New York Giants Stand Tall in Gutsy 27-22 Upset Over Green Bay Packers

Giants overcome a 14-point deficit to record their fourth win of the season and their third played on British soil.

Author:
Joe Najarian
Publish date:
Oct 9, 2022 4:17 PM EDT

In this story:

The New York Giants improved to 4-1 on the season with a 27-22 upset victory over the Green Bay Packers in London on Sunday.

The Giants erased a 14-point halftime deficit and held a potent Green Bay offense scoreless in the second half while holding the ball for 32 minutes and outgaining the Packers in total yards (338 to 301).

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones completed 21 of his 27 passes for 217 yards, his first 200-yard passing performance. All three of the Giants’ touchdowns came on the ground, one each by tight end Daniel Bellinger and running backs Gary Brightwell and Saquon Barkley.

Despite temporarily exiting the game with a shoulder injury, Barkley rushed for 70 yards on 13 carries while adding 36 receiving yards on three catches, recording the go-ahead score for the Giants.

The Packers took the opening kickoff and advanced 49 yards in nine plays. The Giants had a chance to force a three-and-out, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed a 35-yard pass to receiver Randall Cobb to immediately move into Giants territory. Green Bay advanced as far as the Giants' 22, but the drive stalled, and Mason Crosby kicked a 46-yard field goal to put the Packers on the board first.

After the two teams combined for three straight three-and-outs, the Packers took control with a five-play, 60-yard touchdown drive. Rodgers threw a 22-yard pass to Allen Lazard to advance into Giants territory. A defensive pass interference penalty on Giants safety Xavier McKinney placed the ball at the New York 4-yard line. Two plays later, Rodgers threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Lazard to give the Packers a 10-0 lead.

Needing points to stay in the game, the Giants' offense finally got a big play as Jones completed a 26-yard pass to receiver Darius Slayton. An offensive holding penalty would derail the promising drive, but the Giants would still get on the board on Graham Gano’s 48-yard field goal.

But the Packers responded right away with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. The Green Bay offense picked up five first downs on the way to paydirt, culminating with Rodgers’ 2-yard touchdown pass to TE Marcedes Lewis that extended the Packers’ lead to 17-3.

Trailing by 10, the Giants’ offense responded with an 11-play, 86-yard touchdown drive. Barkley ignited the offense with a 40-yard run to the Green Bay 38-yard line, and Jones kept the drive going with a 15-yard pass to Richie James on 3rd-and-13 to move inside the red zone.

After picking up another first down on a 10-yard pass to Slayton on 3rd-and-9, the Giants found the end zone when rookie TE Daniel Bellinger scored on a 2-yard double reverse to cut the Packers' lead to 17-10.

The Packers offense, however, rumbled 44 yards with just 1:15 left in the first half. The Giants' defense prevented a touchdown, but Crosby kicked a 48-yard field goal to push Green Bay’s lead to 20-10 entering halftime.

Getting the ball to start the second half, the Giants’ offense converted a pair of third downs and advanced as far as the Green Bay 17. A false start penalty on third down would derail the drive, but the Giants made it a one-score game again on Gano’s 37-yard field goal.

Green Bay advanced as far as the Giants' 36, but defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence sacked Rodgers on third down to knock the Packers out of field goal range.

Although Barkley was taken to the locker room with a shoulder injury during the Giants’ next drive, the offense continued to move the ball. Jones completed his first seven passes for 55 yards on the drive, including two conversions on third down, and Brightwell scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 20-20.

After the Packers went three-and-out, disaster nearly struck for the Giants on special teams when Jason Pinnock muffed the punt. Fortunately, the ball rolled out of bounds, allowing the Giants to retain possession.

Barkley returned to the game on the Giants’ next drive and made his presence felt immediately. On the drive's second play, he caught a short pass from Jones and took it 41 yards right into Green Bay’s red zone. Later, Barkley took a direct snap and scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to complete a six-play, 60-yard drive to give the Giants their first lead of the day, at 27-20.

The Packers responded with a methodical 14-play, 69-yard drive that took 5:06 off the clock. Green Bay converted a pair of third downs to the Giants' 6-yard line, the big play being a 14-yard pass to tight end Robert Tonyan on 3rd-and-4. But outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and safety Xavier McKinney batted down Rodgers’ ensuing two passes to turn the ball over on downs.

The Giants ran off as much clock as possible, leaving Rodgers and the Packers only 11 seconds after taking an intentional safety. On the game’s final play, Rodgers, well known for his proficiency with the Hail Mary pass, never got to throw it as outside linebacker Oshane Ximines sacked him and forced a fumble to seal the upset for the Giants.