New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) rushes for his first touchdown in the first half against the Chicago Bears at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in East Rutherford. Nfl Ny Giants Vs Chicago Bears
Syndication: The Record
Daniel Jones’ two rushing touchdowns in the first half were enough to propel the Giants against the Chicago Bears in week four, ultimately winning the contest 20-12. It was a game highlighted by an emphasis on the rushing aspect.
In the first half alone, the Giants rushed for a total of 143 rushing yards, 90 of them coming from Saquon Barkley. Jones finished with 68 rushing yards on six carries on top of his mere 71 yards in the air.
Mike Kafka called the same play-action move twice, both resulted in wide-open spacing for Jones to waltz into the endzone.
“It’s always good when things work out the way we want them to work out in a game. Daniel’s weren’t necessarily designed runs. There was pass elements to the play we thought would be a few good designs to run against their team,” coach Daboll said during his post-game press conference. “They happened to go with the receiver.”
It’s prime example of giving their opponents a taste of their own medicine, with the Bears being notoriously known for using the ground attack as their primary option. With David Montgomery (ankle/knee) absent, Khalil Herbert was next man up. He mustered 77 yards rushing on 19 carries with one catch for 24 yards.
Michael Badgley’s signing was worth it after all, as he was needed to convert four field goals, three of them inside the red-zone.
It was not all sunshine and rainbows for Big Blue as Jones appeared to roll his ankle in the second half, signaling Tyrod Taylor’s appearance late in the third quarter. After he threw an interception on his first drive, Taylor took a massive hit and was taken out of the game for a concussion evaluation. Jones would return to the game, as a wide receiver in the wildcat formation as Saquon Barkley was under center.
Barkley told the media after that “It’s something that we practiced. I think we did it, we showed it against Carolina. It was a package that we had in. You don’t want to be in that situation but the way that the coaches reacted, brought us all in and started drawing it up.”‘
He finished the afternoon with 146 yards on 31 carries.
Believe it or not, the Giants’ offensive line gave up only one sack on the day in the third quarter. The Giants were able to get the elusive Justin Fields six times in the backfield, with five sacks coming in the first half.
“We knew that he [Fields] likes to run the ball. He can slip through any gaps throughout the backfield,” Dexter Lawrence II said in the locker room after recording 2.0 sacks. “That was the plan, to try and keep him contained.”
The pass rush was a big factor in containing Fields to minimal damage, including three forced fumbles. One of those was recovered by Kayvon Thibodeaux after Azeez Ojulari snuck behind Fields and popped the ball loose before Fields could sling it.
“We were having fun,” said Thibodeaux on the difference with the pass rush. “We’re building that chemistry, this is our second time.”
The G-Men will pack it up and take a flight over the Atlantic Ocean to square off against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in London. Gametime is set for 9:30AM EST, with Daniel Jones’ availability in potential jeopardy.
“I feel good. A little sore but all good. Listen to the trainers and doctors and go from there but feeling good.”
