New York Giants Week 2: By the Numbers
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On Sunday, the New York Giants weathered a closely contested offensive struggle to hold onto their undefeated record and defeat the Carolina Panthers 19-16. The win marked the franchise’s first 2-0 start to a season since 2016 when current Panthers’ offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo was the Giants’ head coach.
It’s time to look at some contributors and statistics that mattered most from the Giants' home opener victory in Week 2.
0 for 1 in the Red Zone
Last season, the Giants were abysmal in red zone scoring percentage, finishing dead last in the NFL with just 17 of their 38 red zone attempts (44 percent) finding the end zone for six points.
On Sunday against Carolina, it was obvious the team has yet to fix that. Early in the first quarter, the Giants' offense was presented with two consecutive Carolina turnovers within the first five minutes of action.
The first mishap came on the opening kickoff, as linebacker Carter Coughlin punched the ball loose from Panthers’ returner Chuba Hubbard before rookie safety Dane Belton recovered it at the Carolina 25-yard line.
Starting at the Carolina 22-yard line, the Giants had the opposing defense on their heels in a flash. Still, all they managed to accomplish was a two-yard rush by Saquon Barkley and two catches by Kadarius Toney and Sterling Shepard for a combined two yards. That prime opportunity ultimately stalled within two minutes, and the Giants had to settle for a game-opening field goal attempt.
Not Cashing In on Turnovers
We mentioned the Giants' failure to cash in on a Panthers turnover above, but we have to mention the other incident that took place outside the red zone.
On the Panthers' first offensive possession of the game, the Giants found themselves with the ball again as defensive back Darnay Holmes punched the ball loose from wide receiver Robbie Anderson and into the hands of fellow corner Adoree Jackson at the Carolina 40-yard line.
However, despite holding onto the ball for 7:47, the Giants only gained 25 yards of offense. Stalling after 13 plays, the Giants marched their field goal unit back out for a modest try from 33 yards out.
TE Daniel Bellinger Scores First NFL TD
No matter which NFL team one roots for, or the significance of their individual game itself, you have to respect and appreciate when a young player on either sideline gets his first chance to make a play on the big stage.
Getting to the professional level is hard, regardless of a player’s background, position, or talent level. It takes years of dedication and sacrifice, starting at a young age, and hunger for nothing less than strapping on your team’s helmet and representing your family and city with pride.
So when that first catch is made, that first tackle is secured, or a player forces his first career turnover, it’s a defining moment in what is hopefully a long and productive career.
For the Giants’ tight end Daniel Bellinger, his moment came Sunday with the recording of his first NFL touchdown.
Returning from the halftime break with only six points and 60 yards of total offense, the Giants desperately searched for a solid drive that capped off with a visit to the endzone. Four of their first six possessions ended with punts or the end of quarter time, and none of their playmakers from the previous week were making the same impact on the field.
Taking the ball from the Giants’ 25-yard following the Panthers' lone touchdown of the day, Daniel Jones commanded arguably his most impressive possession, an eight-play, 75-yard drive that would feature the underdogs of the Giants' pass-catching rotation, including wide receiver Richie James and tight end Tanner Hudson.
After James caught two tightly contested passes for 27 yards and Tanner Hudson added to his outing with a reception of 15 yards, the offense suddenly found themselves back in the Panthers’ red zone, where they were 0-2 in the first half despite great field position from early Carolina turnovers.
With 2nd-and-10 from the Carolina 16, it was time for offensive coordinator Mike Kafka to break open the creative pages of his playbook and find a play call that would surprise the defense and push the ball past the pylons.
Reliable Strikes Twice from Beyond 50
Some Giants fans may still be haunted by the game against the Carolina Panthers in October 2018, when a back-and-forth battle came down to the leg of then-Carolina kicker Graham Gano in the final seconds.
Lining up for what would be a record-tying 63-yard field goal, the Scottish-born kicker pushed the ball through the MetLife Stadium uprights with a few yards to spare to hand the Giants another gut-wrenching loss that year.
Yet, little did they know that the kick would land Gano on the Giants’ radar the following offseason and that they would eventually watch him return the favor against his former squad a few years later. Twice.
Since joining the Giants in 2020, Gano has continued his reign as one of the most consistent kickers in the entire NFL. A 13-year veteran and Pro Bowler, his recent accomplishments include a league record of 37-straight field goals made (snapped in Week 4 of that season) and a Giants franchise record of three successful straight tries from 50+ yards distance.
In the 2021 season, Gano quickly became the centerpiece of a struggling Giants offense, helping put most of their points on the board en route to leading the team in points scored with 104 by the end of the year. It was not a model for success that season as the Giants finished 4-13, but they at least knew they had a player they could rely on in the big moment when his powerful leg was needed.
On Sunday, strolling out to face his former team in the Giants' home opener, Gano reminded them of that again as he put on another fabulous kicking showcase from a long distance.
During the first half against Carolina, it was nothing but routine kicking work for the Florida State product, notching two field goals from 36 and 33 yards, respectively, to knot the score at 6-6 heading into the break. Both boots combined for more ground covered than that by the entire Giants offense in the first two frames of regulation.
By the second half, the Panthers got a taste of their own medicine from the guy they released back in July 2020. After exchanging brief offensive possessions, none of which extended beyond 2:40 on the game clock, the Giants called on Gano to put them ahead from 51 yards out with 12:31 left in the fourth quarter.
Without hesitation, Gano lined up the shot and nailed it to give the Giants a 16-13 advantage and send the MetLife crowd into a frenzy. At such a critical point in the contest where neither side could move the football deep into enemy territory, it was a saving grace for the Giants offense.
The pressure didn’t subside there, though. Almost nine minutes later, with the score knotted at 16, the Giants needed one more rocket shot from Gano to officially put the Panthers to rest. This time it was from a nerve-wracking 56 yards.
The doubting Daboll would have nothing to worry about in the end, as Gano executed the expected and sent the game-winning kick inside the right goalpost with 3:41 seconds remaining to hand the Giants their ultimate 19-16 advantage.
Panthers’ Three Wide Receivers: A Silent 150 Yards
The Carolina Panthers didn’t come into Sunday’s affair boasting an incredibly fearful offense, especially at the wide receiver position.
According to Pro Football Reference, Carolina’s unit ranked 29th in passing attempts (27) and 30th in passing yards (235), entering their Week 2 contest. In addition, they stood bottom of the league in third down conversion rate (26.1%) and red zone percentage (26th overall).
Thus, the Giants knew coming into their home opener that if they continued silencing the Panthers’ top three receivers—Robby Anderson, DJ Moore, and second-year receiver Shi Smith—and cutting off opportunities for big-time throws by Baker Mayfield in the endzone, it would mean putting the brunt of the workload of the rushing attack and increasing their chances of winning the game.
And sure enough, the Giants' defense had the aforementioned trio on lockdown.
Last week in their season opener against the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield and Anderson seemed to establish their report as the former’s favorite target, as the two linked up for 102 receiving yards and a touchdown to lead all Carolina receivers.
Anderson also served as the deep threat in Carolina’s offense last season, a role he developed back with the New York Jets from 2016-2019, where he had three years with a long catch of at least 69 yards. In three campaigns with Carolina, he has two long catches of 75 yards, with 1,647 yards receiving and nine touchdowns.
Against the Martindale-led Giants, Anderson was on a deserted island, nowhere to be found, tallying only three catches off five targets for 32 yards. It was his lowest output dating back to the Panthers’ Week 16 game against New Orleans last season, when Anderson managed just two catches and 10 yards receiving.
After Anderson, the next priority was fifth-year wide receiver D.J. Moore. The Panthers’ 2018 first-round pick has developed an affinity for being the new playmaker on their offense, coming off three straight seasons with over 1,100 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
Mayfield found some success with his shifty receiver, targeting him on two plays of a three-play scoring drive for 45 yards receiving and a touchdown. The score was the Panthers’ lone end zone completion of the afternoon and was helped by a blown coverage by rookie cornerback Cordale Flott, who has struggled to stick to experienced receivers going back to the preseason.
Following his touchdown grab, Moore went silent and finished with three dismal catches for 43 yards, Carolina’s team-high for individual receiving yards.
When it came down to Smith, the second-year player out of South Carolina, it was as if he was practically a ghost in the deep field. Despite being praised during the game as an up-and-coming threat in the Panthers’ offensive system, the 23-year-old was overthrown by Mayfield all afternoon, costing the team potential game-changing plays.
In total, Smith logged just one catch for two years and finished at the bottom of the Panthers’ final receiving stat sheet.
With no major output from any of the top-three wide receivers, the Panthers struggled to create any semblance of a solid, consistent offensive drive in the second half, posting just two possessions of at least 50 yards.
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