National Football League

Giants 'find a way to win' against Ravens, improve to 5-1

Published Oct. 16, 2022 7:33 p.m. ET

By Ralph Vacchiano
FOX Sports NFC East Writer

It takes a little while to appreciate this Giants team. At first glance, they don't pass the eye test. Their games are ugly. Their roster is lacking. Every game seems like an uphill climb.

But none of that has mattered to them. And no matter how ugly they look or how low the expectations have been, they are now 5-1 and have to be considered legitimate contenders.

And while they're definitely not spectacular — far from it — they are absolutely for real.

"We're not shocked," Giants quarterback Daniel Jones said after the latest Giants' shocker, a 24-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens. "No, we're not shocked that we find ways to win. I think we're confident in what we can do and we're confident in our toughness, our ability to compete and find ways to win down the stretch.

"So, no, we're not shocked."

They are pretty much alone in that feeling, because even the most optimistic Giants booster didn't envision this team getting off to a start like this. This was supposed to be a rebuilding season. Even new GM Joe Schoen acknowledged the year was mostly about digging out of the salary cap mess he inherited. His preseason rallying cry was an uninspiring "We're going to do the best we can with what we have."

Of course, most of the focus was on what the Giants don't have — like an elite quarterback, a strong offensive line, or competent receivers.

But what new coach Brian Daboll has focused on, and what he's managed to get his team to focus on, is what they do have. And that's been far more important through the first six games. They have a strong defense and an aggressive scheme. They have Saquon Barkley and a running game that can grind out yards when they need them.

And most importantly, they have winning intangibles — like confidence, guts and toughness. They have a remarkable ability to just hang around, as if they're waiting for something to happen, and the confidence to know they'll make it happen when crunch time comes.

"We're a team that fights all four quarters, every minute of the game," defensive lineman Leonard Williams said. "And I think the best thing about this team is we don't bend, we don't fold, we don't break."

"It's something we've preached since Day 1," Daboll said. "This league is hard. It's not always going to be perfect. There will be a lot of people down on you. And you might be down on yourself, wish you could do better. But you keep on getting back up. You keep on swinging, keep on competing, regardless of the score or the situation of the game.

"And that's not easy to do, right?"

Somehow, the Giants make it look easy. Just look at what they did when it mattered most against the Ravens. They were down 20-10 with 12:54 remaining and had done nothing but hang around. They had 148 yards of offense. They had given up 395. Daniel Jones had only completed 13 of 20 passes for 109 yards.

But then they flipped their switch. Jones led them right down the field, going 5-for-5 for 57 yards and throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger. Then the defense, which had looked tired and about to break early in the fourth quarter, tightened up too. They got an interception from safety Julian Love, who returned it all the way back to the Ravens' 13. That led to a Barkley 1-yard touchdown plunge.

And then, with the Ravens having plenty of time to score again, rookie edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux closed it out with his first career sack, forcing a fumble by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson that Williams recovered to basically end the game.

That's two turnovers, two touchdowns and 90 yards of offense in the final 12:54, for a team that looked like it was running in sand for most of the rest of the game.

Daboll said of his defense: "I thought they played the best when it counted the most."

He could say the same about his team in five of the first six games. They beat the Titans in Week 1 when they took advantage of a muffed punt and missed field goal and put the game away with a final-minute touchdown and two-point conversion. They got two 50-yard-plus field goals in the fourth quarter in Week 2 to beat the Panthers. It took a goal-line stand in the final two minutes to hold off the Packers in London last week.

Yes, their whole season has been like walking a tightrope. But what matters is that they have figured out how to hold on.

"I think our guys, each week we get a little bit better," Daboll said. "We know we're a long way away. (It's the) early part of the season. But we just try to compete and do the best job we can."

Maybe that is a good rallying cry for this team, after all. They are doing the best they can with what they have. It just so happens to be more than anyone realized. They've already won more games than they did all of last season. They'll probably make the playoffs even if they go 4-8 the rest of the way.

Who would've thought that?

"We're 5-1, and I think that's certainly something that helps us build confidence," Jones said. "But when you look at the tape and when you're playing these games, you realize how much more we can do."

He might be right. The Giants are winning despite their flaws, coming back from their missed opportunities, beating opponents while not coming close to playing a complete game.

But again, their flaws don't really matter. All that matters is they keep finding a way to prove who they really are.

"We're a team that might not win the game 40-0," Love said. "We're a team that will bring our team into the fourth quarter and make key plays in key situations to win games. That's who we are."

"Yeah, I mean you would love to come out there and blow a team out by 30," Barkley added. "But it's the NFL, that's rarely ever going to happen. Whatever way, any way that you can do it, that's the way that matters.

"Find a way to win."

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.