The Giants mounted what looked like a game-tying drive during their final offensive possession of the game in their Week 1 matchup against the Titans.
Chris Myarick caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Jones to make the score 20-19 with 1:06 left in the fourth quarter. Many assumed New York would kick the extra point to tie the game and play for a chance at overtime on the defensive side of the ball.
Instead, first-year head coach Brian Daboll decided that the team would go for two after the touchdown. They were able to convert on a shovel pass from Jones to Saquon Barkley, who made a nasty cut to get into the end zone.
.@Saquon finds his way into the end zone. Giants take the lead!
??: #NYGvsTEN on FOX
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That gave the Giants a one-point lead that they wouldn't relinquish. The Titans had a chance to hit a game-winning field goal, but Randy Bullock missed the kick from 47 yards away as time expired.
Randy Bullock attempts a would-be game-winning field goal for the #Titans, but the week of missed kicks continues. pic.twitter.com/ND2UTGnAtv
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The decision was a gutsy one from Daboll, but it was one that he made long before he actually made the call, as he explained during his postgame news conference.
We're gonna be aggressive. That's what we want to do. That's the mindset I want the players to have. If it didn't work, I can live with it. I thought that was the right decision. You're an inch away or whatever it was. I trust Saquon.
Daboll acknowledged that the decision was made when the Giants forced the Titans to punt and got the ball back with 5:27 on the clock. He made sure to clear the decision with his coaching staff and players on both sides of the ball.
"I grabbed a couple of defensive players that have busted their tails out there, along with some of the offensive guys that weren't out there," Daboll explained. "I say, 'Hey, we score I'm going for two. You good with that?' And they said, 'F Yeah.'"
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Daboll was asked whether his decision to go for two was made easier by Saquon Barkley's performance during the game. Barkley racked up 164 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and added another 30 yards on six catches.
Daboll made it a point to credit Barkley, but he shied away from giving him all the credit. He wanted to point out the effort of the whole team as well as offensive coordinator Mike Kafka's two-point play call.
"That's probably part of it, but it's also a testament to the players that are on the field," Daboll said. "All of them. And Mike and the offensive staff had they knew the play they were gonna call. It's something we've practiced since training camp that hasn't always worked, but the guys knew what to do. It was good play design by Mike and good execution up front."
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Still, Daboll was effusive in his praise of Barkley. He pointed out to reporters that even though Barkley hadn't played much in the preseason, he had a great camp. That allowed the team to entrust him as the engine to keep its offense moving.
When you have a guy that you have a lot of trust in, you put it in their hands. It's a players game. So they're down there at the 2-yard line to go ahead and tie it, trust your players and let 'em go.
So, it sounds like we can expect Daboll to be aggressive moving forward. And it seems like that style is endearing him to his players early his tenure as Giants coach.
Oh man, @sterl_shep3 and @saquon are feeling goooood. ???? @Giants
????: #NYGvsTEN on FOX
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First career head coaching win for Brian Daboll and the @Giants are 1-0! #NYGvsTEN pic.twitter.com/XfAt1Wy47N
Brian Daboll is HYPE in the Giants locker room ??
?? @SinoUniversal pic.twitter.com/BgIx3xBm3y