Three Takeaways After Giants' 24-22 Win vs. Packers

The New York Giants grabbed their third straight win on Monday night, a 24-22 thriller over the Green Bay Packers, a development that not many people probably saw coming.

After an abysmal 2-8 start to the season, there wasn't much to be excited about when tuning into a Giants game every Sunday. Spirits were very low amongst the fanbase, and there were signs of unhappiness in the locker room and the future of some of the players and coaches.

That's all changed over the last month. Led by the spectacular play of their defense and the rise of quarterback Tommy DeVito, the Giants have rattled off three straight wins. They now hold a 5-8 record, one game out from a Wild Card spot in the NFC. They still have four games to go in the season and need to win out for their playoff hopes to remain alive, but the Giants have some juice heading into the final stretch that no one saw coming.

So, what did we learn from the Giants' win over a Packers team that is competing for a playoff berth of its own?

The Giants Defense is Legit

The Giants' defense has been the main reason why they've been able to remain competitive in their wins. Over the last three weeks, they have had 12 takeaways, which led the league during that period. After not having a single takeaway from Weeks 1-4, they've created 22 takeaways since, becoming a force to be reckoned with in that category.

Everyone on defense is stepping up. Outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux now has 11.5 sacks on the season after adding a half-sack on Monday night while forcing a fumble on quarterback Jordan Love. Outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari had his best game of the season against Green Bay, adding a half-sack of his own, three quarterback hits, and a tackle for loss.

In the secondary, cornerback Deonte Banks is coming into his own. He led the team with 12 tackles while adding in a tackle for loss and a huge pass breakup in the endzone late in the game. Safety Jason Pinnock came away with an interception and also recorded two pass breakups.

Wink Martindale's unit is producing and coming up huge for the Giants.

Tommy DeVito is More than Just a Feel-good Story

For the first few games, the Tommy DeVito story was a flash in the pan for many. A local guy starting for his hometown team is a movie script in real life. However, DeVito's legend has deepened after his performance against a potential playoff-caliber team.

In helping end the Giants' primetime woes, DeVito went 17/21 for 158 yards and one touchdown while rushing for another 71 yards. He also didn't turn the ball over or take a single sack. That's a big credit to the offensive line and DeVito for extending the play rather than taking the sack like in recent weeks.

DeVito's lone touchdown pass saw him roll out to his right and fire a dart to Isaiah Hodgins in the back corner of the endzone, a truly beautiful play with the MetLife crowd roaring. He almost had a touchdown run on his 26-yard scramble, but his knee was short of the goal line.

It's good for the city, it's great for the team. DeVito showed he's a baller and earned the right to keep the starting job for the rest of the year.

New York Giants Week 14 Report Card: Solid

Saquon Barkley Hits 5,000 Career Rushing Tards

Amid the Giants' big win, Saquon Barkley became the fifth Giant in franchise history to eclipse 5,000 rushing yards. With his 86-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Packers, Barkley is now at 5,032 career rushing yards, joining Brandon Jacobs, Joe Morris, Rodney Hampton, and Tiki Barber as the other Giants to reach that feat.

Barkley has 783 rushing yards for the season with four games left. If he can reach 1,000 yards, it'll be his fourth season with 1,000 yards on the ground.

Barkley's made it clear he wants to be a Giant for life and be amongst the franchise's greats; he made a great leap towards that with his performance on Monday night.

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