Giants rookies Wan'Dale Robinson, Daniel Bellinger play key roles in win
Victoria Davis didn’t know it, but she was going to receive a great gift from a Giants receiver after Sunday’s 24-20 comeback win over Baltimore. It was a game-used NFL football, the one that touched her son’s hands earlier in the afternoon, the one he caught for his first pro touchdown.
Wan’Dale Robinson knew there would be some emotions on his part, handing off that ball to his mother. It was her first time at MetLife Stadium to watch him play since he was drafted earlier in the year in the second round (43rd overall) from the University of Kentucky.
“Me and my mom, she really was the one that raised me ever since I was 5 years old with my dad not being there,” Robinson said, flashing back to those days in Frankfort, Kentucky. “It was just me and her.
“ . . . She was the one always driving me to football practice and things like that. It’ll just be a really special moment with her.”
Mom — and his dad, who also was on hand — got to see some more special moments by the Giants. They’re a surprise team at 5-1 under coach Brian Daboll after getting a touchdown reception apiece from two rookies in their very promising draft class.
Robinson caught a 5-yard scoring pass from Daniel Jones, helping the Giants move into a 7-7 tie with 3:31 left in the second quarter. Tight end Daniel Bellinger, a fourth-round pick from San Diego State, caught an 8-yard touchdown pass with 6:01 left as the Giants pulled within 20-17.
“They drafted us for a reason,” Robinson said. “They drafted us to come here and make plays and make an impact on this team. We’re just trying to do the best that we can to do that.”
Actually, the 5-8, 185-pound Robinson hadn’t been able to do his best for a while because he sprained a knee in the first half of the opener at Tennessee. This was his return.
“I had never really missed more than two weeks of football in a row,” Robinson said. “Being out that long was really, really hard. But I was just glad to come back and help us win.”
Robinson caught three passes for 37 yards. His TD came via a throw to the left flat. He caught it at about the 3 and ran just inside the pylon.
“It meant a lot,” Robinson said. “That’s a moment I’ve been dreaming about since I was 5 years old. Just to see it all come to life is pretty special.”
Jones targeted the 6-6, 255-pound Bellinger five times, and he caught everything, good for 38 yards.
“As rookies, we just come in and do what [Daboll] asks and just make sure we know what to do so we can get on the field,” Bellinger said.
Bellinger has 15 receptions and two more touchdowns than Robinson. This was his third, including one rushing.
“I think those guys deserve a lot of credit,” Jones said. “They stepped up and made a lot of big plays for us throughout the game . . . We’ll continue to work with them and see ways we can get them the ball.”