Giants takeaways from Sunday's 31-28 comeback win at Cardinals, including Daniel Jones proving his worth
The Daniel Jones-led Giants avoided an 0-2 start to the 2023 NFL season with a 20-point comeback in Week 2, a 31-28 win at the Arizona Cardinals.
Four things to know from Sunday's game
1. Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka deserve credit for making second-half adjustments after the Cardinals shut the Giants out through the first two quarters, but Jones ultimately got the offense going. He proved his worth, completing 26-of-37 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns to one interception while adding 59 rushing yards and a score on the ground. The Cardinals had his number in the first half, but he made plays -- initially improvising on the ground and then finding rhythm through the air -- as the Giants clawed back. Jones signed a four-year, $160 million contract this past offseason and seemed worth the investment in this one.
2. Saquon Barkley broke through in the second half, where he scored both of his two touchdowns. After a 1-yard run to keep the Giants within two scores, 28-14 at the third quarter's 3:27 mark, Barkley struck again on the receiving end of a 9-yard pass from Jones with 8:51 left in the fourth. Barkley's numbers -- 23 touches (17 rushes, two receptions) for 92 yards from scrimmage (63 rushing, 29 receiving) do not jump off the page, but he ultimately improved as the game went on and showed his value as a multifaceted complement to Jones. Unfortunately for the Giants, they have to be holding their collective breath after they saw Barkley go down with a lower-body injury late in the fourth quarter and not return.
3. While Jones has familiarity with Barkley, he found his groove with a pair of the Giants' top offseason additions Jalin Hyatt and Darren Waller. The rookie Hyatt flashed his big-play ability as he caught two passes on two targets for 89 yards (44.5 average), including a long of 58 and a 31-yard strike at the fourth quarter's 6:52 mark early in the game-tying touchdown drive. The veteran Waller, who played through a hamstring injury in the Giants' 40-0 Week 1 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, looked like himself and showed signs of promise as a safety blanket for Jones. Waller made six catches on eight targets for 76 yards (12.7 average).
4. Although the Giants completed the 21-point comeback after trailing 28-7 midway through the third quarter, highlighted by Isaiah Hodgins' 11-yard touchdown reception and Graham Gano's 34-yard field goal in the final minutes, the defense is a cause for concern. After the Cowboys rolled the Giants, the Cardinals -- led by backup Joshua Dobbs at quarterback -- nearly did the same. Is this a wake-up call for the unit and Wink Martindale?
Highlights
What's next
The Giants (1-1) have a quick turnaround in Week 3 with Thursday's 8:15 p.m. game at San Francisco. The 49ers improved to 2-0 with Sunday's 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
