The New York Giants defeated the Chicago Bears, 20-12, in Week 4 to improve to 3-1 on the season. It’s the team’s best start since 2011 and far exceeded anyone’s expectations for the first month of the season.
Things will get a little tough for the Giants from here, but head coach Brian Daboll & Co. remain confident.
As we enter Week 5, here’s a look at where the Giants place in a multitude of power rankings.
How little are they getting from the passing game? RB Saquon Barkley and QB Daniel Jones account for 54% of the team’s yards from scrimmage – yes, that means Jones’ output (193 yards) as a runner.
The Giants’ 71 passing yards Sunday were the fewest for any team in a win this season and the fewest in the league since the Vikings also beat the Bears on a Monday night game last December. The players in the postgame locker room gave the credit to the coaching staff for figuring things out in the middle of the game after Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor were both injured. Those poor players are all so pleasantly surprised by coaching competency.
Meanwhile, the Giants’ defense, which was considered talent-poor heading into the season, ranks 13th in defensive EPA per drive while playing Wink Martindale’s characteristic style. The Giants rank second in the percentage of time they play man coverage (41.3 percent, per TruMedia) and first in blitz rate (43.4 percent of dropbacks).
Saquon Barkley leads the NFL in rushing yards (463) and looks reborn while playing for new head coach Brian Daboll—and he admirably filled in as a wildcat QB Sunday against the Bears after both of the Giants’ quarterbacks suffered injuries. Daniel Jones’s health will be the Giants’ most important story line heading into Week 5 against Green Bay in London; if he can’t play, Daboll will have to turn to Davis Webb and lean even more heavily on Barkley, who for now seems up for the challenge.
Don’t be fooled: This is the worst 3-1 team in the league. Yet, Brian Daboll found a way to sneak past Chicago in a game that saw both his quarterbacks hurt. Could Big Blue be desperate enough to turn to Davis Webb?
The Giants may not have answered the bell in prime time in Week 3, but they have gotten back to their dominant ways of taking care of business against lesser teams, which has to be the new identity under coach Brian Daboll. If New York really isn’t a basement dweller, why play with their food? New York will be in for a real test in London against the Green Bay Packers.
Dalton Miller, Pro Football Network:
Don’t let the 3-1 record fool you. The New York Giants are fraudulent. While the defense seems competent under new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, they’ve yet to face a good offense this season.
But it’s the offense that makes this team pretenders. Calling the passing attack non-existent would be disrespectful to non-existent entities far and wide. Luckily for them, Daniel Jones has made things complicated for defenses with his legs, and Saquon Barkley has busted some massive runs to help a largely hopeless Giants offense survive.
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News:
The Giants are still not impressing anyone offensively with victories over limited opponents, but their defense has been solid and they are getting timely big rushes from Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones.
Kenny Golladay has two catches for 22 yards this season, and that all came in the opener. The last two games he has played 51 snaps without a catch. Golladay’s $21.15 million cap hit this season is No. 1 among all wide receivers according to Spotrac. That signing is historically bad already.