NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Saquon Barkley’s blistering 194 yards from scrimmage on Sunday paved the best way for a surprising 21-20 Giants upset of the Tennessee Titans.
And solely after a gusty Brian Daboll two-point conversion shovel go to Barkley gave them a late lead, and Titans kicker Randy Bullock pulled a 47-yard area aim broad left as time expired.
“It’s a new era,” Barkley mentioned with a twinkle in his eye.
Jones threw a one-yard TD go to tight finish Chris Myarick with 1:06 to play within the fourth quarter, bringing the Giants inside 20-19. Then Daboll went for 2 and the lead in his NFL head teaching debut, slightly than calling for an additional level to tie the sport.
Barkley took a shovel go from Jones and bounced and barreled by means of visitors into the tip zone for the lead, with rookie left guard Josh Ezeudu paving the best way.
Along with a 68-yard third quarter run that turned the sport’s power, and a 5-yard TD rush that ignited the Giants’ second-half comeback, Barkley’s emphatic efficiency was nothing in need of a press release.
“That man’s been working his ass off,” receiver Sterling Shepard mentioned. “I’ve been seeing that every single day. He’s got it in his eyes. You see that man’s eyes. Locked in, focused. Man’s a dog, bro. People better stop playing with that man. For real. Wake up the monster. 194? Stop playing with him.”
When Barkley’s two-point conversion gave the Giants a 21-20 lead, Titans QB Ryan Tannehill nonetheless promptly drove the Tennessee offense into area aim vary, helped by three Giants penalties.
But Bullock, the Titans’ kicker, pulled his 47-yard area aim broad left, and Daboll’s Giants spilled onto the sector in celebration. This was the Giants’ first Week 1 win since 2016, the final time they made the playoffs. They beat final yr’s AFC No. 1 seed to get it.
“Luckily when you have Saquon Barkley, it works out,” Jones mentioned.
The sport felt prefer it had been misplaced earlier, when Jones coughed up an unthinkable finish zone interception to Titans security Amani Hooker with 8:50 remaining within the fourth quarter—on a third-down go meant for a coated Barkley.
“Just a poor decision,” Jones mentioned. “It was a play to take advantage of [Barkley] and try to get him the ball, but I gotta make a better decision there and make sure we keep points.”
A muffed punt by Titans rookie Kyle Philips, recovered by Giants security Jason Pinnock, had gifted the underdog guests an opportunity to tie with 10:28 left within the fourth quarter whereas trailing, 20-13.
Don Martindale’s decided protection had stored Daboll’s crew within the sport regardless of a 13-0 deficit at halftime. They held Derrick Henry to 82 yards on 21 carries led by edge Jihad Ward (six tackles).
A 13-point third quarter flurry by Jones, Barkley and Sterling Shepard had tied the sport. But they had been nonetheless inside attain after Titans working again Dontrell Hilliard’s second landing reception of the sport with 2:54 left within the third quarter, and after Jones’ decide—his second turnover of the day.
And Daboll’s gutsy resolution, with Mike Kafka sending within the play name, made the distinction. The Giants (1-0) will host the Carolina Panthers (0-1) of their dwelling opener subsequent Sunday.
The power of Sunday’s sport modified drastically early within the third quarter, although when the Giants scored 13 factors in a span of two minutes and 28 seconds to tie it up. They trailed, 13-0, with the ball on their very own 10-yard line.
Then Barkley burst up the left sideline for a 68-yard run, and capped the drive off with a 5-yard TD run off the left aspect. Left deal with Andrew Thomas and Ezeudu plowed open a gap on the TD for a 13-6 deficit with 11:16 remaining within the third.
“I kinda just started to get in the zone, start locking in,” Barkley mentioned of that massive run. “I kinda love being in that place. Gotta try to find a way to get in that place a little quicker.”
A foul snap robbed the Giants of an additional level. But they tied the sport on their very subsequent drive.
Jones hit Shepard for a 65-yard bomb TD go up the left sideline over the pinnacle of younger Titans nook Kristian Fulton. Shepard broke a deal with after making the catch to burst into the tip zone. A Graham Gano additional level tied the sport at 13 apiece with 8:48 left within the third quarter.
Tannehill responded to drive the Titans 75 yards in 9 performs and hit Hilliard sprinting previous inside linebacker Tae Crowder for a 23-yard TD. That was carry over from the primary half.
Tennessee had led 13-0 at halftime behind a 7-yard TD go from Tannehill to Hilliard and two Bullock area targets. The Giants offense didn’t snap the ball on Tennessee’s aspect of the sector all half. And Tannehill had exploited the Giants’ inside linebackers, a place group weakened by the current launch of Blake Martinez.
Austin Calitro was crushed on Hilliard’s landing on the Titans’ first drive with favorable area place as a result of a 46-yard Philips punt return. And Crowder was burnt on Hilliard’s 31-yard achieve to arrange a Bullock area aim within the early second quarter.
The Giants’ Jones additionally was sacked 5 instances within the sport, 4 instances within the first 4 drives. Titans terror Jeffrey Simmons bought him for a strip sack within the second quarter recovered by Bud Dupree.
But Jones nonetheless completed 17-of-21 for 188 yards, two TDs and two turnovers. And after all, he had Barkley. The Titans didn’t.
“Crazy,” Golladay mentioned of Barkley’s afternoon. “You can never see a game like this coming. The stats were crazy. But am I surprised that it happened? Hell no.”
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com