A DARKWA NIGHT
DENVER — The most difficult question to answer in the aftermath of the Giants’ 23-10 upset victory over the Broncos on Sunday night was: Which Orleans Darkwa run was the most critical?
Was it the 47-yard burst that gave the Giants a first down at the Denver 13-yard line early in the second quarter? Two plays later, the Giants took a 10-0 lead on an Eli Manning scoring pass to Evan Engram.
Or was it the 15-yard run he made from the Giants’ 1-yard line in the fourth quarter that allowed them to eat precious time off the clock while protecting the lead.
The consensus in the Giants’ victorious locker room was the 15yard run that got the Giants crucial breathing room was the run of the game.
“Closing out the game, especially from the 1-yard line to help run the clock down, that was pretty big,’’ Darkwa said.
The Giants were well aware of the numbers. They simply opted not to pay attention to them and the daunting task they faced against the Broncos, who owned the No. 1 ranked overall defense and were ranked No. 1 against the run, allowing only 50.8 yards per game.
As a team, the Giants ran for 148 yards on 32 carries, good for a 4.6yard average. Darkwa rushed for a career-high 117 yards on 21 carries.
“This is what you dream of as a back,’’ he said. “It’s a blessing for me to have the opportunity to have the coaches trust me with the ball in my hands. It’s been a longtime coming for me. This is my fourth year and to have this opportunity on this stage is something you dream of as a kid.’’
Giants coach Ben McAdoo called Darkwa “a natural back,’’ adding, “He has instinct. He runs heavy behind his pads.’’ The goal-line run? “That was a big play in the ballgame,’’ McAdoo said. “Against their defense, which is tough to run the ball on. Give credit to the line. They had some nice push in there. He found the crease and he accelerated through the crease.’’
The Giants lined Darkwa up closer to the line instead of the usual 7 yards deep, and it seemed to allow him to hit the holes more quickly. Darkwa gave all credit to his blocking.
“All that yardage was on them,’’ he said. “There were a lot of plays I didn’t even get touched. I owe them all the credit for that.’’
Fellow running back Wayne Gallman, who ran for 27 yards on nine carries, said, “He ran great. We knew it was his night.’’
Justin Pugh, who played right tackle instead of his typical guard spot, said of Darkwa: “He ran hard. He always runs hard. We know that. Just give him a crease and he’ll make us look good.’’