You already knew the Giants had been completely different this 12 months — more durable, smarter, extra resilient than they’ve been in years and, better of all, closers. After they sniff a victory, they snatch that victory. Doesn’t matter if it’s Aaron Rodgers making an attempt to break their day. Or Lamar Jackson. They hadn’t began the season 5-1 by chance.
And right here they had been once more: squarely within the breach, a soccer recreation within the stability, hinging this time on one other gifted proper arm, this one belonging to a Jacksonville Jaguar named Trevor Lawrence.
This minute-plus had already been rife with horrible omens and worse breaks: Saquon Barkley’s toe inadvertently edging the out-of-bounds boundary, costing 40 seconds. A few questionable penalties. One large Jacksonville reception, paired with a roughing the passer penalty.
And now: one ultimate play, the Jags on the Giants’ 17-yard-line. 5 seconds to go. All day lengthy it was laborious to keep in mind that this recreation was being performed in northern Florida and never North Jersey since so most of the 65,664 of us inside TIAA Financial institution Area had been clad in blue Giants vestments.
“It was nearly like a house recreation,” Giants coach Brian Daboll stated.
Now, the blue invaders had been on their toes, making an attempt to drown out the locals, making an attempt to rattle Lawrence, however Christian Kirk broke over the center, shadow of the purpose line, and Lawrence discovered him. If Kirk may simply fall backwards, he would land ultimately zone and the Jaguars can be a PAT shy of a surprising, staggering 24-23 win.
However Fabian Moreau was proper behind Kirk, and clobbered him upright. Kirk stood his floor, tried to someway energy his approach the ultimate 3 toes to the tip zone. However now Moreau was joined by some associates: Justin Love and Xavier McKinney and Landon Collins.
“We had one job,” Love stated. “Preserve him out of the tip zone.”
They did that. They saved him out of the tip zone. When Kirk lastly submitted, the Giants had a 23-17 victory and a 6-1 document, which means they're a thin half-game behind the idle Eagles within the NFC East. MetLife South exploded with glee and the Giants stormed off their sidelines.
“We made it more durable than it wanted to be,” Daboll stated, and he could have been proper, however he wasn’t about to supply to present it again. “We didn’t end the sport the best way we wished to. However we’ll get again to work.”
The coach’s requirements could also be excessive, and they need to be. The Giants preserve proving, week after week, that they're greater than a feel-good story, a cuddly little-engine-that-could sidebar. It is a genuinely good workforce now, with playoff ambitions. Possibly the Eagles and Cowboys can change the narrative later within the season however for now, the Giants imagine they belong within the dialog for the East.
As a result of they do.
“There’s a aggressive spirit and a psychological toughness to our group no matter what’s taking place within the recreation,” stated quarterback Daniel Jones, who had one other very good (and turnover-free) recreation, piling up 202 yards passing and 107 yards speeding. “We've got confidence that we’ll execute.”
In so some ways this recreation — particularly the final minute — was a microcosm of their complete season. At occasions they actually do seem like a continuation of their current previous, and so they invariably put themselves in place to lose. And simply when that thought begins to creep in they do one thing — many issues — that remind you it's a new day, and a brand new workforce.
And so they do the toughest factor there may be to do in sports activities.
They shut.
Damned in the event that they discover a approach to shut nearly each week.
“We fought,” Saquon Barkley stated, “and we discovered a approach to win the soccer recreation.”
Barkley was kicking himself for not falling in bounds on the play that had allowed the Jaguars one ultimate gasp. Every week after sacrificing a late landing with the intention to bleed the clock towards the Ravens, his intentions had been pure however he simply couldn’t fall down in play.
“I've to be higher than that,” he stated.
In fact, he’d been a lot good throughout the sport’s first 59 minutes, gaining 110 yards, biding his time early earlier than discovering some necessary holes because the Giants took after which saved the lead. However that appears to summarize the Giants’ season completely, too.
They're good, however they’re not glad with simply being good. And shouldn’t be. They aren’t 6-1 by chance, both.
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