Jason Pierre-Paul vs. Buccaneers: Highlights and Twitter Reaction to 2015 Debut

Jason Pierre-Paul is back in New York Giants blue, and his team is on the right side of .500 with Sunday's 32-18 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While the win moved New York to 5-4 and solidified its place atop the NFC East, the return of the defensive end from his July 4 fireworks accident was the major storyline. He lost his right index finger, damaged other areas of the hand and stayed away from the team for most of the season's first half.

New York activated him to its 53-man roster Saturday and placed Jon Beason on season-ending injured reserve, which paved the way for Pierre-Paul to play against the Buccaneers. It was a critical addition for a team that ranked dead last in the league in sacks entering Sunday's action with a mere nine. For comparison, J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans had 8.5 sacks on his own coming into Week 9.

NFL on ESPN highlighted why the Giants needed Pierre-Paul, especially after he notched 12.5 sacks last year:     

SB Nation provided a glimpse of Pierre-Paul's hand before the game:

Expectations weren't particularly high given his situation, but the defensive end was on the field for 47 of 62 defensive snaps, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Most importantly, Pierre-Paul was a force on Tampa Bay's fourth-quarter drive with less than six minutes remaining and the game hanging in the balance. Art Stapleton of the Record described his play on that possession:

"

Presence of Jason Pierre-Paul showed up on that last drive. I had him for 2 qb pressures and 2 qb hits on Winston. He's played 45 snaps.

— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) November 8, 2015"

In all, Pierre-Paul notched two quarterback hits and two solo tackles on a day the defense looked much better than it did last time out, when it allowed 52 points to the New Orleans Saints.

His Giants took a 17-9 lead into the halftime locker room, although he only notched one tackle in the first 30 minutes. Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News pointed out the defensive end played more than expected: 

Vacchiano also noted Pierre-Paul was physically limited as he rushed the passer:

Despite the limitations, the Giants forced a fumble early in the third quarter and converted on a field goal to open a 20-9 lead. While Pierre-Paul didn't force the turnover, Raanan praised him for a critical play on the drive:

The Giants maintained their 20-12 lead through the third quarter, and Pierre-Paul seemed to be growing more comfortable in the flow of the game, as Vacchiano underscored:

Part of the reason New York held the lead in the final quarter was the play of Mike Evans. The Buccaneers wide receiver dropped a number of downfield passes, and Corey Hersch of MLB Advanced Media wondered if Pierre-Paul wasn't the only one playing with one hand:

Even with Evans struggling, Tampa Bay cut the lead to 20-18 after a Jameis Winston rushing touchdown and a missed two-point conversion. New York added a field goal to open up a 23-18 advantage, and Pierre-Paul and the defense took the field with a critical opportunity. Stapleton acknowledged this is exactly what New York planned for with the defensive end:

The Giants came through and forced a punt with approximately five minutes remaining. Vacchiano highlighted Pierre-Paul's impact on the drive:

Stapleton described a defensive end who likely reminded Giants fans of what they were missing:

From there, the New York offense ran out the majority of the clock with timely first downs and added a field goal to make it 26-18. The Giants scored a touchdown in garbage time when they picked up a desperation lateral and ran it in for a final score.

Pierre-Paul played a large role in a clutch November victory for the first-place team in the NFC East.

What's Next?

Logic dictates it will take some time for Pierre-Paul to completely adjust to the season, especially without all his fingers on his right hand. However, he showed flashes of his dominant self who racked up 42 sacks the past five years, especially late in Sunday's game, and Giants fans have reason for optimism.

Unfortunately for the pass-rusher and the Giants defense as a whole, it doesn't get much easier. Next up is a date with Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots in Week 10. Letting Brady sit back in the pocket is a recipe for disaster, which means Pierre-Paul and Company will have to bring an effective pass rush in crunch time.

Confidence shouldn't be an issue after Pierre-Paul helped the Giants do just that Sunday.