Eli Manning, Giants Shock Broncos 23-10 Behind Orleans Darkwa's Big Night on SNF

Despite coming in as double-digit underdogs, the New York Giants earned their first win of the season in a Sunday night shocker over the Denver Broncos.  

Orleans Darkwa rushed for 117 yards against what was the league's No. 1 run defense to lead the 23-10 upset, helping the team overcome a litany of injuries.

The Broncos were coming off a bye but fell to 3-2 on the season, while the Giants improved to 1-5 with the win.

The Giants entered the game devastated by injuries, especially at receiver with Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall placed on injured reserve. Five other offensive and defensive starters were on the inactives list.

However, the defense led the way by holding the Broncos offense in check all night. The unit forced three turnovers, including one interception returned for a touchdown, and a fourth-down stop. 

The Giants offense also held its own after making a significant switch, as described by Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com:

Although Ben McAdoo had called plays for the past three years and five games, the team made the switch after entering the week ranked 29th in the NFL in points per game. The impact was immediate, as the offense scored on the opening drive for the first time all year, per Shaun O'Hara of NFL Network.

While Eli Manning only finished with 128 passing yards, rookie tight end Evan Engram had the best game of his career with five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. The inexperienced receiving corps ended up with only two catches.

It was the run game that made the offense flow, as Darkwa averaged 5.6 yards per carry. 

Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News compared Darkwa's effort to other running backs against Denver this season:

James Kratch of NJ Advance Media questioned the team's original plan:

After a 3-0 first quarter, the Giants offense looked even better in the second quarter against one of the top defenses in the league. This touchdown to Engram and the ensuing extra point made it 10-0 in favor of the visitors:

People were impressed by the level of play from the short-handed offense:

It was the defense, and specifically Janoris Jenkins, that helped the Giants take a 17-3 lead going into the half:

Even when the Broncos sustained drives, they often came up empty. Brandon McManus missed two field goals, and Denver had a fumble, intercepted pass and turnover on downs in New York territory. 

Vic Lombardi of Altitude TV provided harsh criticism of the AFC West squad:

One of the few bright spots in the game was the play of Demaryius Thomas, who finished with 10 catches for 133 yards despite dealing with a leg injury during the game. This was especially important with Emmanuel Sanders carted to the locker room and quickly ruled out after suffering an ankle injury, per James Palmer of NFL Network.

Trevor Siemian had 376 passing yards, although his two interceptions hurt the team's chances.

He finally got the Broncos in the end zone on a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Heuerman in the final minutes, but it was too little, too late in what became a 13-point loss.

The Giants have another tough matchup on paper next week with a home game against the Seattle Seahawks, but perhaps the momentum could carry over into Week 7. Denver will try to bounce back with a road matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, a squad that has won two games in a row after an 0-4 start.