New York Giants answer Ben McAdoo's challenge in win over Kansas City Chiefs

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- During the week, New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo issued a simple challenge to his reeling players.

Play for each other and be accountable.

Message received loud and clear, as the Giants turned in a gritty 12-9 overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs, a win that was New York's second of the 2017 season and their first at home this year.

"We played like the type of team that we're capable of playing," said McAdoo. "We played tremendous defense today. We were all over the field. We were flying around, running to the football. That was great to see. Special teams was big for us, again, I can't say that enough. And the offense just stuck with it."

Nestled in the victory for the Giants was the redemption of two players, kicker Aldrick Rosas and cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who have been dealing with adversity over the past several weeks, but who Sunday overcome the naysayers to have a big hand in the win.

Rosas, the 22-year-old kicker in his first NFL season, came into this game having missed at least one field-goal attempt in each of his last five games. While his performance against the Chiefs wasn't perfect -- he missed the extra point after running back Orleans Darkwa scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, Rosas bounced back to nail both field-goal attempts, including a 26-yarder to give the Giants a 9-6 lead with 1:38 remaining in the game, and then the game-winning 23-yarder in overtime.

"At the end of the day, I didn't get a perfect day in," Rosas said after the game. "I wouldn't say I redeemed myself, but I would say I was there to be accountable to my teammates and was someone who did his job to help the team win."

"Aldrick just kept kicking," McAdoo said. "That first one that wasn't pretty. We knew the wind was going to factor there. He just kept fighting. We knew there was going to be some adversity and Aldrick did a good job fighting through it."

Jenkins, whose rocky season included a one-week suspension by McAdoo after the team returned from the bye week and the cornerback failed to report to work, and then more recently a lackluster effort in a loss last week to the 49ers which had people questioning his effort, responded with a big interception on an Alex Smith pass intended for receiver Demarcus Robinson at the Chiefs' 40-yard line.

Jenkins returned his 15th career interception 17 yards, to the Chiefs' 23-yard line to set up Rosas' 26-yard field goal to give the Giants the 9-6 fourth-quarter lead.

He also nearly had a second interception in the game except that was nullified due to him being penalized for pass interference.

"It's football," he said when asked how it felt to come up with a such a big play. "We just came out and played good in all three phases of the game."

"I thought Janoris Jenkins played his tail off," McAdoo said. "He was all over the field, did a good job turning the ball back inside a few times, was playing physical. It was good to see him do that."

Beyond the redemptions of Rosas and Jenkins, the win itself was a team-wide redemption that McAdoo and the players hope to build upon with a short work week and a Thanksgiving night division game against Washington up next.

"I thought we played well as a football team. I thought we played hard," he said. "We knew to beat this team we were going to have to come out and exceed their effort and play hard and play physical and play heavy-handed and that's what we did today."