Notes & Stats: Daniel Jones leads short-handed Giants

*Daniel Jones completed 23 of 34 passes for 234 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 109.6 that was his highest of the season (just topping the 109.4 he had in Cleveland). This was Jones’ third game this season with two touchdown passes, no interceptions, and a rating of at least 100.0.

*Jones also had a season-high 38 rushing yards on 11 carries. That increased his career total to 2,022 yards. He is the first quarterback in Giants history to rush for at least 2,000 yards.

*With Singletary sidelined, rookie running back Tyrone Tracy made his first career start and led the Giants’ rushing attack with 18 carries for 129 yards. He totaled 12 attempts for 29 yards in the season’s first four games.

Tracy is the Giants’ first 100-yard rusher since Saquon Barkley ran for 128 yards vs. the Jets on Oct. 29, 2023, and the first rookie to do so since Barkley rushed for 109 yards vs. Dallas on Dec. 30, 2018.

*Tracy’s 129 yards was the highest rushing total by a Giants rookie since Barkley ran for 179 yards at Washington on Dec. 9, 2018.

*Darius Slayton was Jones’ most frequent target in Nabers’ absence. Slayton was targeted 11 times and caught eight passes for 122 yards and his first touchdown of the season. His eight catches tied the second-highest total of his career. He also caught eight passes vs Dallas on Oct. 11, 2020. Slayton’s career best of 10 receptions was set in his rookie season vs. the Jets on Nov. 10, 2019.

Slayton’s 122 yards were the third-highest total of his career and the most he’s had since gaining 129 yards vs. the Cowboys on Oct. 11, 2020. He scored his first touchdown since the 2023 season finale vs. Philadelphia.

*This was Slayton’s sixth career 100-yard game and the first in which the Giants won.

*The Giants had a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver in the same game for the first time since Dec. 15, 2019, when Barkley rushed for 112 yards on 24 carries and Sterling Shepard gained 111 on nine catches against Miami in Eli Manning’s last career game.

*Wan’Dale Robinson caught six passes for 36 yards and rookie tight end Theo Johnson had five catches for 48 yards, exceeding the three receptions for 37 yards he totaled in the first four games.

*Perhaps the biggest play of the game was Isaiah Simmons’ block of Jason Myers’ 47-yard field goal attempt that would have tied the game with about a minute remaining. But wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton picked up the ball and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown – the first time he touched the ball in his career

*It was the Giants’ first touchdown on a field goal block since Sept. 18, 2016, when Janoris Jenkins recovered the ball after Jonathan Hankins blocked an attempt by New Orleans’ Wil Lutz and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown. The special teams touchdown was the Giants’ first since Gunner Olszewski’s 94-yard punt return vs. the Rams on Dec. 31, 2023.

*The Giants’ first offensive possession started poorly and ended disastrously.

On the first offensive play, Jones got his legs tangled up and was sacked by Derick Hall for a 10-yard loss and fumbled. The ball was recovered by Andrew Thomas. It was the first time Jones was sacked on the Giants’ initial snap since Oct. 16, 2022, vs. Baltimore.

The Giants quickly righted themselves and moved all the way to the Seahawks’ one-yard line. But on fourth down, running back Eric Gray lost a fumble that was forced by Jerome Baker and recovered by safety Rayshawn Jenkins, who retuned it 102 yards for the game’s first touchdown.

*The touchdown was the second by an opposing defense and first via a fumble return this season. Minnesota’s Andrew Van Ginkel scored on a 10-yard interception return in the season opener on Sept. 8. Jenkins had the first fumble return touchdown against the Giants since Oct. 11, 2022, when the Cowboys’ Anthony Brown scored on a 29-yard fumble return at Dallas after DeMarcus Lawrence sacked Jones.

*Jenkins’ fumble return was the longest against the Giants in their 100-year history. The previous long was 92 yards by Joe Carter of the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sept. 25, 1938. Jenkins had the longest return in the NFL since Nov. 5, 2000, when Arizona Cardinals Hall of Fame cornerback Aeneas Williams scored on a 104-yarder against Washington.

*Rookie safety Tyler Nubin led the Giants with nine tackles (six solo) and had his first career fumble recovery.

*Greg Joseph kicked field goals of 38, 31 and 24 yards and has succeeded on his last eight attempts.

*The Giants matched their season high by converting seven third downs (on 16 attempts), a total they also achieved in the season opener vs. Minnesota.

*Linebacker Matthew Adams had one special teams tackle in his Giants debut.

*Wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins made his season debut but was not targeted.

*Rookie running back Dante Miller made his NFL debut but had no touches.

*The Giants’ inactive players included their leading rusher (Devin Singletary) and receiver (Malik Nabers), as well as linebacker Boogie Basham, cornerback Tre Hawkins, safety Anthony Johnson, Jr., guard Jake Kubas and Tommy DeVito (third quarterback).