The Giants’ defense has been struggling for nearly a month now.
They came into Sunday’s matchup against the 49ers having conceded 71 points over the last five quarters, ultimately falling to San Francisco with a score of 34-24.
That’s a staggering 105 points over the past nine quarters.
“That was awful,” reflected Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeau. “It’s really unacceptable. Everyone needs to step up their game.”
Thibodeau was addressing a defense that has let through 33, 38, and 34 points in its last three games.
“Our defense has to improve,” he added. “The front seven needs to be better. The secondary as well. We’ve got to toughen up. Shutting down the run is crucial if we want any chance to get to the quarterback.”
“Look, the performance wasn’t up to par. We need to refine our tackling. Sure, it was nice to limit some explosive plays, but allowing four out of five red zone attempts to succeed is tough. Especially with three of them on critical third downs,” commented Giants head coach Brian Daboll.
Daboll also expressed disappointment over a situation in the first quarter where a Giants linebacker was left alone on a touchdown catch by Christian McCaffrey, indicating how none of the 49ers’ star running backs seemed to be covering him.
“The linebacker was singled out because they played so well against us,” Daboll noted. “I have to give credit for solid play design.”
Dexter Lawrence, a defensive tackle who had faced some criticism last week from former Giants linebacker Carl Banks, stated he thought he performed well despite ending the game with just one tackle and another against the loss.
When asked what went wrong, Lawrence said, “We have to make the plays that come our way. We didn’t capitalize. I don’t believe it was due to a lack of effort. Everyone played hard, but we just missed opportunities.”
On a brighter note, it was tight end Theo Johnson’s fifth touchdown reception of the season, which initially put the Giants up 7-0 in the first quarter.
For rookie quarterback Jackson Dart, this marked the fourth instance in six NFL starts where he led his team to a touchdown on their opening drive.
Giants edge rusher Brian Burns, who had entered the game with 10 sacks (tied for the league lead), secured his 11th sack late in the first half, making it a strip sack. He also deflected a crucial pass. Meanwhile, defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches managed to sack an opponent during the game.
Sunday was particularly challenging for the Giants, as they played without their standout rookie running back Cam Skatebo, who is out for the season due to an ankle injury. In his absence, running back Devin Singletary managed 43 rushing yards on eight carries, while Tyrone Tracy Jr. had 18 yards across five carries.
Additionally, the Giants faced several injuries during the game. They lost starting center fielder John Michael Schmitz to a shin injury, and linebacker Darius Muasau left with an ankle injury. Wide receiver Beau Collins was sidelined due to a neck issue, and wide receiver Darius Slayton was evaluated for a concussion.
The team came into the game missing three of their four starting secondary players: cornerbacks Paulson Adebo (knee), Cordale Flotte (concussion), and S. Jevon Holland (knee). Consequently, they had to rely on Deonte Banks and Corey Black at cornerback, along with Dane Belton at safety.
Right tackle Germaine Elemunor was also absent due to a pectoralis major issue, leading rookie Marcus Mbou to step in. Tight end Daniel Bellinger and defensive lineman Chauncey Golston were out because of neck injuries as well.
Before the game, wide receiver RayRay McLeod III and linebacker Zaire Burns were promoted from the practice squad to the active roster. Additionally, cornerback Rico Payton was activated from injured reserve, while corner Art Green was placed on the reserve/injured list.
Interestingly, Schmitz was spotted wearing a Skatebo shirt as he entered the stadium. Also, about three and a half hours before kickoff, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was seen running up the stairs inside MetLife Stadium, a ritual he had continued from his time as the Jets’ head coach.
