In what could only be called an amazing but surprising comeback, the New York Giants were able to overcome a 21-point deficit to beat the host Arizona Cardinals, 31-28. The team was also outscored 60-0 over their first six quarters of play this season prior to the second-half comeback.
What made the win even more surprising was that the defense did not record a turnover or even post a sack.
But some reasons why they were able to come back in the game were the contributions from some unlikely contributors such as rookie WR Jalin Hyatt and S Jason Pinnock.
Jalin Hyatt Delivers for the New York Giants in Week 2
Hyatt, a third-round rookie, did not record a catch during Week 1’s loss to the visiting Dallas Cowboys. And while he was known in scouting circles as one of the top deep threats for this year’s NFL Draft, he got knocked for not being physical enough, which was why he dropped a few rounds.
OKAY HYATT 🔥
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/4Qf4WEO3jG
— New York Giants (@Giants)
One college scouting source told Pro Football Network that Hyatt would too often not come up with catches in college (Tennessee) due to playing “too finesse.”
However, he had a huge 58-yard reception as part of the team’s 31-point second-half scoring surge and finished with 89 yards on his two receptions. And his 31-yard fourth-quarter reception was definitely a physical catch, as Cardinals rookie CB Kei’Trel Clark was draped right over him.
“I thought Hyatt stepped up as a young rookie and made a couple nice plays,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said after the game about Hyatt.
Pinnock, a former fifth-round pick of the New York Jets in 2021, was claimed off waivers prior to the start of last season.
He wound up starting five games with the Giants in 2022 and won a starting job this season.
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The former University of Pittsburgh defensive back, who has good size (6’0”, 200), was not highly regarded in college scouting circles, so there had been some questions in terms of whether he could be a starter at the NFL level.
On Sunday, he came up big with 13 combined tackles, three tackles for a loss, and had an interception in the third quarter called back due to a penalty by one of his teammates.
The Giants will need those types of contributions probably a lot more if they want to beat the host San Francisco 49ers this Thursday.
