Although every Giants fan despises losing against the Cowboys, the week 5 match up showed glimpses of promise for the G-men, which every fan could appreciate.
The first glaring improvement was the scoreboard. The Giants put up a hefty 34 points against a solid Dallas defense, which is almost 3 times as many points as the team averaged in the first four games.
Once again, Daniel Jones missed a few key reads, but he did get the ball in his playmaker’s hands with Darius Slayton catching 8 passes for an impressive 129 yards.
The Emergence Of Devonta Freemen
Perhaps the most substantial improvement was the rushing attack, which has been shaky the entire year with Saquon Barkley sidelined due to an injury. Devonta Freeman was signed earlier in the year to add another aspect to the ground game, and as each week has progressed, he has seen more action and has accounted for a larger role in the backfield.
Photo: —Against the Cowboys, Freemen rushed for 60 yards and 1 touchdown on 17 attempts, making him the lead rusher for the Giants. Additionally, Freemen made his presence known in the passing game, catching 2 passes for 27 yards. With Giants in desperate need of a dominant running back, Freemen showed that he has the ability to fill that role and spark the offense. Wayne Gallman rushed for 24 yards on 5 carries, averaging a strong 4.8 yards per carry.
As a team, the Giants rushed for 89 yards, which beats their average of 79 yards per game.
Although these numbers are not wildly impressive and the Giants still have one of the weakest rushing attacks in the league, the important fact is that improvement is being seen, and that is all one could ask for in a 0-5 team.
With Freemen getting more touches each game and becoming more familiar with the system, he is showing the potential to be a productive piece that could solve the backfield puzzle.
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