Following the Giants' first win of the season, 27-22, against the Houston Texans, here's how the experts reacted to the game:
Austin Knoblauch, **NFL.com**
"Eli Manning once again showed why no one should write him off as an aging afterthought in the landscape of NFL quarterbacks. With the Texans edging closer to mounting a comeback, Manning orchestrated a beautiful, nine-play, 77-yard drive late in the fourth quarter that culminated in a 7-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard to put the game away for the Giants (1-2). Manning's calm and assured demeanor during the drive, which came amid a second-half flurry of J.J. Watt pocket invasions, was exactly what Big Blue needed to stay one step ahead of the Texans (0-3) in crunch time. Manning finished the game connecting on 25 of 29 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns to spearhead a Giants offensive effort that benefited greatly from the efforts of rookie running back Saquon Barkley."
Gary Gramling, **Sports Illustrated**
"Saquon Barkley: I'm not sure he made a lot of plays that you'll see on the highlight reels, but the number of times he breaks a tackle and picks up three-to-five yards he has no right getting…"
Patricia Traina, **Forbes**
"The Giants achieved balance in their run and pass selection. New York ran the ball 27 times and passed it 29 times, keeping the Texans defense back on their heels. Running back Saquon Barkley agiain led the way with 82 yards on 17 carries, 4.8 yards per carry, with a rushing touchdown."
Matt Lombardo, **NJ.com**
"Beyond simply moving Manning around in and out of the pocket, Shurmur's game-plan was far more balanced against the Texans than it was in the opening two games of the season. In addition to Manning's 297 passing yards, the Giants' ground attack found its footing as well, accounting for 125 rushing yards which is a season-high. Rookie Saquon Barkley rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown while also catching all five of his targets for 35 yards."
Pat Leonard, **NY Daily News**
"But the Giants stopped the run, allowing just 59 rushing yards on 19 carries (3.1 per rush) and bottling up top Texans back Miller to 10 yards on 10 carries. And they had three sacks, including the first career NFL sacks for both of their rookie third-round picks, LB Lorenzo Carter and lineman B.J. Hill, as well as one by tackle Mario Edwards."
Dan Schneier, **247 Sports**
"Quarterback Eli Manning had a massive bounce-back game after a week filled with a lot of chatter from his critics that he was no longer good enough to play in the NFL. Manning completed 25-of-29 pass attempts for 297 yards passing and two touchdowns with zero interceptions. Manning finished with a healthy 10.2 yards per pass average."
Tom Rock, **Newsday**
"Besides the takeaways, the Giants found another defensive element that had been missing through the first two games: Sacks. They registered three of them, including the first career sacks for rookies Lorenzo Carter and B.J. Hill. Mario Edwards Jr. had the third."
PFF Analysis Team, **Pro Football Focus**
"Interior defensive lineman Damon Harrison was once again the best run defender on the field as he led the Giants with seven combined tackles. The Houston interior offensive line struggled with Harrison's power, and he not only beat blocks but also finished plays and made multiple tackles for loss."
Jordan Raanan, **ESPN**
"Not only did the New York Giants avoid the dreaded 0-3, the offense showed signs in the first half on Sunday against the Houston Texans of being the unit the team envisioned heading into this season. Eli Manning was ripping passes to his variety of weapons behind an offensive line that was doing just enough to allow them to operate efficiently. Saquon Barkley was loosening up the defense with his ability to consistently put the Giants in short-yard situations, before hitting on a big run. Odell Beckham Jr. was being targeted often and making plays."
Ralph Vacchiano, **SNY**
"Giants DE Kerry Wynn, who is known for being a preseason sensation, had his finest regular season game in a while, with a forced fumble a pass deflection and plenty of pressure on Watson. The Giants pass rush was erratic, but it came up big in spots - like when Wynn flushed Watson from the pocket in the fourth quarter, forcing a bad pass that turned into an interception by linebacker Alec Ogletree in the end zone."
