Evan Engram emerges as a focal point of Giants offense

Here's why the Giants tight end is encouraged by what he's seen from the offense this year.

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Plane rides can be quite taxing, but for tight end Evan Engram and the rest of his Giants teammates, their return trip from Tampa was a lot more fun thanks to their 32-31 win over the Bucs Sunday. 

And why not? Besides getting their first win of the 2019 season, the Giants offense had its most productive game of the new season, a game that was in part inspired by the change of quarterback to rookie Daniel Jones and which also saw Engram record his second 100-yard receiving effort thanks to his six receptions for 113 yards--a total that was three yards shy of his career-high of 116, set in Week 1 of the regular season

The highlights of Engram's day might have been the one-handed grab  in the first quarter to convert a first down,  and his third-quarter catch and run down the sideline for a 75-yard touchdown.

“I think that might have been the fastest that I have run, definitely with the ball, and probably in my career,” Engram said. “We knew that we needed a spark. Personally, that’s my goal and what I strive for to be for this team, just to be a spark plug.”

With Odell Beckham Jr no longer on the team, Engram has stepped up in each of the Giants' three games so far. He currently leads the Giants with 277 receiving yards on 23 receptions and has two touchdowns.

Engram's role, which is already significant, could grow even more thanks to the loss on offense of Saquon Barkley, who will miss anywhere from four to eight weeks with a high ankle sprain. 

Engram will wait to see what the new week's game plan has in store for him, but one thing is for certain. The win against the Bucs, he said, is very motivating and a step in the right direction for the team.

“It definitely gives us some life moving forward, but also, it’s important for us to stay hungry, to come in each and every day to find ways to get better and build off of it,” he said.