Giants’ Loss Sparks Tiki Barber’s Frustration
Following the Giants’ narrow 33-32 defeat to the Broncos, it seemed like Tiki Barber had reached his breaking point.
The former Giants star expressed that he wasn’t particularly bothered by the team’s play-calling during a drive that ended with an interception by rookie quarterback Jackson Dart, which surprisingly put the Giants up 26-16 early in the game.
Speaking on WFAN’s postgame show, Barber shared his thoughts on that drive, noting that the primary goal should have been to run the clock down, forcing the Broncos to use their timeouts. “All they needed to do was avoid mistakes that could hand the ball back to Denver,” he mentioned.
He elaborated, “On third-and-four or five, Sean Payton called for two timeouts. On that crucial third down, only one play was executed. I’m not sure if Mike Kafka was trying to get clever or if Brian Daboll was feeling bold. Or maybe it was just Dart aiming to play hero.” Barber continued, “Honestly, running the ball would’ve made more sense, pushing the Broncos to take their third timeout.”
Barber then pointed out that if the Broncos had burned their final timeout, they would have needed to move down the field without any time left on the clock, which, at the time, would have worked to their advantage. After all, the Giants led by two possessions.
“We lost this game. I couldn’t contain my frustration when they chose to let the rookie take control,” Barber said. “It’s always been my instinct to be wary about rookies in these high-pressure moments. They sometimes make those rookie mistakes—like trying to throw into a crowded area when a linebacker is lurking out of sight.”
He added, “This was about making the right play call. They should’ve just focused on running down the clock, forcing the Broncos to use their timeouts and punting the ball away. It seems pretty straightforward to me.”
Dart concluded the game with 15 completions and 283 passing yards, along with three touchdowns and one interception, and he also managed a 1-yard touchdown run to help his team. However, the Giants’ defense faltered, allowing 33 points in the fourth quarter, ultimately delivering a tough loss to the Broncos.
