For the first time since December of 2012, the New York Giants are above .500. They improved to 3-2 on Sunday with a come-from-behind 30-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons, who fell to 2-3. A strong running game and a scintillating debut by Odell Beckham Jr. were the keys for the G-Men, who have now won three consecutive after opening the season 0-2.
Falcons vs. Giants 2014 final score: 3 things we learned from New York’s 30-20 win
Odell Beckham Jr. sparked a come-from-behind victory in his NFL debut and the once left-for-dead Giants are back above .500.
Al Bello
Down 20-10 late in the third quarter, the Giants scored 20 unanswered points, taking the lead in the fourth quarter and adding an insurance field goal just before the two-minute warning of the second half.
Let’s take a look at what we learned from the game.
1) The Giants have a running game to lean on.
Unable to move the ball through the air at times, the Giants turned to their ground attack to keep them in the game in the second half, finishing with 120 yards rushing between Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams. This is not something the 2013 Giants were capable of. With a porous offensive line and a banged-up rotation of ineffective backs, they averaged just 83.3 yards per game last year and forced Eli Manning to carry the offense.
Jennings did leave the game for good in the second half with a knee injury, but Williams stepped right in. The rookie ran for 65 yards on 20 carries and scored his second NFL touchdown to pull the Giants back within a field goal late in the third quarter. His hard running late in the fourth quarter was key in putting the game away.
2) Odell Beckham Jr. is healthy ... and already making a big impact.
The Giants’ highly touted first-round pick -- who’s been sidelined with a hamstring injury since training camp -- made his NFL debut on Sunday and did not disappoint. He finished with four receptions for 44 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.
But his impact doesn’t show up fully in the box score. He was targeted twice on deep routes, one of which he drew a pass interference call that set up Williams’ third-quarter touchdown (Manning overthrew him for what would have been a long touchdown on the other target). Beckham was expected to provide a spark to the offense ... so far, so good.
3) The Falcons can’t win on the road.
Dating back to last season, the Falcons have now lost their last five regular season games on the road. Accustomed to playing within the comfort of the Georgia Dome, they haven’t won a game outdoors since 2012. Having already lost in Cincinnati and Minnesota this season, they now have to head to Baltimore, London, Tampa Bay and Carolina over the next five weeks. If they can’t figure out how to win away from home, they could be out of the playoffs after that stretch.
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