The New York Giants stunned the Packers in London on Sunday, outscoring Green Bay 17-2 in the second half en route to a 27-22 win.
Giants running back Saquon Barkley exited the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury, but had a 41-yard catch-and-run and scored the go-ahead 2-yard rushing touchdown on his first drive back in the fourth.
He’s here!
He’s there!
He’s every —where!📺: @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/2HOpIpX6je
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 9, 2022
Aaron Rodgers was held scoreless in the second half and finished 25-of-39 with 222 passing yards and two touchdowns.
The Giants improve to 4-1 on the season, their best start since 2009.
What to make of Daniel Jones’ performance?
Charlotte Carroll, Giants writer: All week, there was a level of uncertainty if Jones would even suit up for Sunday’s game. While he looked surprisingly good in practice for someone who just suffered an ankle injury, the question became how effective he would be against the Packers.
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Well, Jones put his bruised and literally bloodied body on the line and led the Giants to a stunning upset. A third-quarter drive, without Barkley, to tie the game was particularly impressive. He scrambled around, going for a finish with his shoulder rather than a slide. Jones, who is at a critical juncture in his Giants career, will not go down without a fight.
What’s been the key to the Giants’ 4-1 start?
Carroll: Who had the Giants 4-1, including a stunning upset over Rogers and the Packers in London, in coach Brian Daboll’s first season at the helm?
We understand that only the diehards and faithful would have bet that record. But Daboll has been aggressive and trusting his new squad since a successful 2-point conversion in the opener. Dealing with a never-ending string of injuries — including to both quarterbacks — Daboll has gotten creative.
One of the most important keys to success has been Barkley. The running back has stepped up as the Giants top rusher and as a temporary quarterback in the midst of injuries. Each game has felt the same as starters and backups go down. There’s a clear change of culture happening in the Meadowlands and the Giants locker room is buying in.
What went wrong for the Packers?
Matt Schneidman, Packers writer: The Packers’ defense should be one of the best in the NFL based on its individual talent. One of the league’s best defenses doesn’t allow a hobbled offense to score on five consecutive drives. That’s exactly what Green Bay did on Sunday in London against the Giants, quarterbacked by Jones on an ankle that probably wasn’t near 100 percent and without several key offensive playmakers. Green Bay led, 17-3, late in the first half. By the middle of the fourth quarter, the Giants led, 27-20, and that score stood until the final whistle. Everyone from Darnell Savage Jr. to Eric Stokes to Rasul Douglas to a mediocre pass rush contributed to the breakdown, a concerning sign with (seemingly) better offense coming later in the season.
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As good as Rodgers and Co. were at times in the first half, the offense didn’t score in the second half. At one point, Rodgers heaved three incomplete deep balls in a series of four plays. A lack of a deep threat is just one of the problems for Green Bay’s offense right now, and it’s no surprise to see the Packers stray away from the run when they shouldn’t.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)