The fourth quarter has proven to be when the Giants are at their best. Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley led another comeback in the final period to get New York to 6-1 on the season after beating the Jaguars 23-17. The Giants rushed for 236 yards in the win -- 100 each from Barkley and Jones -- as they paced New York in a dominant fourth quarter to win their fourth straight game.
New York had a scare in the final seconds when Christian Kirk caught a Trevor Lawrence pass inside the 1-yard line with seconds left on the clock, but Fabian Moreau and other defenders prevented him from scoring what would have given Jacksonville the lead with a score and an extra point. Kirk was stopped inside the 1-yard line, and the Giants held on for the win since Jacksonville had no time left on the clock.
Jones gave the Giants the lead on a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:31 left to cap a 10-play, 79-yard drive to put New York ahead 20-17. That was the Giants' first lead of the second half. After holding Jacksonville to a three and out, the Giants went on a nine play, 63-yard drive that led to a Graham Gano field goal with 1:04 left to put New York up 23-17.
Jones rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown to lead the Giants ground game, which helped put up 126 total yards in the fourth quarter. New York trailed 17-13 entering the final frame before using Barkley and Jones to wear down the defense en route to the win. Barkley ran for 72 yards in the final quarter after being shut down the majority of the game, while Jones added 50 yards on the ground in the fourth.
The Jaguars had chances to extend their lead multiple times in the second half. Trevor Lawrence scored on a 1-yard touchdown to give Jacksonville a 17-13 lead early in the third quarter, but the Jaguars couldn't preserve the lead. A blocked extra-point attempt and a turnover on downs at the Giants' 20-yard line in the fourth quarter paved the way for the Giants to come back for another victory.
Miscues by the Jaguars led to the final result, leading to the Giants going 6-1 for the first time since the 2008 season.
Why the Giants won
New York played disciplined and efficient football, not turning the ball over and only punting twice the entire game. The Giants also had two key defensive stops in the fourth quarter and rushed for over 120 yards in the final frame. The running game was efficient again, as Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley combined for 227 of the team's 236 yards while the Giants averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
The Giants wore down Jacksonville's defense and used the pass to set up the run, setting the stage for another comeback victory. New York had 150 yards in the fourth quarter on two possessions -- scoring 10 points. The Giants continue to shine late in games as the Giants don't beat themselves.
Why the Jaguars lost
The Jaguars made too many miscues to beat New York and take a victory. Travis Etienne fumbled at the Jaguars' 5-yard line in an 11-7 game that would have led to points and extended Jacksonville's first-half lead. That was Jacksonville's lone turnover of the game.
Jacksonville also failed to convert a third-and-1 and a fourth-and-1 at the New York 20-yard line in the fourth quarter, which led to a turnover on downs and the Giants getting the ball back. Both red zone miscues led to six total points by the Giants on the ensuing possessions. A missed extra point after a touchdown in the second half negated a two-point conversion earlier in the game.
Situational football cost the Jaguars.
Turning point
Jacksonville drove to the New York 20-yard line with a 17-13 lead and an opportunity to extend it. Etienne took a direct snap on third-and-1 and was stopped short of the first down -- or was he?
Doug Pederson didn't challenge the spot and went for it on fourth-and-1 at the 20 instead of kicking the 38-yard field goal. Trevor Lawrence was stopped short on the quarterback sneak with 11:28 left and the Giants got the ball back. New York scored the go-ahead touchdown on the ensuing drive to take a 20-17 lead.
In a six-point game, a field goal would have made a huge difference.
Play of the game
The final play of the game takes the cake here. Fabian Moreau made sure the Giants improved to 6-1 by tackling Christian Kirk just shy of the goal line, preventing Jacksonville's best receiver from crossing the plane in the final seconds.
Lawrence threw a dart across the middle of the field to Kirk that resulted in a 16-yard gain. Kirk tried for 17 and the end zone, but Moreau was right there to make the tackle and get Kirk down with no time left on the clock.
No tackle by Moreau, and the Jaguars are kicking an extra point for the win.
The quote
"He played good again. He played the way we needed to play." -- Giants head coach Brian Daboll on how Daniel Jones played.
Jones finished 19 of 30 for 202 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions (94.0 rating) while rushing for 107 yards and a score in the win. He had his fifth game-winning drive of the season as well.
Up next
The Giants (6-1) travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks next week while the Jaguars (2-5) head to London to face the Broncos next Sunday.