The Giants lost another game, and while that's no longer news, the specifics and specifics of this latest loss are specific and particularly galling in terms of sameness and innovation.
If there's a unique way to beat him, the Giants will find it.
So a punt return for a touchdown was called back, a successful field goal was taken off the board with a penalty, and then a field goal to send the game to overtime was blocked because a player on the opposing team jumped over the same player. Ta. It was a creative one that messed up the opponent's field goal.
What else is there to say about Saints 14 games, Giants 11 games, and the Giants losing eight straight games at MetLife Stadium? Here are some thoughts.
As for that plane…
Sure, people can spend their hard-earned money on whatever they want, as long as it's legal and socially acceptable. If you want to rent a small plane to fly a message to bring your favorite team out of the doldrums, knock yourself out.
You know what was the most interesting thing that appeared in the air 90 minutes before kickoff on Sunday? It was the actual message itself.
He didn't beg co-owner John Mara to sell the team. That's an always popular (and never successful) plea at times like this. He did not insist on firing general manager Joe Schon and head coach Brian Daboll and giving them a clean slate. The message was more of a plea than a request, and was actually worded respectfully. Enough Mara – please fix this dumpster fire. ”
It was a passionate request for Mara to do something. In a way, that sentiment actually puts Mara in charge of fixing the franchise. No doubt he has received tougher and more emotional letters and emails as this season has spiraled out of control. Of course, the plane deal is public, which makes it even more embarrassing.
Long after the rental plane landed, the Giants were soundly defeated by the Saints. The stunning comeback from a 14-3 deficit early in the fourth quarter saw Graham Gano's 35-yard field goal attempt blocked with eight seconds left in regulation, preventing the Giants from sending the game into overtime. I ended up with a blister. Considering what happened, it's probably better for everyone involved that not even a single extra minute was added to this disappointing season.
Given the way many passing attacks work, finding completions is often fairly routine. There are all kinds of dump-offs, shovel passes, and quick outs available to find easy, routine completions for quarterbacks to get used to the game. Those attempts were made, but they were all foiled by Drew Lock, who was making his second start with the Giants. His first eight passes were not completed. Some of them didn't even come close. There were a few drops. Nothing good happened and the day took on a bad vibe.
This is not a given. The last quarterback to fail to connect on his first eight passes in a game was Cam Newton of the Panthers on December 31, 2017. The Panthers lost 22-10 in that game in Atlanta, denying them a chance to win. NFC South. Still, they made it to the playoffs with an 11-5 record.
Rookie Jake Kubas was pushed down by Nathan Shepard and had a blocked field goal as the blocker Brian Brisey jumped over him, sending us into Can't Make It Up territory.
Kubas made his NFL debut after John Runyan Jr. was forced to leave the game with an ankle injury. It wasn't so much bad luck as bad play, and I can't stress enough how bad teams find ways to lose.
There are so many differences between the Giants (2-11) and Chiefs (12-1), but it's worth noting that the Chiefs' most recent great breakout came from their third-line kicker. That's when Matthew Wright rang out from the left side. He made a 31-yard field goal as time expired. Of course, the ball deflected and the Chiefs beat the Chargers 19-17. luck? perhaps. Great teams find or create luck. Bad teams are repelled by luck.
Malik Nabors' play was questionable as he entered the game with a new hip flexor injury and a lingering groin strain issue. Because of these illnesses, the expected roles were limited. No dice.
He played 73 of 78 snaps on offense. The passing game was disgraceful in the first half, with Nabors only being targeted twice but catching one pass for 17 yards. He hung in there, gaining five catches for 79 yards and sparking a mini-rally in the fourth quarter. Afterward, he admitted it was “sore and sore.”
It was a great performance for a rookie who won the prize while battling physical ailments. Nabors currently has 80 receptions, the most by an NFL player in his first 11 games (he missed two games in concussion protocol). The previous record of 79 was set by Odell Beckham Jr. with the Giants in 2014.
If you own Alvin Kamara in fantasy football, this Week 14 matchup should make you salivate. The Giants enter this game as the 29th-ranked run defense, missing two of their best interior defenders in Dexter Lawrence and Bobby Okereke with injuries, and will also be without starting pitcher Rakeem Nunez-Roches. It happened. defense line.
The Giants had to start two rookies on the defensive line, Elijah Garcia and Casey Rogers, who were promoted from the practice squad. It was Rodgers' NFL debut and Garcia's Giants debut. They had to use rookie backup Elijah Chatman. He had to use backup Jordon Riley for his first NFL start. They had to sign Corey Darden, who was released from the Rams' practice squad and was making his Giants debut.
This makeshift defensive line was successful.
That's a shame for those who need Kamara to put up big numbers to get their team into the playoffs. Kamara ran it 17 times for only 44 yards. Chatman (56 of 68 snaps on defense), Riley (38 snaps), Garcia (29) and Darden (23) all contributed incredible run-stopping abilities.
The Giants received a great effort from their inside linebackers. Micah McFadden (team-high 11 tackles, five for loss) was active, and rookie Darius Muasau filled in for Okereke with eight tackles.
“They fought,” Daboll said of the retooled defensive line. “I’m proud of them. [Garcia, Durden, Rogers and Chatman] – They were there. This was tough. they were fighting. they got their chance. Again, we did some different things on the defensive end, up front and tried to mix things up. Those people fought. I'm proud of the way they fought. ”
The Giants had only one healthy team captain — long snapper Casey Kreiter — so Daboll decided to bring Kreiter along for the first coin toss. K Graham Gano, OLB Brian Burns, G Greg van Roten, and RB Devin Singletary were selected as Kreiter's companions.
The Giants won the toss and elected to postpone.
