3 Takeaways from Giants' Week 9 Win

The New York Giants have endured some early-season struggles, losing seven of their first nine games, but they've made one thing clear: They know how to beat the Washington Football Team.

For the second time in four weeks, New York beat Washington on Sunday, holding on for a 23-20 victory at FedEx Field. It was another close win for the Giants over their NFC East rival, after earning a 20-19 victory in the first meeting between the two teams in Week 6.

New York built a 17-point lead by halftime, and although Washington made things interesting in the second half, it wasn't enough to come back against the Giants, who relied on early success from their offense and big plays from their defense.

Here are three takeaways from New York's victory.

Takeaways Saved the Giants Late

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It wasn't the best day for New York's defense, as it gave up 402 total yards and nearly allowed Washington to either force overtime or pull off a come-from-behind win.

But when the Giants needed stops, the unit did one better—it kept taking the ball away.

With five minutes, 12 seconds to go, Washington had the ball at its own 11-yard line, trailing 23-20. It picked up four first downs before quarterback Alex Smith (who had replaced the injured Kyle Allen in the first quarter) was picked off by safety Jabrill Peppers with 2:18 to go. Still, it wasn't enough for New York to seal the victory, as its offense went three-and-out and gave the ball back to Washington with 1:48 remaining.

But again, the Giants' defense came through. On the second play of Washington's ensuing drive (which began at its own 28-yard line), Smith was intercepted, this time by cornerback Logan Ryan for New York's fifth takeaway of the game. And the Giants ran out the rest of the clock to hold on for the victory.

"For us, the whole message was, 'Finish,'" New York head coach Joe Judge told the media after the game. "That's a thing you could hear our players saying over and over and over. We talked about that before the game, at halftime, throughout the game and on the sideline. We have to finish the game."

Over their previous four games, the Giants had blown a fourth-quarter lead three times in losses to the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This time, New York closed it out. And that's an encouraging sign for a team playing under a first-year head coach.

Evan Engram Finally Caught a Touchdown Pass

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In four seasons with the Giants, Evan Engram has flashed his potential many times, but he got off to a slow start in 2020.

The tight end hadn't scored a receiving touchdown through New York's first eight games—his only touchdown was a rushing score in Week 5—and he had been held to 35 or fewer yards five times.

The Giants also received inquiries about potentially moving Engram at last week's trade deadline. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, New York received multiple offers for him, but it decided to only consider a deal in exchange for the high value of a first-round draft pick. So, he remained with the Giants.

That could end up being a wise move by New York. On Sunday, the 26-year-old had five receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown, which came on a 16-yard catch that extended the Giants' lead to 20-3 with 2:05 to go in the first half. It was the third straight week in which he had at least five receptions and 45 yards.

Engram has also been targeted at least nine times in each of the past three weeks. Part of the reason for that against Washington was likely due to the absence of wide receiver Golden Tate, who didn't travel with the team for Sunday's game by coach's decision.

It was a big breakthrough for Engram to get back into the end zone, and if he continues to play at a consistent level while mixing in touchdowns, he should be a key part of New York's offense moving forward.

No Turnovers, Better Offensive Results

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In each of the Giants' first eight games, second-year quarterback Daniel Jones had committed at least one turnover.

The quarterback entered Sunday's matchup at Washington having thrown nine interceptions and losing four fumbles this season. Through 21 career games, he had 21 interceptions and 15 fumbles lost.

This game, Jones had no turnovers. Neither did any of his teammates as New York played a clean game, which was a key reason it pulled out the victory.

"That's been a focus of mine: I obviously know the importance of holding on to the ball," Jones said, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. "We were able to protect it [Sunday], and that was a big advantage for us."

As the 23-year-old alluded to, it's easier to win when you're not giving the ball away. After turning the ball over on downs on their opening drive, the Giants scored points on five of their next seven possessions. And although they punted on each of their last three, it put Washington in more difficult field positions and gave New York's defense a better opportunity to hold on.

Jones hasn't put up big numbers this season, and that was again the case Sunday, as he went 23-for-34 for 212 yards and one touchdown. Still, it's a positive that he didn't turn the ball over, giving him a solid showing to build off of heading into next week's home matchup against the first-place Philadelphia Eagles.