Grading the Giants: Offense earns better mark with strong second-half showing

OFFENSE

Grade: B

Dear Mr. Editor: Are we allowed to give separate grades for the first and second halves? No? OK, then a B it must be, even if the first half was an F. Granted, the Giants’ stirring comeback from 20-0 and 28-7 deficits to win, 31-28, came against one of the NFL’s worst teams, but this still is the NFL, and scoring four touchdowns and a game-winning field goal on one’s final five possessions is not easily done. Daniel Jones was brilliant in the second half and finished with two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown, and Saquon Barkley made several huge plays before going down with an ankle injury. He scored one touchdown receiving and one rushing. The makeshift line did enough to allow Jones to shine.

DEFENSE

Grade: C

Again . . . somehow everything changed, and an F turned into a passing grade after the defense allowed the Cardinals’ their fourth and final touchdown early in the third quarter. Arizona quarterback Joshua Dobbs’ dream day fell apart down the stretch as the Cardinals’ final four possessions ended with three punts and a desperation end of game scoring attempt. The defense did not have a takeaway or a sack, which is not good. But the offense’s late heroics would have not been enough for a victory without the defense doing its part in the fourth quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Grade: B

Well, at least the Giants did not allow a blocked field goal to be returned for a touchdown, like in the opener. Graham Gano made his only field goal attempt, a mere 34-yarder, but it happened to win the game with 19 seconds left, so that was important. And he was banged up in the opener but vowed he would make it back for Week 2, and he did.

COACHING

Grade: B

In the first half, the coaches looked like they could not coach a middle school flag football team, let alone work in the NFL. In the second half, coach Brian Daboll and his staff somehow unlocked the mystery to dominating the lowly Cardinals and escaping from Glendale with a desperately needed victory. Did Daboll take over playcalling from coordinator Mike Kafka in the second half? He said he did not, and that the two talked things over as usual. Whatever was going on there, it clearly worked, so maybe they should do that again Thursday against the 49ers.

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.