We're calling it "The Block," right?
The 2022 New York Giants have been a team that’s probably played beyond its means. Yes, everyone who is in the NFL belongs at this level of the game, but the disparity — at least at the skill positions — is vast between Big Blue and a solid portion of its peers.
Yet, the Giants have exceeded expectations. They’ve been a team of players doing more than their prescribed role. Take Kenny Golladay, for instance.
With New York trying to take pole position in the early fourth quarter in an instant classic on the road against the Minnesota Vikings, someone had to go above and beyond. Someone had to add to their responsibility to help push their teammates over the top.
After the Giants fell behind on the sticks on a second-and-long, they went to Saquon Barkley to work some magic. Barkley would gain 10 on a run-and-catch to put the Giants just outside the red zone. The tailback would’ve gone nowhere if Golladay — a much-maligned pass catcher — hadn’t served up a beautiful pancake clock:
Kenny Golladay
pic.twitter.com/WPGQq7x3So
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 16, 2023
Incredible. The Giants, and Barkley, would go on to punch it in for the eventual 31-24 game-winning score. And a player like Golladay, putting his body on the line, who’s barely produced like a backup-level WR despite a previous substantial financial commitment, is an embodiment of the selfless mentality Brian Daboll has established in New York so quickly.
The Giants won’t be favored to win in Philadelphia next weekend. But if guys like Golladay push themselves like this, it certainly can’t be ruled out.
