The Giants have been to London three times and all three times they have come away with a win and it’s probably safe to say that their most recent win was also their most unlikely.
On paper, it didn’t look like the Giants would have much of a chance of beating the Packers on Sunday, but the Giants clearly aren’t reading the paper. In front of a raucous crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Giants managed to steal a 27-22 win in a game no one thought they could win. Not only did they enter Week 5 with a starting quarterback (Daniel Jones), but they were also missing several key receivers.
And to be honest, it was actually worse than that. Here’s what the Giants were up against this week:
With his options limited on offense, Giants coach Brian Daboll decided to throw the kitchen sink at the Packers: he devised a game plan with offensive coordinator Mike Kafka that kept the Giants offense a ahead of the Packers defense for most of the game.
The Giants saved their most unique plays for the red zone. Their first touchdown of the game for New York came on a Daniel Bellinger 2-yard run that was way more exciting than your standard 2-yard run.
That score came in the second quarter and cut the Packers’ lead to 17-10.
In the second half, the Giants were even better on offense, scoring on each of their first three possessions. A big reason they were able to do that was because of Saquon Barkley’s play. After briefly leaving the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury, Barkley stormed back onto the court to deliver two of the game’s biggest plays for New York.
The first came on a short cross from Jones which Barkley was able to turn into a 41-yard gain.
Four plays later, Barkley lined up in Wildcat formation on a play where he ended up entering the end zone for what ended up being the game-winning touchdown.
Barkley rushed the ball 13 times for 70 yards on a day he slashed the Packers defense with 5.38 yards per carry.
Although Barkley was great, you could say the Giants’ offensive MVP was Jones, who took over for his team despite playing on a gimpy peg. Jones was nearly perfect, going 21 of 27 for 217 yards. He also rushed for 37 yards, which likely surprised the Packers, who didn’t quite seem to expect him to be able to run due to his injured ankle. A big play from Jones came in the third quarter on a third-and-3 when he kept a drive alive by going 4 yards on a QB draw.
The Giants are now 4-1 this season for the first time since 2009 and there’s no reason to think they can’t keep winning. They didn’t just prove they can play with the big boys on Sunday, they proved they’re one of the big boys by knocking out the Packers.
The Giants might also want to start volunteering to play in London more often. They are now perfect in England and have made the playoffs every year they have played overseas.
Alright, let’s get to the ratings for every game in Week 5. If you’re looking for a deeper dive into the Colts’ 12-9 win over Denver that was played on Thursday, be sure to click here.
Kansas City 30-29 vs. Las Vegas
Raiders-Chiefs Notes by John Breech (Love Notes? Hate Notes? Let him know on Twitter.)
NY Giants 27-22 over Green Bay (in London)
Giants-Packers Ratings by John Breech (Like ratings? Hate ratings? Let it know on Twitter.)
Los Angeles Chargers 30-28 vs. Cleveland
John Breech’s Chargers-Browns Ranks (Like ranks? Hate ranks? Let it know on Twitter.)
Minnesota 29-22 vs. Chicago
Notes Bears-Vikings by John Breech (Love notes? Hate notes? Let it know on Twitter.)
New Orleans 39-32 against Seattle
Seahawks-Saints Ratings by John Breech (Like ratings? Hate ratings? Let it know on Twitter.)
Tampa Bay 21-15 vs. Atlanta
Falcons-Buccaneers Notes by John Breech (Love Notes? Hate Notes? Let it know on Twitter.)
Tennessee 21-17 vs Washington
Titans-Commanders grades by John Breech (Love grades? Hate grades? Let it know on Twitter.)
Houston 13-6 vs. Jacksonville
Texans-Jaguars Notes by John Breech (Like notes? Hate notes? Let it know on Twitter.)
Buffalo 38-3 vs. Pittsburgh
Steelers-Bills Ratings by Bryan DeArdo (Like ratings? Hate ratings? Let it know on Twitter.)
NY Jets 40-17 over Miami
Dolphins-Jets Notes by Jordan Dajani (Love Notes? Hate Notes? Let it know on Twitter.)
New England 29-0 v Detroit
Notes from the Lions-Patriots by John Breech (Love notes? Hate notes? Let it know on Twitter.)
San Francisco 37-15 against Carolina
49ers-Panthers grades by John Breech (Love grades? Hate grades? Let it know on Twitter.)
Dallas 22-10 against the Los Angeles Rams
Cowboys-Rams Ratings by Jordan Dajani (Like ratings? Hate ratings? Let it know on Twitter.)
Philadelphia 20-17 against Arizona
Eagles-Cardinals Notes by Jeff Kerr (Love Notes? Hate Notes? Let it know on Twitter.)
Baltimore 19-17 vs. Cincinnati
Bengals-Ravens Notes by John Breech (Love Notes? Hate Notes? Let it know on Twitter.)
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