Giants tie record with fourth win as underdog

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants keep proving the doubters wrong, tying an NFL record in the Super Bowl era Sunday by winning as an underdog for the fourth time through six games.

The Giants were 5.5-point underdogs at home to the Baltimore Ravens, yet rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to win 24-20 at MetLife Stadium. They were also underdogs in wins over the Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers.

The Giants (5-1) are now one of 12 other teams to pull upsets four times in the first six weeks of a season. The New York Jets have also done it this year.

“We don’t really care [about being underdogs], to be honest. It is what it is,” running back Saquon Barkley said after the Giants pulled off their latest upset. “You guys can say whatever you want. People can say whatever they want. The only thing that matters is in-house. We got a team focused on process and believing in each other.”

New York trailed 20-10 with 6:01 remaining. After tight end Daniel Bellinger had an eight-yard touchdown reception, the upset trend looked in doubt until Baltimore committed an illegal formation penalty prior to converting a third-and-1 from the Ravens’ 44-yard line with 3:09 remaining.

Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson then fumbled the snap on the very next play, scooped the ball and tried to throw a pass across his body. It was intercepted by Giants safety Julian Love and returned to the 13-yard line. New York’s first interception of the season couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.

The Giants took the lead just over a minute later when Barkley leaped into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown run. Rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux’s first career sack helped close out their third win this season when trailing by double-digits, tying for the most double-digit comebacks in a season in franchise history (2007, 2011, 2016).

Two of those three seasons ended with a Super Bowl triumph. All three included playoff appearances.

It’s only Week 6, and the Giants already have more wins than they had all of last season when they finished 4-13. It has them believing they are one of the best teams in the NFL.

“I feel like we are a great team,” Barkley said. “We are a very confident team. And we know that. And coach [Brian Daboll] said it’s OK to be happy, but no need to get overconfident. Continue to stay humble, continue to keep that mindset. We’re getting better each day and loving the process.”

The resiliency of this Giants team showed again Sunday. It seems to be showing every week.

They were outgained 355-148 entering the fourth quarter. It didn’t look like they had much of a chance when Jackson threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Andrews with 12:54 remaining.

The Giants had just 10 points through three-plus quarters and were down 10 points, 20-10. It doesn’t seem to matter with this group.

“It’s something we’ve preached since day one — since we’ve been here: coaches, people in the building. This league is hard. It’s not always going to be perfect,” Daboll said. “There will be a lot of people down on you. And you might be down on yourself, wish you could do better. But you keep on getting back up. You keep on swinging, keep on competing, regardless of the score or the situation of the game. And that’s not easy to do, right? That’s not easy to do when you’re down.”

These are the exact kind of games the Giants were losing in recent years. They were the ones jumping offsides on a field goal in the final seconds in Washington early last year. They were the ones losing time and after over the past few seasons on long field goals in the final seconds.

This season they are on the other side of the illegal formations and missed field goals as time expires (see: Week 1 in Tennessee).

“It’s just a tough group,” said quarterback Daniel Jones, who threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s victory. “We’ve got a competitive spirit, a competitive stamina, something [Daboll] has preached since he got here in the spring. I think guys have really taken to that and really tried to make that something we show every time we get on the field.

“It’s a tough, gritty group. It wasn’t perfect again [Sunday], a lot of things we can clean up and do better but found a way to win down the stretch.”

All five Giants wins have been by one score or less.

Still, they don’t seem overly impressed by the 5-1 start.

“Go into work tomorrow,” Daboll said, “and get better.”