Saquon Barkley shines on Thursday Night Football, leading the Giants to a victory over the Commanders
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley had a breakout performance on Thursday Night Football, leading his team to a 23-16 victory over the Washington Commanders.
Barkley rushed for 164 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, and also caught three passes for 27 yards. He was a key factor in the Giants' offense, which struggled at times in the passing game.
The Giants' defense also played a big role in the victory, forcing three turnovers and sacking Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz four times. The Commanders were held to just 262 yards of total offense.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the Giants' victory:
- Barkley is back to his old self. After missing most of last season with an injury, Barkley looked like the player who led the NFL in rushing in 2018.
- The Giants' defense is much improved. The Giants' defense has been a weakness in recent years, but they looked much better against the Commanders.
- The Giants are a playoff contender. The Giants are now 3-1 on the season, and they look like a team that could make a run to the playoffs.
Here's how the game unfolded:
The Giants took an early lead on a touchdown pass from Daniel Jones to Sterling Shepard. The Commanders answered back with a field goal, but the Giants extended their lead to 10-3 on a field goal by Graham Gano.
The Commanders closed the gap to 10-6 on a field goal by Joey Slye, but the Giants took a 17-6 lead into halftime on a touchdown run by Barkley.
The Commanders cut the lead to 17-9 on a field goal by Slye in the third quarter, but the Giants answered back with a field goal by Gano to make it 20-9.
The Commanders made it a one-score game with a touchdown pass from Wentz to Jahan Dotson, but the Giants held on for the 23-16 victory.
The Giants will look to improve to 4-1 when they host the Chicago Bears next week. The Commanders will look to get back on track when they host the Dallas Cowboys next week.
