By Jeff Knapp
The start of the 2022 NFL season is here and the New York Football Giants, along with new head coach Brian Daboll headed into Tennessee to face the defending AFC South Champions Titans who were 5.5 point favorites. The Giants also entered the game with new OC Mike Kafka, DC Don Martindale and new QB coach Shea Tierney.
The 1st half didn’t look that good and seemed to be the same old Giants as the Titans started their series off with a 46 yard punt return and ended the 1st half with a 13-0 lead. In the 1st half, The Giants also only had 131 total yards and 1 strip fumble by Daniel Jones which was late in the 2nd quarter.
The defense allowed 185 total yards and 3 sacks in the 1st half for a total of a loss of 16 yards.
I’m not sure what coach said to the team at half time, but they turned things around and had a much improved 2nd half. Although they allowed Tannehill way too much time in the pocket throughout the game, the defense seemed to swarm to the ball much faster in the 2nd half.
I was very happy to see that nobody had a dropped pass, which was a plague for them last year. I’m still waiting on Kenny Galladay to either step it up or be involved in the play call a lot more. He was paid too much to be thrown to only two times.
The game was decided on basically 2 things. The 1st one was the inability of the Titans to finish off the Giants when they had plenty of opportunities, for instance when they tried some trick play on 3rd and 1 with Henry in the back field and although not dropping any balls, but not coming up with the catch when needed in the 3rd and 4th quarter.
I will never question the toughness of Daniel Jones, but he had a golden opportunity to put the game away early in the 4th quarter but Jones threw one of the worst endzone passes to Barkley that was easily intercepted by Amani Hooker.
The 2nd thing that turned things around for the Giants was the fact that Barkely put that team on his back and gave them 164 yards rushing and 30 yards receiving with a TD and a 2 point conversion that he should thank the Titans defense for forgetting how to tackle that close to the endzone.
In Giants fashion, Darnay Holmes decided that with under 60 seconds remaining in the game was the perfect time to be called for not 1 but 2 defensive holds that nearly cost the Giants the game
Besides all of that, a few other things went through my mind.
What was with the lack of playing time for Kadarius Toney, Daniel Jones needs to feel the pressure a bit better. Although the O-Line gave up those sacks, there were 2 sacks he might had had a puncher’s chance if he just stepped up a little. And finally, how great was it that Daboll went for the 2 point lead instead of playing it safe and going for the extra point?
I might be alone, but I still have plenty of faith in a healthy Sterling Shepard who had a 65 yards TD reception that ties the game at 13 in the 3rd quarter.
Sadly, Giants rookie receiver Wan’Dale Robinson was only able to get 1 catch for 5 yards after injuring his knee in the 1st half and not being able to return. Let’s hope that not only he’s good for week 2 in the home opener against the Carolina Panthers, but we will get to see Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux take the field.
Sunday’s opening day win was the Giants 1st season opener since 2016 against the Dallas Cowboys.
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