Daniel Bellinger played 29 snaps in Week 1 but was held without a catch, and he was still on the schneid at halftime Sunday. But, in the second half, he broke out in a big way: his first NFL catch was a 16-yard touchdown reception, his first career TD and the only one the Giants scored in a 19-16 win over Carolina.
“It was a split-zone scheme, usually where I come back around and hit the defensive end. It was a good play call where I just flashed the defensive end and got open into the flat and it was a good play,” Bellinger said of the catch. “I turned and didn't see anybody, and I was like 'Ok, I have to get into the end zone now.’”
Most players try to keep the ball from the first catch, and also their first touchdown; Bellinger only has one for both, and he’s lucky he does – because he wasn’t sure it was a TD, so he simply tossed it to the refs as he awaited a signal.
“I threw it back because I was trying to find the referee for the signal; I was too locked into the game, I didn't even think about it until we came into the locker room after the game,” he said. “They came and gave it to me about two minutes ago, and I’m not sure what I’m gonna do with it yet, but I’m keeping it close to me and holding onto it tonight.”
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Saquon Barkley joked that he didn’t see the play, so he’ll “have to give a grade later in the week” on Bellinger’s dive for the pylon, but what he’ll also see on film is how the tight ends have come up huge, making just four catches but scoring two touchdowns so far – an interesting dynamic considering the current room is two rookies and Chris Myarick, who had three catches in 11 career games coming into the season.
“We have to keep taking steps. We're a young group and we just have to keep growing,” Bellinger said of the tight ends. “We have obstacles to face, as any position group does, so as long as we keep growing, I feel like we can help impact this offense more.”
“Guys are stepping up in some big time situations and making those plays,” quarterback Daniel Jones added. “I think we have guys across the board who bring a lot of different things, a lot of different skillsets, and we are trying to bring the best out of everybody. Guys like Bellinger and Richie (James) did a good job making some big plays for us today.”
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And even better, they’ve come in two games the Giants have won, both of which were technically second-half comebacks given Carolina held a 13-6 lead at one point Sunday.
“The biggest thing is resiliency, being resilient and we go out there and face struggles, coming off of the field and getting booed,” Bellinger said. “Coach Daboll told us that we have to stay focused in times like that and we have to stick together as a team. I think we have great leaders that keep us together as a team and keep us focused when we come out.
We can overcome those obstacles.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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