DENVER --– The New York Giants played well in Denver. So well that they went to Sports Authority Field at Mile High and dominated the Broncos despite playing without eight starters, including their top playmaker Odell Beckham Jr.

The Giants beat the Broncos 23-10 and did it with an altered approach. Short on wide receivers, they pounded the ball, even on the league’s best run defense. Then they relied on their defense to make plays.

Since it all went so well, rather than our usual Up/Downs, this week it’s mostly Up and Ups.

Up

CB Eli Apple -- This really was a bounce-back game for the young Giants cornerback after a trying few weeks. The Broncos targeted him early and often Sunday night, thinking they could find the same success other teams were able to have at the beginning of the season. It didn’t happen. Apple played perhaps his best game as a Giant, locking down his receiver (often the talented Emmanuel Sanders) and making plays against the run. Apple was targeted a handful of times in the first half and allowed just one catch for three yards. He allowed three receptions for 38 yards on 10 targets in the contest, per Pro Football Focus, which also gave him the highest grade in the game (86.9).

DE Jason Pierre-Paul -- He admittedly hadn’t been playing up to expectations in recent weeks despite signing a lucrative deal this offseason. Sunday night was a different story. Pierre-Paul was constantly in the backfield, making plays against the run and pressuring the quarterback. He tied a career-high with 3.0 sacks and finished with a team-high eight tackles. PFF also credited him with an additional four hurries.

RB Orleans Darkwa -- He ran hard. He ran often (you read that right). The Giants actually consistently fed Darkwa the ball, and he rewarded them with his first career 100-yard game. Darkwa had a career-high 21 carries for 117 yards against the league’s top run defense, which was allowing 50.8 yards per game prior to the outburst. And he did it in just 27 snaps. The fourth-year back is now averaging 5.7 yards per carry on a team that hasn’t run the ball well this season. If this wasn't enough to solidify himself as the clear-cut No. 1 back on the Giants, than nothing ever will be.

RT Justin Pugh -- The Giants flipped him back to right tackle for the third time this year. It was an unenviable request considering it meant an evening opposite Von Miller. Pugh received some help with chips from the tight ends and running backs, but Miller was mostly invisible throughout the contest. He had one tackle and one sack, which didn’t come until the fourth quarter. Pugh deserves a majority of the credit as he continues to play well and be the Giants’ best and most versatile lineman. This game only further validates his case for a lucrative new contract. Pugh is a free agent at the end of the season.

DT Damon Harrison -- He continued to be a force against the run, but he’s also adding some pass rush to his repertoire. Harrison had a sack and two quarterback hits in addition to his normal run-stuffing dominance. Not only did Harrison make five tackles -- including one for a loss -- but he drew a pair of penalties. It was another fine effort that was key in limiting the Broncos to 46 yards rushing on 17 carries (2.7 ypc).

LB Keenan Robinson -- Even though the Giants did allow their weekly touchdown pass to a tight end (that’s now seven in six games), they did a much better job in coverage against tight ends and running backs. Robinson was a major reason. He played well and had five tackles with two passes defended, while handling a bigger workload with Jonathan Casillas sidelined. Robinson was on the field for 68 of 81 defensive snaps (84 percent), and looked more like the player he was last season when he was an integral part of the defense.

Honorable mention: TE Evan Engram, CB Janoris Jenkins, CB Donte Deayon, C Brett Jones, S Darian Thompson