Daniel Jones saves Giants in 31-28 comeback win over Cardinals, but Saquon Barkley hurts ankle

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Daniel Jones rescued the Giants’ season Sunday in the desert when there was no oasis in sight.

New York’s franchise quarterback directed four consecutive touchdown drives, and five straight scoring drives, to lead his team to its first win, a 31-28 comeback over the Arizona Cardinals.

The Giants tied the largest comeback in their history, down 21 points in the third quarter, which they last did in 1949.

“They’re all satisfying,” a relieved Brian Daboll said. “You hope they don’t all start 20-0.”

Saquon Barkley hurt his right ankle on the go-ahead drive, but Graham Gano’s 34-yard field goal with 19 seconds remaining sealed the Giants’ first win of the season.

Brian Daboll’s team trailed 20-0 at halftime and 28-7 in the third quarter after showing no life or discipline in a pathetic first half at air-conditioned State Farm Stadium.

It took them 91 minutes and 17 seconds to score their first points of the season, including a 40-0 Week 1 home blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

That marked the first time a Giants team did not score a point in the first six quarters of a season since 1934, when they went scoreless for seven quarters to open the year.

But Jones (two passing TDs, one rushing TD), Barkley (two TDs) and the offense finally got going in Sunday’s second half.

An offensive line without injured left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring), and that lost left guard Ben Bredeson (concussion) mid-game, was not completely overwhelmed in pass protection.

And the Giants (1-1) can at least breathe with a scary Thursday night road matchup upcoming against the mighty San Francisco 49ers.

Jones said the second half improvement was mainly due to him cleaning up first half mistakes on his part as the Giants’ quarterback and leader.

“We always remained confident,” Jones said. “It was getting back to simple execution: trusting it, seeing it and ripping it. We had some opportunities to make plays in the first half. We didn’t do it. I knew they’d be there. I just had to execute and give our guys a chance to make those plays. We did it and built on that.”

Jones completed 26 of 37 passes for 321 yards, two TDs and an interception. Plus he added 59 rushing yards and a TD on nine carries. There was a first-half underthrow to Darius Slayton and another deep shot Daboll said Jones didn’t go to.

But he cleaned it up in time to save the day.

“I think there were some throws I’d like to have back and a couple things I gotta see better and read out,” Jones said. “So I will definitely look to improve those situations.”

Daboll looked like he might have been calling offensive plays in the second half when the offense took off, holding a play sheet over his mouth a bunch and acting differently than normal.

But the coach denied being any more involved.

“Nope,” Daboll said. “No, we always communicate like that. I always have a sheet with me. But Mike [Kafka] did a fantastic job. Offensive staff did a good job moving the ball, scoring points.”

The Cardinals (1-1) are still a bad team that is expected to compete for a top-3 pick in next spring’s 2024 NFL Draft. Rookie Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon has now relinquished double-digit halftime leads in two straight games in this stadium, including January’s Super Bowl

But Joe Schoen’s team lived to fight another day.

It started when Jones hit rookie receiver Jalin Hyatt on a 58-yard deep ball on the third quarter’s first play from scrimmage. The Giants were off and running to four consecutive touchdown drives.

Jones capped the first drive with a 14-yard TD run. Barkley scored the Giants’ next TD from a yard out. Barkley dove in for a 9-yard TD reception from Jones to cut the Cards’ lead to 28-21 with 8:51 to play in the fourth quarter.

Then Jones hit Hodgins for an 11-yard TD to tie the game with 4:25 to play. The defense allowed a third-quarter TD to Marquise Brown and a successful Arizona two-point conversion but then stiffened to force three fourth quarter punts and knocked down a desperation Hail Mary from Josh Dobbs.

The first half was a comedy of errors that resulted in a 20-0 Cardinals halftime lead.

Giants left tackle Josh Ezeudu committed a false start on his first offensive snap starting in place of the injured Andrew Thomas. Safety Xavier McKinney committed a 15-yard personal foul for hitting a sliding Dobbs on a scramble.

Wink Martindale’s defense was flagged for having 12 men on the field. Daboll lost a challenge on a big Rondale Moore third down catch. Waller, Barkley and Parris Campbell all dropped passes.

Barkley’s dropped pass, with Cardinals linebacker Kyzir White bearing down on him, was intercepted by Jalen Thompson and returned into Giants territory in the second quarter.

It marked the second time in two games that Barkley has dropped a pass that was intercepted by the other team. The Cowboys scored a touchdown on Barkley’s drop in Week 1.

The actual football was just as bad.

Conner walked in for a four-yard touchdown for the Cardinals’ first points. Dobbs easily strutted in for a 23-yard rushing TD, too, running through McKinney, who tried to strip the ball at the goal line.

Longtime Eagle Zach Ertz and the Cardinals tight ends did major damage. And if Dobbs hadn’t missed a wide open Ertz on Arizona’s game-opening drive, the halftime score would have been even worse.

Fortunately, the Giants didn’t fold.

Daboll got a message through to his team at halftime with “confidence and sternness.”

“To be able to keep competing, that’s not always the easiest thing to do,” Daboll said. “But we talked a little bit about it at halftime. I made my point. And ultimately it’s the players that go out there and make the plays.”

Jones said of Daboll’s halftime demeanor: “He definitely preached the urgency we needed and the importance of starting fast in the second half and taking advantage of some opportunities. But he’s consistent. He’s that fiery, passionate, same message he always gives. And guys took to it.”

The Giants responded, fought back and in the process kept their season alive.

“I’m proud of our team and coaches, but certainly a long way to go,” Daboll said.