The New York Giants were a full touchdown underdog against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Lumen Field, but you never would have guessed that while watching the game.
It wasn’t just that the Giants pulled out an impressive 29-20 upset victory over a 3-1 team, it’s that they dominated in nearly every facet of the game. It was easily their most impressive performance of the season and, arguably, their most impressive performance since 2022.
With the win, the Giants improved their record to 2-3 on the season and the argument could be made that they should be 4-1 headed into a Sunday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Whose stock is up and whose is down after the Week 5 win? Let’s take a look.
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Since Week 2, Daniel Jones is among the NFL’s most-efficient quarterbacks and Sunday’s performance was his personal best in two years. He completed 23 of 34 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns, adding another 38 yards on the ground. But those statistics don’t truly encapsulate the level to which he raised his game in the absence of rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Devin Singletary. DJ was in complete control and gave the offense everything he had to ensure victory. One of the constant complaints is that Jones doesn’t improve the level of play around him. Against the Seahawks, he did exactly that.
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It’s beginning to feel like we’re piling on running back Eric Gray but his fumbling issues are impossible to ignore. Moreover, he managed just four yards on four carries and appeared to lose the No. 2 job to rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. in the process. While he did haul in three passes for a productive 50 yards, Gray has become a liability.
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It had been a rough stretch for head coach Brian Daboll and whether it was warranted or not, his seat was beginning to warm. Following Sunday’s win, that has completely cooled off for now and he has once again reminded the football world that he’s a more than capable coach. The unprovoked praise for his players after the game is also a testament to his ability to keep a locker room together despite some treacherous waters.
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Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson hauled in six of his nine targets 36 yards and a touchdown but once again, there were some drop issues. The inconsistency is wildly frustrating because Robinson clearly has an important and defined role but eventually, he will lose the trust of his head coach and quarterback. That’s especially true if his drops continue to come on third down, which was the case on Sunday.
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With pressure mounting after back-to-back ugly performances against Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb — something that led to a positional coach calling him out publicly — cornerback Deonte Banks responded in a big way on Sunday. He completely shut down the physical DK Metcalf, who was arguably his toughest challenge to date. It was an impressive bounce-back for Banks and something that should boost his confidence moving forward.
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The Giants played so well on Sunday that we ran out of “stock down” options. Meanwhile, so many players performed at a high level — Dexter Lawrence, Isaiah Simmons, and the entire offensive line to name just a few — it was impossible to settle on a single person for this last spot. Instead, we’re going with the Giants organization as a whole. Their stock rose on Sunday because this was the team’s best win since their playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings in 2022. Beating the Seahawks on the road as 7-point underdogs… Slice it any way you want, that’s impressive and was a huge win for a franchise that has had precious few of those over the past decade-plus.