In an uber exciting win over the Redskins on Sunday, Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones and star RB Saquon Barkley were simply the stars of the show. And in playing that role, they set some new career accolades.
Let's start with Jones, who returns after missing the last two games with a high ankle sprain. There was no rust at all for the neophyte, as he completed 28 of his 45 pass attempts for a career-high 352 yards which led to a career-high five touchdowns.
Jones looked extremely poised in the pocket, and picked apart the Redskins' zone coverages the most with special attention on Golden Tate (six catches, 96 yards) and Sterling Shepard (six catches, 76 yards). He was also seen running and cutting on that ankle, which is a great sign.
Also, Jones now joins former Giants QB Fran Tarkenton and Deshaun Watson as the only rookies in NFL history to have three games with 4+ touchdown passes. That's some great company to be around.
But the passing game wouldn't have been as effective if it hadn't been for Barkley's out-of-this-world performance. He has also been peppered with questions about his health following his own high ankle sprain this season. He finally broke 100 yards rushing against the Dolphins last week, the first time doing so since Week 2 against the Bills.
This week, however, was much more than that.
The Giants' offense had 558 yards of total offense, and Barkley accounted for 279 of it. He had 189 yards rushing on 22 carries (8.6 y/c) with a touchdown, and 90 yards with a receiving score on four receptions. Those rushing yards and total yards are both career highs for No. 26.
And we can't forget about the solid play by everyone on the offensive line in the win, as neither Jones or Barkley would be able to thrive without their help up front. They were creating massive holes for Barkley to run through against the 28th-ranked rush defense coming into the contest. Jones also had tons of time to throw in the pocket.
Watching this duo go to work like this should definitely make Giants fans smile, as their performance show just what they can do in the future.