TAMPA – Notes and statistics from the Giants' 32-31 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Raymond James Stadium.
*The Giants broke their five-game losing streak dating back to last season and improved to 1-2 in 2019. This is the second season in a row they earned their first victory on the road in Week 3 after losing their first two games.
*The one-point victory was the Giants' first since a 21-20 triumph over Cincinnati on Nov. 14, 2016 and their first on the road since a 20-19 win in Dallas on Sept. 11, 2016.
*The Giants trailed at halftime, 28-10. This was their first victory when trailing by 18 or more points since Nov. 15, 1970, when they fell behind Washington, 33-14, but scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win, 35-33.
*This was the Giants first victory when falling behind after two quarters since Dec. 2, 2018, when they trailed Chicago at the half, 14-10, but rallied to win, 30-17 in overtime. It was their first such victory on the road since last Nov. 12, when they trailed at halftime in San Francisco, 13-10, but won 27-23.
*The Giants had lost their previous seven games when trailing by seven or more points at halftime. They had last won such a game on Dec. 11, 2016 vs. the Cowboys, when a 7-0 deficit became a 10-7 triumph.
*The Giants trailed entering the fourth quarter, 28-25. They had lost their previous 23 regular-season games in which they were behind after three quarters. The Giants had last rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to win in the 2016 game against the Bengals. They trailed after three quarters, 20-14, but scored the only touchdown of the final period to win by a point.
*The Giants won despite finishing with sizeable deficits in total yards (499-384), first downs (24-17) and time of possession (33:12-26:48). They had exactly half as many rushing yards as the Bucs (142-71).
*The 499 yards were the most allowed by the Giants since they gave up 510 yards on Nov. 18, 2018 – to Tampa Bay.
*When Mike Evans caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jameis Winston just 5:13 into the game, it ended the Giants' streak of not allowing a first-possession six-pointer at 12 games – the NFL's longest active streak entering Week 3. The last team to score a touchdown on its opening series vs. the Giants had been Philadelphia on Oct. 11, 2018, when Carson Wentz threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery. The Giants allowed just one other touchdown on an opponent's first drive last season; on Sept. 16, Dallas scored on Dak Prescott's 64-yard pass to Tavon Austin.
*Winston and Evans hooked up for another touchdown pass on Tampa Bay's second possession, a three-yarder. The Buccaneers became the first Giants opponents to score touchdowns on their first two offensive series since Dec. 28, 2014, when Philadelphia did it on Mark Sanchez passes of 44 yards to Jordan Matthews and one yard to Brent Celek.
*Rookie first-round draft choice Daniel Jones made his first career start. He was the first Giants rookie to start at quarterback since Jan. 2, 2005 – the final game of Eli Manning's first season - and the first rookie quarterback to make his starting debut since Manning on Nov 21, 2004.
*Jones completed 23 of 36 passes for 336 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 112.7. He also ran for two touchdowns while leading the Giants in rushing with 28 yards.
*Jones also became the second player since the 1970 merger to throw at least two touchdown passes and run for two scores in his first NFL start. On Oct. 19, 1981, Detroit's Erick Hipple threw for four scores and ran for two more in a 48-17 victory over Chicago.
*Jones is the first Giants rookie quarterback to win his initial career start since Dec. 7, 1980, when Scott Brunner completed eight of 18 passes for 161 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 27-21 victory at Seattle. Since then, Jeff Hostetler, Dave Brown and Danny Kanell won their first pro starts as Giants, but they weren't rookies.
*Jones was the 14th quarterback since the 1970 merger to start his first NFL game in a Giants uniform. Those quarterbacks are now 8-6.
*Jones joined Brunner as the only two of those 14 quarterbacks to throw two touchdown passes in their debut. His 36 passes were the fourth-highest total (strike-replacement starter Mike Busch threw 41 passes in 1987, Joe Pisarcik threw 38 in 1977, and Manning threw 37). But Jones' 23 completions were the most among the 14 first-timers. The previous high was Manning's 17. And Jones not only became the first Giants quarterback to pass for more than 300 yards in his debut, he is the first to exceed 200 yards. The previous high was Kanell's 198 yards on Oct. 12, 1997 at Arizona.
*Jones was the first quarterback drafted by the Giants to start a game for them since Dec. 28, 2003 – the final game before Manning's arrival the following spring – when Jesse Palmer, a fourth-round choice in 2001, played the entire game in a 37-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Giants Stadium. Palmer completed 18 of 43 passes for 110 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
*The Giants had last won a game started by a quarterback they drafted on Oct. 31, 1999 at Philadelphia, 23-17 in overtime. Kent Graham, an eighth-round draft choice in 1992 who spent three seasons with the Giants, one with the Detroit Lions and two with Arizona, re-signed with the Giants as a free agent on Feb. 17, 1998. In that Halloween game against the Eagles, Graham completed 26 of 41 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. The Giants won the game when Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan intercepted a pass thrown by Doug Pederson – now Philadelphia's head coach – and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown.
*The Giants had last won a game started by a quarterback they drafted and who was still with the team after that initial transaction was Oct. 18, 1998, when Kanell led the team to a 34-7 victory against Arizona. Kanell, a fourth-round draft choice in 1996, completed 22 of 36 passes for 259 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
*Jones scored the Giants' first touchdown on a seven-yard run around the right end in the second quarter. It was the first rushing touchdown by a Giants quarterback since Manning scored on a one-yarder at Indianapolis on Dec. 23, 2018. The seven-yard run was the longest by a Giants quarterback since Manning's 14-yarder on Oct. 1, 2017 – also at Tampa Bay.
*Jones was the first Giants quarterback other than Manning with a rushing touchdown since David Carr scored on a 12-yard run against Oakland in Giants Stadium on Oct. 11, 2009.
*Saquon Barkley rushed for a career-low 10 yards on eight carries and caught four passes for 27 yards before leaving the game late in the first half with a sprained right ankle. His foot got caught under safety Mike Edwards after a six-yard reception. Barkley's previous low was 28 yards on Sept. 16, 2018 at Dallas, the game in which he set a franchise record with 14 receptions. Barkley returned to the sideline wearing a boot and on crutches and encouraged and instructed his replacement, Wayne Gallman (13 yards on five carries).
*Sterling Shepard led the Giants with seven receptions for 100 yards and tight end Evan Engram added six for 113. Each scored a touchdown, and Shepard added a two-point conversion.
*The Giants had two 100-yard receivers for the first time since Oct. 22, 2018, when Shepard finished with 167 yards on five catches and Odell Beckham, Jr. had 143 yards on eight receptions. It was Shepard's seventh career 100-yard game and Engram's second (he had a career-high 116 yards at Dallas two weeks ago).
*Shepard's seven receptions increased his career total to 203.
*On the first play of the second half, Jones threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Engram. It was the Giants' longest play since Sept. 24, 2017, when Manning and Shepard hooked up for a 77-yard completion – like Engram's play, a catch-and-long run. The Giants' previous long play this season was a 43-yard pass from Manning to Cody Latimer at Dallas. Their longest play in 2018 was a 58-yard pass to Shepard at Atlanta on Oct. 22.
*Engram's 75-yard touchdown reception was the longest ever by a Giants tight end. The previous long was a 71-yarder by Aaron Thomas vs. Philadelphia on Oct. 17, 1965.
*The 75-yarder was also the longest reception of Engram's career. His previous long catch was a 54-yarder last Nov. 18, also against Tampa Bay (in MetLife Stadium).
*Rookie wideout Darius Slayton made his NFL debut after missing the first two games with a hamstring injury and had three catches for 82 yards, including a 46-yarder.
*Markus Golden had two of the Giants' four sacks and has a team-high 3.0 sacks this season. Rookies Dexter Lawrence and Oshane Ximines had the other sacks, the former's first career sack and the latter's first full sack.
*Another rookie, linebacker Ryan Connelly, picked up the Giants' first takeaway of the season when he intercepted a Winston pass in the fourth quarter. Jones fumbled the ball back to the Bucs two plays later.
*Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans caught eight passes for 190 yards and three first-half touchdowns (21, three and 20 yards). He was the first Giants opponent to catch three touchdown passes in a game since Dallas tight end Blake Jarwin on Dec. 30, 2018, the first wide receiver since Green Bay's Randall Cobb in an NFC Wild Card Game on Jan. 8, 2017 and the first wide receiver to do it in a regular-season game since Washington's Santana Moss on Dec. 24, 2005.
*Evans' 55-yard reception was the second-longest allowed by the Giants this season. Prescott connected with Michael Gallup for a 62-yard at Dallas in the season opener.
*Neither of the first two challenge flags thrown by coaches in a Giants game this season went their way.
After an incomplete pass with 5:50 remaining in the second quarter, Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians challenged the officials' decision not to penalize Jabrill Peppers for committing pass interference on tight end O.J. Howard. After review, referee Bill Vinovich announced that "No. 21 (Peppers) significantly hindered the pass receiver." The pass interference penalty was for 29 yards. Five plays later, Matt Gay kicked a 27-yard field goal to increase the Bucs' lead to 18-10.
*Pat Shurmur took his shot with 14:02 remaining in the fourth quarter. No flag was thrown on an incomplete pass to Chris Godwin, with DeAndre Baker covering. Shurmur challenged the no-penalty call, believing Godwin pushed Baker. After review, Vinovich announced the ruling on the field stood. Shurmur is 2-4 on challenges in his two seasons with the Giants.
*The Giants lost two captains to injury in the second quarter. In addition to Barkley, linebacker Alec Ogletree pulled up with a hamstring injury after a 79-yard fumble return that didn't count, because the play was ruled an incomplete pass after an automatic review. Ogletree was replaced by Tae Davis, who had two tackles (one solo).
*The Giants' two-point conversion was their first since the 2018 season finale vs. Dallas, when Manning threw to Engram for two points.
*Gay's 52-yard field goal was the longest by a Giants opponent since San Francisco's Robbie Gould kicked a 53-yarder on Nov. 12, 2018. Gay was the first opponent to kick four field goals since Carolina's Graham Gano on Oct. 7, 2018. But Gano kicked a 63-yard game-winner as time expired. Gay missed a 34-yard last-play try on Sunday.
*The Giants' inactive players were wide receiver Cody Latimer, defensive back Julian Love, and quarterback Alex Tanney, offensive linemen Chad Slade and Eric Smith, and tight ends Garrett Dickerson and Kaden Smith.
Love, a fourth-round draft choice this year, was inactive for the first time this season.
