three turnovers. It was just a lousy opening night for the Giants.
“It sucks,” Giants running back Saquon Barkley said after the loss. “We got skunked in the National Football League against Dallas and at home, but I don’t think that takes away anything from what we did in training camp. I feel like we had a good week of practice; we came out, and we just didn’t execute and play to the level we could play to.”
Jones, who finished the game completing 15 of 28 passes for only 104 yards and two interceptions, was disappointed by the team’s performance.
“We are certainly frustrated and extremely disappointed with how we performed tonight, and I know I certainly am with myself, so a lot to work on and clean up,” Jones said. “We are going to be critical of ourselves and look to correct it and get back on the right page.”
Giants head coach Brian Daboll added: “We just got skunked here, 40 to nothing. When you play a game like that and coach a game like that, there’s nothing that’s good enough. Our job is to go back and look at it with a critical eye, just like we would do in any game, but 40 to nothing is not a good score, obviously. So, a lot to work on, and that’s what we’ll do.”
It’s only one game, and there is a lot of season left, but if you want to make noise in the NFC East, you have to beat the Cowboys and Eagles, and the Giants know that, which makes this performance even more disappointing.
The New York Giants were a much-improved team last season; they made the playoffs for the first time in a long time(2016), and the play of Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley was a big reason.
After a down season in 2021, Barkley was big-time in 2022. The Pro Bowl running back rushed for a career-high 1312 yards. Regarding Jones, he threw 15 touchdowns and had a career-low five interceptions. In addition, he had career-highs of 708 yards rushing and another seven touchdowns on the ground.
Jones and Barkley are entering Year two in Brian Daboll’s offense, and they are entering this season with more weapons, including tight end Darren Waller. With the addition of the one-time Pro Bowler, things could open up even more for both Jones and Barkley.
“I think adding (tight end) Darren (Waller) definitely helps, being able to bring a little to attention to him and all the guys,” Barkley said on Wednesday. “All the wide receivers, not just DJ (quarterback Daniel Jones), stepping up to another level but (wide receiver Darius) Slay(ton), (wide receiver) Isaiah (Hodgins), (wide receiver) P(arris Campbell), Belly (tight end Daniel Bellinger), (wide receiver Sterling) Shep(ard), all those guys, the O-line. I think we feed off each other really well, and I feel like last year we really showed that, being a team that, whatever it takes to win, and that’s what I am excited for—just going out there and competing at a high level with all the extra talent that we have.
“With DJ showing the type of player that he is and him taking it to another level, it forces you to take it to another level, too. I just feel like me being in the second year, understanding the offense a little bit more, knowing the scheme, knowing where to block, being able to time it better is just going to help my game.”
The Giants offense should be better in 2023; Barkley wants a big contract, and he’s going to be motivated to play at a high level. In addition, Waller, if he can stay healthy, will help. The offense line is solid. If Jones is what the Giants think he could be when they gave him a big contract in the offseason, things could be great for New York on offense, which could mean even better days for the Giants.
The New York Giants released its initial 53-man roster on Tuesday. To get down to 53 players, the Giants waived 15 players and terminated the contracts of six vested veterans.
New York waived the following players:
Quarterback Tommy DeVito, who played most of the Giants’ preseason snaps; running back Jashaun Corbin; wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton; tight end Ryan Jones; tackle Tyre Phillips; defensive tackles Ryder Anderson and Kobe Smith; defensive end Habakkuk Baldonado; linebackers Darrian Beavers, Tomon Fox, Ray Wilborn and Dyontae Johnson; cornerback Gemon Green; safety Alex Cook; and long snapper Cameron Lyons.
Those whose contracts were terminated were linebacker Oshane Ximines, wide receivers Jamison Crowder, Cole Beasley, and David Sills, cornerback Amani Oruwariye, and center Sean Harlow.
Tight end Tommy Sweeney was placed on the reserve/non-football list (NFI), and wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, who is returning after tearing his ACL as a rookie last November, was activated off the physically unable to perform list (PUP) after he passed his physical.
In addition, third-year cornerback Aaron Robinson was moved from active/PUP to reserve/PUP and must miss at least the season’s first four games. The team’s third-round draft choice in 2021, Robinson was limited to two games last season because he had his appendix removed and tore his ACL.
This is the initial 53-man roster, so a lot can change, which Giants head coach Brian Daboll discussed.
“Long couple of days here, obviously made some cuts,” Daboll said. “I’m not going to talk about who was released today. It’s kind of still a fluid situation right now, so really all-encompassing – the roster, whether it’s the practice squad, who we have so that’s really more for tomorrow.”
Giants name team captains:
Daboll today announced the team’s 2023 captains, which consists of 10 players: Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, Andrew Thomas, Darren Waller, Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Bobby Okereke, Adoree’ Jackson, Xavier McKinney and Graham Gano.
Barkley is a captain for the fifth consecutive season, the team’s longest active streak. Jones is a fourth-year captain, and Gano is in his third season in the leadership position. Thomas, Lawrence, Williams, and McKinney are second-year captains. Jackson, Waller, and Okereke were selected captains for the first time, the latter two players in their debut season with the Giants.
“The way we do it is I have six slots, and I have all the players vote, and then if you get a certain amount of votes, then you are named captain,” Daboll said. “I think there were 22 people on the team that received votes, which to me is good for our team in terms of the way players perceive other players in leadership roles. Just because you are not a captain doesn’t mean you are not a leader on the team. There was a considerable number of guys who got, maybe it was five votes or three votes. Some guys got over 50 votes, but that was all by the players.”
Earlier this week, the New York Giants and RB Saquon Barkley agreed on a one-year deal.
Some expected the two-time Pro Bowler to skip training camp after he did not sign the franchise tender he received on March 7 and did not reach an agreement with the Giants on a long-term contract by the July 17 deadline, but he’s at camp and on Thursday, Barkley explained why he reported.
“The reality of it is, I mean, one, I kind of just followed my heart,” Barkley said. “Obviously, I heard what everyone was saying in the news and on social media, but I kind of just followed my heart. And then you’ve got to look at it from a business point, from a business view, I felt like, what’s the best thing that I can do? Some people may agree or disagree with this, to sit out or sit in, and I feel like for this year specifically, the best thing that I can do for myself would be coming back, going out there, and play the game that I love, playing for my teammates, doing something that I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid.”
The six-year running back said he was seriously considering sitting out; however, in his mind, he believed that would not have been the right move for many reasons.
“Yeah, I was,” Barkley said. “That’s a play that I had, but I’ll be completely honest, if I sat out this year and, say, the New York Football Giants and I sat out, and we didn’t have a good record, do you think that’s going to make another team in free agency or the Giants want to have me come back the next year after I sat out a whole year? And be like, ‘Oh, we want to give you 15 million dollars a year now?’ I don’t think that’s how it’s going to work. After having conversations and really breaking it down – when you sit there, and you break it down like that, it’s like, the only way that I’m going to make it change or do something that’s going to benefit myself and my family is doing what I do best. And that’s showing up and playing the game I love and do it at a high level.”
Recently, running backs around the league discussed the devaluing of the position in the league. As we know, it’s difficult for running backs to get big contracts. Going forward, Barkley is hoping to change the narrative.
“Obviously, I know what’s going on with the running back situation and me being tagged and the value of the running back continually going down,” he said. “The only way that I feel like that’s going to change is someone has to make it change. God willing; hopefully, I can be one of the people to do it.”
The 26-year-old says he was disappointed that the two sides could not agree on a long-term deal, but he’s put that behind him and is ready to win a championship in New York.
“I could sit here and lie to you and be like, ‘I wasn’t disappointed; I wasn’t this and that and the third.’ I mean, that would just be a flat-out lie,” Barkley said. “But I am mature enough to understand that it’s a business and understand that deals don’t get done every year. Specific to my position, we didn’t get a deal done. Me and my team felt like we were in good faith trying to get a deal done, the Giants feel they were in a good faith trying to get a deal done, and that’s life. Sometimes you don’t come to an agreement. I had to come to a decision. Like I said, I had an epiphany.
“I had a mindset of what I was going to do, but I changed my mind. Wise words of a lot of vets who’ve reached out to me and who have said some stuff on the news and media, ‘When you show up, you can’t have that in your heart.’ It’s not a good thing to have in your heart. So, I put all that aside. My focus is on my teammates, everyone in that building, and the fans, and to go out here and have a hell of a year.”
The Giants will have one of their best players at the start of training camp, after all. The team announced on Tuesday that star running back Saquon Barkley signed a one-year contract with the team.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Saquon Barkley’s one-year deal is worth $10.1 million fully guaranteed, including a $2 million upfront signing bonus. The agreement includes $1 million of incentives with an equal amount paid for 1,300 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 65 receptions. However, according to Schefter, Barkley did not get a “no franchise tag” clause, meaning the Giants can tag him again after this season.
Barkley, who some expected not to report to training camp, had not signed the franchise tender he received on March 7 and did not reach an agreement with the Giants on a long-term contract by the July 17 deadline, but the two sides worked things out, and Barkley will be on the field for the first day of training camp.
“Obviously, we are glad we were able to work things out with Saquon,” said general manager Joe Schoen in a press release. “We all recognize the player and person Saquon is and what he means to our team. He is a good teammate, a leader, and a really good player. We are looking forward to getting on the field tomorrow.”
Last season, the sixth-year veteran started each of the first 16 regular-season games before he was one of numerous inactive regulars in the season finale at Philadelphia, the first time since his 2018 Rookie of the Year season that the 26-year-old Barkley did not miss a game due to injury. Barkley was selected to his second Pro Bowl and was one of three players nominated for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
Barkley finished with career-high totals of 295 carries for 1,312 yards – the NFL’s fourth-highest total – and rushed for 10 touchdowns, one less than his career-high rookie total. He had 133 more attempts, 719 more yards, and eight more rushing touchdowns than he produced in 13 games in 2021.
Other moves:
*The Giants signed free agent outside linebacker Tashawn Bower.
Bower, 28, is a 6-5, 250-pounder who has played in 26 regular-season games with three starts for Minnesota, New England and Las Vegas. He has 23 tackles (16 solo), 2.0 sacks and four tackles for loss. In 2022, Bower played in six games for the Raiders.
Bower is a New Jersey native who played four seasons at LSU.
*Linebacker Elerson Smith (heel) was waived/injured. A fourth-round draft choice in 2021, Smith played in just 13 games in two seasons, including five last year, because of injuries. His totals included five tackles (one solo), two quarterback hits, six special teams tackles and one forced fumble on special teams.
*Defensive back Trenton Thompson was waived.
Signed as a rookie free agent last year, Thompson played in one game, Thanksgiving Day in Dallas.
On Friday, the Giants selected former Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt with the 73rd overall pick(third round). Last season, Hyatt was the 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner and a big-time playmaker, with 67 receptions for 1267 yards and 15 touchdowns.
According to Hyatt, like most wide receivers, he is always open.
“I feel like I’m just dynamic, explosive; I feel like I get open 24/7,” Hyatt said on Friday. “I think that’s what you want in a receiver, and I feel like, really, with those three attributes, I think that’s what separates myself from everybody else.”
Hyatt is slender(6-0, 188 pounds), and we’ve seen slender wide receivers like DeSean Jackson and DeVonta Smith succeed in the NFL, and Hyatt said he studied Smith’s game.
“I was very big on DeVonta Smith with the Eagles,” he said. “I think he has a lot of capabilities that I have. Slim build, long arms, explosive, dynamic, gets open 24/7. He’s consistent in how he catches the ball. He’s a consistent receiver and a guy that makes plays, and that’s what I want to do. That’s what I want to be when I come here.”
According to Hyatt, now that he’s on the Giants team, he will have a hard time loading up the box to stop Saquon Barkley because they will have to account for his speed.
“When you have (Saquon)Barkley in the backfield, and you know, a lot of guys that we have on this team that’s very, very, very good, they can’t really load the box,” he said. “They can’t go down there and just blitz the whole game. They are going to have respect — they are going to have to respect us, and that’s what I’ll bring and add to the table.”
Giants GM Joe Schoen is impressed by Hyatt’s speed.
He can roll,” Schoen said. “I was at that Alabama game. I can’t remember why I came in late, but I was a little bit late. But I was on the field for the first half. I was coming from another game, landed there, and first half I was on the field, and you could really feel his speed. It’s legit 4-3.”
Giants head coach Brian Daboll added on Hyatt: “I think he’s a good player. I think he runs some of the routes that we run here. You can see, a little bit like Gabe, how it might translate. But again, everything is new for him. He’s a young guy. We’ll throw him in the mix with the other receivers and let those guys compete it out. A good visit here. Definitely has some qualities that you like when you’re watching him. Good young man. So, happy we have him.”
Hyatt was expected to go in the first two rounds, but he dropped; however, none of that bothered Hyatt; he’s just happy for the opportunity with New York.
“For me, I’m just blessed for the opportunity to be here,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. I wasn’t worried about if I was sliding up or down or whatever. I just know for me, whatever team drafted me, you know, I knew what I was going to do. I knew what I was going to do. And Giants took me, traded up to get me, and that’s something I’ll never forget, and now it’s time to put in the work.”
The Giants and Daniel Jones needed some wide receiver help, and they might have found that in Hyatt.
After having a breakout season in 2022, the New York Giants awarded quarterback Daniel Jones with a new contract.
On Tuesday, the Giants announced they had signed Jones to a four-year contract.
According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, the deal is worth $160 million, with $82 million guaranteed at signing. In addition, there is another $35 million available in incentives.
Jones, 25, was scheduled to become a free agent if the two sides did not reach an agreement by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline. The Giants could have placed the franchise tag on Jones if a deal was not completed.
“I said after the season I love this place,” Jones said via a statement from the team. “I’ve really enjoyed my time here, and I want to be here. I have great respect for this organization, the Maras, the Tisches, my coaches, and teammates. I am happy we were able to come to an agreement.”
The long-term contract allows the Giants to reduce Jones’ cap number in this and subsequent seasons, and Giants GM Joe Schoen is happy that the deal is done.
“We had productive conversations with Daniel and his representatives over the course of the past week or so,” Schoen said. “We are all pleased that we were able to come to an agreement prior to today’s deadline. This gives us a greater ability to continue to build our roster.”
Last season, Jones led the Giants to the playoffs for the first time since 2006, and the team got their first playoff win since 2011.
In his fourth season with the Giants, the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft started a career-high 16 regular-season games.
He completed a Giants-record 67.2% of his passes, finished with 3,205 passing yards and a 92.5 passer rating, both career highs, and led the NFL and set a franchise record by throwing an interception on just 1.1% of his passes (five in 472 throws).
In addition, Jones was second on the team with 708 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, both records for a Giants quarterback. He became the fourth quarterback in NFL history with at least 3,200 passing yards, a 65+ completion percentage, and 700 or more rushing yards in a season.
Barkley gets the tag:
In addition to re-signing Jones, the Giants announced on Monday that they had placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on running back Saquon Barkley.
The two sides have until July 17th to hammer out a long-term deal. If they don’t, Barkley’s salary will be $10 million next season.
Barkley, 26, can look elsewhere, but the Giants can match any offer or let him sign with a another team. If that happens, they will receive two first-round picks.
Last season, Barkley finished with career-high totals of 295 carries for 1,312 yards – the NFL’s fourth-highest total – and scored 10 touchdowns, one less than his rookie total. In addition, the fifth-year back caught 57 passes for 338 yards after he had 41 receptions for 263 yards the previous season. He finished seventh in the NFL with 1,650 scrimmage yards.
On Monday, Giants GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll met the media to put a bow on the team’s successful 2022 season.
This season, New York, who made the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and won a playoff game for the first time since 2011, looks like a team that could be on the rise.
Obviously, the Giants have some questions that they have to answer.
Daniel Jones:
Daniel Jones played well this season and made some strides. In 2022, Jones had a career-high in yards(3,205), rushing yards(708), and rushing touchdowns(7), and he protected the football(five interceptions), but he’s an unrestricted free agent who will definitely get a raise.
Schoen was asked a series of questions by the media related to Jones:
Q: Do you plan on re-signing (quarterback) Daniel (Jones)?
Schoen: “We’d like Daniel to be here. Again, he said it yesterday – there’s a business side to it. We feel like Daniel played well this season. He’s done everything that we’ve asked him to do. Again, there’s a business side to it. We haven’t went down that road yet. We still have to have our meetings with our staff late in the week, and we’ll devise an offseason plan. We haven’t had those meetings yet, but we would like to have Daniel Jones back.”
Q: Having said that, when did you know? You and Dabs came in and had to do your due diligence and see what you had in Daniel (Jones) and everybody else. When did you make the decision, both of you guys, ‘This guy is our guy to move forward with,’?
Schoen: “I don’t know if there was necessarily an ‘Aha’ moment or anything like that. We just continued to evaluate him throughout the season and what the coaches were asking him to do. And he was executing the game plans. Dabs and I communicate on a daily basis – not just Dabs and I, but the offensive staff and what they’re asking him to do. He continued to improve throughout the season. I don’t know the exact date or time when we’re like, ‘Daniel is our guy,’ but we’re pleased with how he played this season.”
Q: When you say you want Daniel (Jones) back, ideally would you like that to be a long-term deal or a multi-year deal?
Schoen: “We’re going to get into all that. Again, it takes two. Both sides have got to have those conversations. We haven’t crossed that bridge yet. There’s tools at our disposal. Again, we’ll go through several scenarios. It’s kind of like I mentioned it last year, maybe it was at the combine, with the ‘if, then’ scenarios. You got to go through all those because you don’t know how things are going to fall because it’s negotiating. This is why you love the draft – you turn in the card, and they’re yours. You know what the contract structure is; you know the years. This is where there’s two parties involved, and it’s going to be time consuming. We’ll get together as a staff. We’ll talk through the different options and have those discussions when it’s appropriate.”
Q: Do you view Daniel (Jones) as a quarterback who can help you win a Super Bowl?
Schoen: We’re happy Daniel’s going to be here. We’re happy he’s going to be here. Hopefully we can get something done with his representatives. And that would be the goal – to build a team around him where he can lead us and win a Super Bowl.
Saquon Barkley:
In addition, Giants running back Saquon Barkley can also be an unrestricted free agent. After two consecutive injury-riddled seasons, Barkley broke out in 2022 as he rushed for a career-high 1312 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Schoen was also asked a series of questions by the media related to Barkley:
Q: Obviously you need a new contract with (running back) Saquon (Barkley). Is that somebody, also, you also would like to keep, and is the franchise tag a possibility?
Schoen: “Again, this is a special team to me. It was my first year. We’d like to have all the guys back, I really would. But there’s a business side to it. There’s rules that you need to operate under in terms of the salary cap. Saquon, he’s a good player. He’s a great teammate. I loved getting to know him this season. He’s a guy we would like to have back. It’s just, again, we haven’t had our end-of-season meetings yet. We’re less than 48 hours after that game. Everybody is going to step back, take the emotion out of it, evaluate the roster and then we’ve got to operate under the salary cap. How are you going to divvy up? How are we going to create the roster? What are the priority positions, and how are we going to move forward? We would like to have Saquon back if it works out.”
Q: With Saquon (Barkley), how do you view running back positional value versus he’s also, other than Daniel (Jones), your best playmaker?
Schoen: “Listen, Saquon has done everything we’ve asked him to do, and he’s a good football player. Again, the positional value – we’ll get into how we want to build this team and allocate our resources. That’s what it comes down to. Again, he’s a good football player. He was durable for us this year; he played well. And again, he’s a guy that we would like to have back.”
Q: On Saquon (Barkley), when you try to determine his financial value – how much do you factor in character and contribution to culture as opposed to talent when it comes to that evaluation?
Schoen: “If that wasn’t important, we probably wouldn’t be approaching him. So, that’s kind of a starter for us – if you’re a good teammate, you’re a culture fit for how we want to do things. That’s where we go to those players. We don’t factor in – when you’re making comps (comparisons), it’s hard to put a value on that. It’s important, but you can look at how many yards, touchdowns, Pro Bowls, games played, games missed. Those are more markers that we can establish value on. We wouldn’t approach him or look to sign a guy if they didn’t fit our culture if we didn’t think so.”
Q: How close were you with him (Saquon Barkley in bye week conversations)? How close were you with him, and did you consider yourself close when you had that conversation?
Schoen: “We had productive conversations. We were off on the value. Again, we said we would circle back up at the end of the season and continue those conversations, but that time of year, we weren’t really that close I would think.”
Reports are leaning toward the Giants bringing back Jones and Barkley. It’s just a matter of how they are going to do it. Not completely sold on Jones being the guy, but if New York can finally build a complete roster around him, then maybe you can win with him. He’s proven that he can win, but can you win big with Jones? Time will be the judge.
The season did not end the way the New York Giants wanted it to, but when they look back on it, they will realize it was a success.
New York’s season ended in Philadelphia on Saturday night as they fell to the Eagles 38-7 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
The Giants, who lost three times to Philadelphia this season, allowed the Eagles to score four touchdowns on their first five drives and trailed 28-0 at halftime. New York was dominated from start to finish.
“Well, crash landing here,” Daboll said after the loss. “Give Philly credit. They did everything better than we did today—tough game. We really got beat in all facets, so it wasn’t one thing in particular. It was a team game, and we just didn’t get it done. Congratulations to Philly. They get to move on, and unfortunately, we don’t.”
After five straight 10-loss seasons, New York was 9-7-1 this year, made the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and got their playoff win since 2011.
Despite the blowout loss, Daboll wanted his team to keep their heads up.
“I told them to keep their heads up,” he said. “They competed hard. It’s a crash landing in the playoffs. Anytime you lose, it hurts because of the amount of effort and energy you put into it each week. And when you lose this time of year, it hurts even more. You work extremely hard to get to this point. You’re blessed to get to this point. It’s hard to do.”
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who can be an unrestricted free agent, showed much improvement this season. He became a better player, and he hopes to continue to grow moving forward.
“I don’t know what I proved,” he said. “I think I improved every week. I thought I was consistent throughout the year. There are certainly things I like to have back, especially tonight. I think there are some things I’ll go back and look to clean up and improve and grow as a player going forward. I thought, overall, I did do that. I grew and improved throughout the year, and I will continue to try and do that.”
Saquon Barkley, who also can be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, said the 2022 Giants is a team he won’t forget.
“It sucks, this was a fun team,” he said. “The guys here, coaches, everything that we were able to build this year. The way we played for each other this year, it was special. Obviously, it didn’t end the way we would have wanted it to end. Not just because of the record or because we made it to playoffs, this is probably one of my favorite teams of all time. That’s a sad thing about the NFL; no matter what, the locker room is not going to be the exact same next year. So just happy to be able to go out there with these guys and lay it all out on the line and compete with them.”
The Giants’ season was a success the moment they beat the Colts and clinched a playoff spot; they should hold their heads high. The future seems bright in New York.
