Daniel Jones’ big game helps Giants end playoff drought
They did it after 4 touchdowns (2 passes, 2 rushes) from quarterback Daniel Jones.
The Giants (9-6-1) needed only a win over the Colts to secure the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs, which likely face the San Francisco 49ers or the Minnesota Vikings in the wildcard round . They won the season for the second time in 10 years.
The last time the Giants reached the postseason, Ben McAdoo was coach, Jerry Reese was general manager, and Eli Manning was quarterback. Wide his receiver Odell his Beckham Jr. is in the middle of his third consecutive dominant season, with a memorable boat trip and a Giants playoff loss to Green Bay his Packers.
Landon Collins was also an All-Pro safety that season. In his second stint with the Giants, Collins is now a part-time linebacker. He made an interception return for a touchdown (first since 2016) late in the first half against the Colts to make the score 21-3.
The Giants’ success this season came in their first year with Brian Dabor as head coach and Joe Shane as general manager. They were hired by the Buffalo Bills earlier this year and tasked with turning a struggling and once proud franchise around.
Shane and Dabor took over the team entering this season with the New York Jets, who had the worst record in the NFL in the past five years. Last season he went 4-13 with the Giants.
Their goal has always been to rebuild and compete on the fly.
“Compete for today, build for tomorrow,” Shane said.
That’s exactly what they did. The Giants entered the season with a total of six wins, according to the Caesars Sportsbook. They beat it before Halloween, Jones played the best football of his career, and Saqwon Barkley looked like his rookie year self. Barkley surpassed his 1,307 total rushing yards on Sunday afternoon, a career-high from his rookie season.
Players like Jones and Barkley have been through most of the tough times. This season saw them achieve a winning record for the first time in their careers. This is the first time he has advanced to the postseason.
The same goes for players like Dexter Lawrence, Julian Love, Darius Slayton, Andrew Thomas and Leonard Williams, who started his career with the Jets. Williams is in his 8th season as a professional. Barkley recently claimed his goal from the start was to reach the playoffs.
“That was the goal for the jump, to be completely honest,” Barkley said after last week’s big win in Washington that put the Giants on track after a rough stretch. “Reaching the playoffs is every team’s goal when they start the season.
“You want to put yourself in a situation where you can do that and we did it. 30, 2, 3, or when it comes to the final play of the game, find a way to keep believing in each other, trusting the system, and breaking it.