Talk » Crazy as it may sound, the New York Giants a

EAST RUTHERFORD Riley Dixon Color Rush Jersey , N.J. (AP) — re starting to believe they have a chance to make a run at the playoffs.It’s amazing what a couple of wins can do for a team after a 1-7 start. Saquon Barkley ran for a career-high 142 yards and scored three touchdowns as the Giants held off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-35 on Sunday to win consecutive games for the first time since December 2016.“I think there is some excitement going around,” said Eli Manning , who hit 17 of 18 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns. “It is good. It is a good feeling to have in the locker room and you see some growth. You see the improvement.”What the Giants (3-7) are doing is making plays and finishing. The running game has picked up and it’s opened up the passing game, and the defense is forcing turnovers. The group intercepted four passes in sending the Bucs (3-7) to their fourth straight loss with linebacker Alec Ogletree returning one 15 yards for a touchdown.“I just know that we’re playing better and I just love to see these guys in here after the game with smiles on their faces,” said receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who caught an 8-yard touchdown pass. “We just put it all together, so it’s always a lot more fun when you win.”Playing in the NFC East also helps increase the belief the Giants are not dead.Washington, which fell to Houston and lost quarterback Alex Smith for the season to a broken leg, leads the division with a 6-4 record. No other team has a winning record.“We’ve got a long way to go, there are a lot of things we’ve got to get better at, but if we can just keep battling and fighting, who knows?” coach Pat Shurmur said. “That would be a fun thing for everybody to write about.”The Giants never trailed as Manning found a wide-open Barkley on a 6-yard TD pass on the opening series, and the No. 2 overall pick in the draft scored from 5 yards out on the second possession to give New York the lead for good.“We’re finishing games and we’re finishing drives, and that’s what we weren’t doing in the first half of the season,” Barkley said of his first winning streak as a pro.Tampa Bay made things interesting after Jameis Winston replaced a turnover-plagued Ryan Fitzpatrick in the third quarter and led four touchdown drives. The last score came on a 41-yard pass to Mike Evans with 2:22 to play and got the Bucs within 38-35.The Bucs got the ball back at their 20 with 23 seconds to play, but B.W. Webb intercepted Winston’s long throw down the sideline to ice the win.After Tampa Bay got within 31-28 Mario Edwards Jr Color Rush Jersey , Manning, whose only incompletion came on a short pass to Barkley late in the second quarter, connected with tight end Evan Engram on a 54-yard pass and run on the second play after the kickoff, and Barkley capped the drive with a 2-yard run with 3:52 to play.The Winston-to-Evans TD pass closed the gap to three points again.“It hurts me when I have to see my team lose a game because I turned the ball over,” Winston said. “And I’m sure it hurts Fitz. And I’m sure it hurts anyone that has a hand in what they believe led the other team to winning. That’s our main focus. We have to find a way to win.”Fitzpatrick scored on a fourth-down 1-yard run for the Tampa Bay, which squandered a chance to score on its opening possession when Fitzpatrick was stopped on a quarterback sneak inside the Giants’ 5.Evans recovered a fumble in the end zone in the third quarter to start the comeback, Peyton Barber tallied from 5 yards out and Adam Humphrie s and Evans caught TD passes in the fourth quarter to get the Bucs within three points twice.Winston finished 12 of 16 for 199 yards and two touchdowns. Barber rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries. Evans had six catches for 120 yards. Fitzpatrick was 13 of 21 for 167 and the three interceptions.INJURIESBuccaneers TE O.J. Howard left the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Giants DL Kerry Wynn left the game in the second half with a concussion.WELCOME SACKJason Pierre-Paul, the Giants’ 2010 first-round draft pick, returned to face his old team for the first time since being traded in the spring. He had 1½ of the Bucs’ four sacks. He helped Manning up after the first sack.“I just said to him: ‘Get up, stop falling,’ but no, I was just helping him up because that used to be my old teammate and I’m not trying to hurt him, I’m just trying to play football and have good sportsmanship,” Pierre-Paul said.Kareem Martin had the Giants’ first and only sack in the last three games.UP NEXTBuccaneers: Host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.Giants: Travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles on Sunday. When it comes to the offensive tackle position, the NFL has a certain idea of what a starting tackle looks like. And if you wanted to get a good idea, just look up a picture Greg Little, Ole Miss’ left tackle. But Nate Solder Color Rush Jersey , to paraphrase Little John from Robin Hood: Men In Tights; Don’t let his name fool you. In real life, he’s very big.Little fits the NFL archetype for an offensive tackle to a T (no pun intended). Tall, long, and powerfully built, he is the kind of player teams want to have on hand simply to be the first guy off the bus, let alone to develop his natural abilities as an offensive lineman. And that is something the New York Giants are in need of: A young, offensive line prospect who can be developed into a long-term solution for their offensive front. Is Little a potential answer for them? MeasurablesHeight: 6-foot-5Weight: 325 poundsProsPrototypical height, length, and frame.Athletic tackle and a smooth mover in space and in pass protection.Flashes power at the point of attack.Generally has solid footwork and a wide base.ConsNeeds to be more assertive with his punch.Will let stance narrow, hips, and pads rise.Will lunge at defenders.Prospect VideoWhat They’re Saying - Kyle Crabbs (The Draft Network - Scouting Report) Does He Fit The Giants?BBV Radio — ‘Dwayne Haskins or bust’Of all the offensive tackles in the 2019 NFL draft, Greg Little passes the eye test better than most, and perhaps, looks more like what the NFL wants in a tackle than any other prospect. He is long but has good mass, he is athletic yet powerful. In short, he has all the traits which get NFL scouts hot and bothered with regards to the offensive line. And with regards to the Giants need talent and depth across their offensive line, and as one of the top prospects Phil Simms Color Rush Jersey , Little is a definite fit. For him to be a fit with the Giants, he would have to be able to swap his technique and play right tackle, but if he is able to, he could also provide an eventual successor to Nate Solder at left tackle. However, he has some disconcerting (and annoyingly familiar) warts on his game which will need to be addressed by whichever coaching staff receives him later this year. First and foremost is the inconsistencies in his technique which negate his natural traits. Little has long arms, but can be late and wide with his punch, giving up the advantage of his length and power. He can also forget to bring his feet with him when he goes to engage blockers, lunging and negating his quick feet. That creates opportunities for speed rushers to get around him. He will also, on occasion, let his base narrow and hips rise, negating his natural power to anchor against bull rushes. Little has everything the NFL looks for in a starting offensive tackle, but for him to reach his ceiling, he will need to land on a team with an offensive line coach who has both the ability and inclination to work with him. But given his physical traits, the position he plays, and the flashes of upside he shows, it would be moderately stunning if he were to fall out of the first round.