The sports world is in a freeze as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic and fans are going through an obvious withdrawal. In an effort to help combat that, the NFL is currently offering Game Pass for free, meaning fans now have a massive archive of old games to watch.
Currently, Game Pass offers every single NFL game from 2009 through 2019, so here’s a look at 12 games New York Giants fans can enjoy during their quarantine.
12. 2018 Week 13: Saquon Barkley erupts
Barkley dominated in his first NFL season en route to the Rookie of the Year Award, but many of his top performances came during ugly losses, including his debut game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
However, later in the season with the game slowing down for him, Barkley erupted against the Washington Redskins to the tune of 197 scrimmage yards, including 170 yards on the ground and one touchdown.
The Giants absolutely dominated the Redskins in the game and Barkley was a major reason why. To this day, it remains Barkley’s best all-around statistical game (factoring in yards per carry).
11. First playoff game at MetLife Stadium
The Giants hosted the Atlanta Falcons in the first-ever playoff game at MetLife Stadium in January of 2012 and they blew Matt Ryan & Co. out of the water.
From the opening kickoff, the Giants, led by their ferocious fourth down defense, took it to Atlanta and never let their foot off the gas. The fans were wild, the stadium was rocking and it was the start of another magical run.
Eli Manning tossed three touchdowns, Hakeem Nicks had a big day and the combination of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw was too much for the Falcons to handle.
10. 2014 Week 12: Odell Beckham Jr.’s catch
The Giants lost this game and for that reason, some won’t want to re-watch it. However, it’s the game in which the superstardom of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was born.
Leading 7-3 to start the second quarter, Eli Manning unleashed a bomb to Beckham, who was being mauled by the defender. Despite that, he went up and with three fingers, hauled down what is still widely considered the greatest catch in NFL history.
No matter how many times you watch the play and regardless of your opinion on OBJ, it’s still surreal.
As far as the game itself, it was an exciting back-and-forth battle that saw the Giants defense cave in the final minutes.
9. 2019 Week 15: Eli Manning’s farewell
In what was one of the most emotional moments in Giants history, Eli Manning said goodbye to MetLife Stadium, Big Blue Nation and the Giants organization in Week 15 of the 2019 regular season.
Although Manning would suit up for one final game in Week 16, he would not play, meaning his victory over the Miami Dolphins would be his curtain call.
Replacing the injured Daniel Jones, Manning chucked and ducked for four full quarters. And while it was far from his best performance, it was a vintage Manning kind of day.
When all was said and done, Manning walked away victorious, his regular season career record sitting at an even .500. He entered the tunnel to the embrace of his wife and children as thousands of Giants fans chanted his name.
It was a magical moment worth reliving.
8. 2015 Week 8: Manning, Brees shootout
Yes, this is another game the Giants lost, but it also featured two performances the NFL may never see again.
Down in Louisiana where he grew up, Manning went toe-to-toe with future Hall of Famer Drew Brees in a quarterback display for the ages.
Combined, the duo passed for over 850 yards and 13 touchdowns, putting over 100 points on the board. Manning completed a remarkable 30 of his 41 passes, being matched by Brees, who completed 39 of his 50 passes.
The game would be tied 49-49 until the last second when the Saints connected on an unlikely 50-yard field goal to win the game.
7. 2019 Week 3: Daniel Jones electrifies in debut
In Week 3 of the 2019 regular season, the Giants made the tough decision to bench Eli Manning and move onto their future, quarterback Daniel Jones.
The rookie entered the game having faced an offseason of doubt and criticism with many expecting Jones to embarrass himself. Instead, the Duke product set the NFL world on fire with one of the most impressive and improbable comeback victories in recent memory.
The Giants trailed 28-10 at halftime and looked out of sorts, but then Jones stepped up and took control.
Over the final two quarters, Jones tossed two touchdowns and pulled the Giants within a score of 31-25 with minutes remaining. Then, with slightly more than 1:00 on the clock, Jones dropped back and saw an opening, tucked the ball and ran in from seven yards out.
The scramble gave the Giants a win and demolished a false narrative in the process.
6. 2011 Week 14: Jason Pierre-Paul blocks FG
Weeks prior to the Giants’ magical postseason run, they were facing the reality of another year without the playoffs. They were 6-6 going into Dallas and a loss would severely damage their chances in the NFC East.
With 5:41 remaining, the Giants trailed Dallas, 34-22, and hope seemed to be fading. But then Eli Manning came up big, hitting tight end Jake Ballard for a touchdown before getting the ball back and leading another quality drive.
With 46 seconds remaining, Brandon Jacobs plunged in to give the Giants a 37-34 lead, but Dallas got the ball back and quickly positioned themselves for a game-tying field goal.
The first kick sailed through the uprights, but was called back due to a Tom Coughlin timeout. On the subsequent attempt, Jason Pierre-Paul burst through the line and got his hand on the football, sending it spiraling short.
The Giants would go on to win two of their final three games, including another one over the Cowboys, to win the NFC East and get into the playoffs at 9-7.
5. 2011 Playoffs: Hail Hakeem
Four years after the Giants stormed Green Bay and upended the Packers in one of the coldest NFL game in history, the two teams were back at it in the 2011 divisional round.
Already leading 13-10 in the final seconds of the first half, Eli Manning decided to launch a hail mary instead of trying to position the team for a field goal.
With Aaron Rodgers, the King of hail mary’s watching on, Manning sent the ball into the end zone where wide receiver Hakeem Nicks went up and improbably pulled it down.
Although Big Blue’s lead was increased to just 20-10, it felt like an early dagger in Green Bay’s heart and they were never able to recover.
4. 2011 Week 16: Merry Christmas, Giants fans
Merry Christmas, Giants fans! Merry Christmas forever.
When Rex Ryan was hired as the New York Jets’ head coach in 2009, his first order of business was to take aim at Tom Coughlin and the New York Giants, insisting they would soon take over The Big Apple and emerge from Big Blue’s shadow.
The trash talk between the two sides persisted for two years and even led to some bloody exchanges during their annual preseason meetings, but the Christmas Eve game carried much more weight.
In the days leading up to the Christmas Eve showdown, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis brushed off Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, claiming he didn’t even know his name. Meanwhile, Rex couldn’t stop himself from sounding off.
Early on, the Jets looked like they were getting the better of the Giants, but with 2:12 remaining in the first half and facing a desperate 3rd-and-10 from their own one-yard line, Manning hit Cruz on a 10-yard out.
Cruz juked between two defenders and then took off down the sideline, going 99 yards for the score. The stadium erupted, the Giants bench was on fire and Big Blue never looked back.
After the game, tempers continued to flare as running back Brandon Jacobs and Rex Ryan exchanged some intense words.
3. 2009 Week 2: Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys
In 2009, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys opened their brand new $1.15 billion stadium (now named AT&T Stadium), which remains one of the most expensive sports venues ever built.
In Week 2, the Giants would come to town in what would be the first regular season game ever held in the stadium. It was a prime-time game being watched the world-over, and the Cowboys were certain they would open things in style.
Eli Manning and the Giants had other ideas.
The two teams would battle back-and-forth all night with Dallas taking a 31-30 lead with just minutes remaining. But Manning’s magic would not be subdued as he led his team down the field and set them up for a game-winning field goal with just seconds left.
Lawrence Tynes would come in and sail a 37-yard field through the uprights as time expired, leaving Jerry Jones with a look of disbelief in the owner’s suite.
After the game, Manning would famously sign the locker-room wall with his name and the words, “first win in the new stadium.”
2. 2011 NFC Championship Game
What even needs to be said about this game? Years from now when the debate over Eli Manning’s Hall of Fame candidacy reaches fever pitch, this will be the performance most point to in his favor.
The San Francisco 49ers sported one of the league’s best defensed in 2011 and they were on fire during the NFC Championship Game, pounding Manning into the ground on what seemed like every play.
In the days, weeks, months and years after, Manning’s teammates would admit and still admit they didn’t expect him to get up at certain points. But Eli never wavered, never complained and never dressed down his teammates. In true iron man fashion, he kept getting up and kept playing.
This game is arguably one of the best in Giants history and each time you watch it, it becomes more evident why.
Ultimately, a few special teams miscues would doom the 49ers, leaving Lawrence Tynes to kick the Giants back into the Super Bowl, once again coming in overtime.
There are many heroes from this game not named Manning, but it’s hard to overlook the significance of his performance. Still, Victor Cruz, Lawrence Tynes, Jacquian Williams, Devin Thomas and several others all deserve a tip of the cap.
1. Super Bowl XLVI
How else would this list have possibly ended? The Lombardi always means the most.
Four years removed from upsetting the then-perfect New England Patriots, the Giants again came face-to-face with Tom Brady & Co., who were determined to exact revenge.
They didn’t.
Although not as exciting as Super Bowl XLII, the championship rematch between New York and New England was an electric nail-biter from start to finish.
The highlight? A late fourth quarter throw from Eli Manning to Mario Manningham, which is arguably the greatest throw in Giants history and Super Bowl history, and one of the greatest throws in NFL history.
Ahmad Bradshaw’s anti-climactic backwards touchdown late in the game aside, it’s hard not to find thrill in reliving another Giant dent in the Patriots’ legendary dynasty.
