When the 2014 season fixtures were announced, Giants fans were buoyed by three winnable (but not necessarily easy) games against Detroit, Arizona and Houston. In week one the Giants fell victim to the high-powered offence of the Lions, and in week two they collapsed against the Cardinals on the back of a plethora of farcical self-inflicted wounds including fumbles, dropped passes and special teams blunders.
They also picked up injuries to key players such as Jon Beason, Devon Kennard and Walter Thurmond III, weakening a side already hindered by the absence of Odell Beckham, Jr. and Geoff Schwartz.
So the Giants came into week three in desperate need of a win, and the odds were not exactly in their favour. They had floundered to a disappointing 0-2 record while the Texans, last seasons' worst team, were 2-0. In 2007, the Giants lost their first two games before rallying after a change in approach from Tom Coughlin. This week, Coughlin allowed rap music to be played during practice to lighten the mood. Ultimately it seemed to have made a difference.
Despite this, the game got off to a bad start, and it looked as if the ridiculous errors from the Cardinals' game were to continue. After a long drive, tight end Larry Donnell fumbled the ball on the Texans' five-yard line, and on the next series the usually-reliable Zak DeOssie snapped the ball over kicker Josh Adams' head. Two long drives, and no points scored. The Giants should have been 10-0 up, but had nothing to show for it.
Eli Manning was clattered by J.J. Watt early on; fans would be forgiven for thinking that it would be a long day for the Giants offensive line, but the much-maligned unit emerged as the catalysts for the Giants' first win of the season. They paved the way for a 176 yard, one touchdown performance by Rashad Jennings, and kept the Texans' defensive line at bay as Eli Manning completed 21 of 28 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
The Giants' offense has been described all-too-often as a "work in progress", this game appeared to see them finally clicking. It wasn't the prettiest performance, but it was effective and showcased how dangerous the Giants can be under Ben McAdoo.
Victor Cruz appeared to redeem himself after his error-strewn game against the Cardinals with five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.
His return to form was mirrored by that of Jason Pierre-Paul. Both are vital players and the Giants need both to be at their best if the team are to succeed. Pierre-Paul was everywhere, and although he didn't pick up a sack, he was able to frustrate Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Texans' run game for much of the afternoon.
The defensive line will be frustrated to have left a number of sacks on the field, but credit should be given to Fitzpatrick, who proved to be quite elusive when pressured, rushing for a late touchdown. The Giants secondary can be pleased with a performance that saw Antrel Rolle, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Prince Amukamara all intercept Fitzpatrick, who had not turned the ball over in the first two games.
The Giants are still their own worst enemy, however. The 30-17 scoreline could have been 40-17 if not for two avoidable errors early in the game, Amukamara and Rodgers-Cromartie both dropped an interception each, and another miscommunication in the secondary allowed Damaris Johnson to score a huge 44 yard touchdown pass that slashed the Giants' lead to just seven points. That touchdown came on the back of a large gain by running back Alfred Blue, who took advantage of a
In all, this was a convincing win with some correctable errors still remaining. The Texans were void of their biggest offensive threat, running back Arian Foster, and the Giants will still likely struggle against the tougher teams on their schedule. However, after a dire preseason and a poor season opener, the G-Men needed a performance to prove that their new offense can work. Eli Manning asserted that the 2014 Giants are better than the 2013 Giants; they needed a performance to support that theory. They got one.
The Giants go into a short week and a Thursday Night Football game against the Washington Redskins, crucially, with some momentum behind them, and it would seem that the rumours of Eli Manning's demise were greatly exaggerated.
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