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Inside the Numbers

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Inside the Numbers: Zak DeOssie's legacy, Daniel Jones' TD streak, Saquon Barkley's 100-yard games

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – His per-game snap totals were usually in the single digits and he spent much of his time on the field bent over to deliver a snap. Because of that, Zak DeOssie was often underappreciated in his 13 seasons with the Giants.

At 35, DeOssie's future is uncertain after he was placed on injured reserve last week with knee and wrist injuries. But his standing as one of most accomplished special teams players in Giants history is secure.

DeOssie played on the teams that won Super Bowls XLII and XLVI. He was a Pro Bowler in 2008 and 2010. His teammates selected him to be a special teams captain every season from 2011-19. DeOssie played in 199 regular-season games (plus 10 in the postseason), a total exceeded by only four players in the 95-year history of the franchise.

DeOssie snapped to punters Jeff Feagles, Matt Dodge, Steve Weatherford, Brad Wing and Riley Dixon, and for kickers Lawrence Tynes, John Carney, Josh Brown, Robbie Gould and Aldrick Rosas. He was credited with 95 special teams tackles, seven in the postseason, including a critical stop of New England's Laurence Maroney on a kickoff return after the Giants took the lead late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII.

Zak and his father, Steve DeOssie, have a unique and interconnected history not only with the Giants, but in the NFL. They are one of 13 father-son tandems to reach the Super Bowl, but the only one to earn a ring with the same franchise.

The younger DeOssie was a linebacker when the Giants selected him in the fourth round of 2007 NFL Draft from Brown University, but he quickly transitioned to a fulltime snapper. Steve joined the Giants in a trade with Dallas in 1989. Each of them was the first player to touch the ball on epic postseason field goals in Candlestick Park, Steve on Matt Bahr's 42-yard game-winner on the final play of the 1990 NFC Championship Game and Zak on Lawrence Tynes' 31-yarder in overtime in the same game on the same field 21 years later.

The 2019 season marked a milestone for the DeOssies. It was Zak's 13th with the Giants, meaning his career extended one year beyond Steve's tenure in the league. Steve DeOssie played 175 regular-season games for the Cowboys, Giants, Jets and New England Patriots from 1984-95.

Steve and Zak are the only father-son duo in NFL history in which each played at least 175 games. They are one of just four such tandems in which both the father and son played at least 12 seasons. The others are Archie (three teams from 1971-84) and Peyton (two teams from 1998-2015) Manning, Archie and Eli Manning (who has been with the Giants since 2004), and Rubin (Denver, 1975-86) and Andre Carter (four teams from 2001-13).

The DeOssies played a combined 374 games, leaving them third behind only the Manning family among father-son tandems. Archie and Peyton played a total of 417 games, and Archie and Eli check in at 385 games. The Carters totaled 350 games.

Early this season, Zak DeOssie was asked about sharing these numbers with his father.

"When I was a kid, my dad played for 12 years," he said. "I didn't know what it meant. Then I spent a few years here and I couldn't believe how he managed 12 years. Now, here I am. You don't really stop to think about it, but when you do, it's pretty cool. Especially since he played here. It's awesome."

And always will be.

DJ's TD streak extends to 10 starts

*Daniel Jones has thrown at least one touchdown pass in each of his 10 starts, the longest streak to start a career in Giants history and the fourth-longest among all quarterbacks who started their careers since the 1970 merger.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Y.A. Tittle holds the Giants record with at least one touchdown pass in 15 straight games from 1962-64. Eli Manning had three 12-game streaks (2004-05, 2005-06 and 2008). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Jones is one of several Giants quarterbacks who have had 10-game streaks, and they are tied for fifth in team history.

*Jones has set the Giants rookie records for passes (370), completions (228) and passing yards (2,374). With 18 touchdown passes, he needs five more to break Charlie Conerly's Giants rookie record of 22, set in 1948. Baker Mayfield holds the NFL record for touchdown passes by a rookie quarterback, with 27 last season.

Saquon reaches 100 for 17th time

*Saquon Barkley's 83 rushing yards against Green Bay on Sunday increased his season total to 544 yards. Barkley rushed for 1,307 yards as a rookie. He is the first Giants back to exceed 500 yards on the ground in each of his first two seasons since Ron Dayne in 2000-01, when the Heisman Trophy winner ran for 770 and 690 yards.

*Barkley has caught at least one pass in each of his 25 career games. The record for consecutive games with a catch to start a career in a Giants uniform is 26, by Ron Johnson (1970-72). Five NFL backs have longer active streaks to start their careers: Carolina's Christian McCaffrey (44), Chicago's Tarik Cohen (44), New Orleans' Alvin Kamara (41), Jacksonville's Leonard Fournette (33) and Indianapolis' Nyheim Hines (28).

*Barkley totaled 115 scrimmage yards (83 rushing 32 receiving) on Sunday. It was the 17th time in his 25 career games he totaled at least 100 yards from scrimmage. That ties him with Billy Simms (who played for Detroit from 1980-84) for the fourth-most such games by a player in his first 25 games. Only Edgerrin James (21 games), Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson (19) and Dallas' Ezekiel Elliott (18) had more.

Quick Hits

*The Giants' defense had neither a sack nor a takeaway vs. the Packers. It was the 25th time since 1990 the Giants did not register a sack or force a turnover. They are 2-23 in those games.

*When Julian Love opened the game at safety on Sunday, it increased to eight (of 10) the number of Giants draft choices that have started at least one game this season. That ties the team's single-season high since the 1970 merger. The 1971 team also started eight draft choices (out of 14).

No other team has started at least eight draft choices this season. Indianapolis started nine in 2018.

*Including tight end Kaden Smith and running back Jon Hilliman, 10 rookies have started a game for the Giants this season. The last time the Giants had that many rookies start a game (excluding the 1987 season with replacement players) was 1980 (15).

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