It finally happened. The New York Giants got their third win of the season. It came at home against the equally struggling Miami Dolphins, but it came.
So many things happened in New York this week — before, during and after the game. Here’s what we learned from the Giants’ 36-20 victory over the Dolphins:
Eli Manning is loved
For the last 16 years, Eli Manning has taken the blame for everything that has gone wrong in New York. Never mind his Super Bowl wins or his ability to mount a comeback, if there was a problem with the Giants, it was Eli’s fault.
On Sunday, all of his hard work and putting up with the garbage thrown at him, Eli learned that he is loved by Giants fans. The crowd sent him off the field with an amazing and incredibly loud ovation, and there were three hours of chanting his name.
Even Dolphins head coach Brian Flores burned a timeout just so Eli could enjoy his moment. Talk about class.
Saquon Barkley is capable of dominating without big plays
Last season, Barkley had over 20 big plays on the year (15+ yards). On Sunday, his longest play was 12 yards, yet he recorded 112 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
Finally, the Giants got back to what works and utilized their most dangerous weapon. Barkley doesn’t need to break off a huge run in order to be effective and make an impact. He just needs touches. Now let’s see if Pat Shurmur can learn something from this win and continue to make use of his most dominating offensive weapon.
Deandre Baker is showing legitimate signs of improvement
Prior to Sunday’s win over Miami, DeAndre Baker was averaging just over three tackles (2.5 solo) and less than a half a pass defended per game. On Sunday, Baker recorded six tackles (five solo) and two passes defended.
But it’s not just his stats that show improvement. His route reading and ability to shield his receiver in press coverage, preventing the quarterback from considering his mark as an option is also improving.
The Giants traded up to get Baker and it was beginning to look like that might have been a mistake, but now it looks like he just needed a little more time to adjust to NFL speed and game style. His improvement a bright spot on an otherwise mediocre secondary.
