EAST RUTHERFORD – The way the Giants were playing perhaps it was an omen that the lights went out.
Yes, the new $1.6 billion New Meadowlands Stadium experienced a power outage early in the third quarter. However, the Giants were playing as if they flicked their own off-switch long before that.
“We didn’t play well enough to win,” was how Head Coach Tom Coughlin put it.
Coming in pronounced as one of the elite teams in the league before the game, to the point where they were favored by two touchdowns, the Giants saw their five game winning streak and splendid play go into the dark as an inspired Cowboys team under new interim head coach Jason Garrett took advantage in their shocking 33-20 loss.
Coughlin continued, ‘We didn’t execute the way we’ve been executing. We gave up big plays.”
There were definitely many of those.
“Sometimes you play lights out, literally, and sometimes you just don’t have it,” was how Justin Tuck put it.
How ironic.
The game saw a team appearing to come out flat at the beginning under the impression that Dallas was the same team they saw on film the last three weeks give up 121 points, including 41 in their previous matchup three weeks ago. Unfortunately, the Giants did not see that team.
“There are definitely some things that we have to fix,” said Eli Manning. “Maybe a few things that we have gotten away with in the past that you kind of know eventually are going to bite you and today they definitely bit us.”
They saw a desperate Cowboys squad under Garrett playing aggressively and intelligently without turning the ball over. This was contrary to the Giants who from the outset, appeared to be in quick sand, digging themselves a hole created of their own volition that they could not get themselves out of.
After an early field goal gave the Giants an early lead, Cowboys rookie receiver Dez Bryant made two great plays, one on a 45-yard reception when he sprinted past Terrell Thomas, and another when he showed incredible body control hauling in a 13-yard touchdown pass that officials initially ruled incomplete. Kicker David Buehler would miss the extra point.
With the score now 9-3, the Giants appeared to be on the verge of taking the lead. The ball rested on the Cowboys 2 on third down when Dallas sent a blitz. Eli Manning spotted Hakeem Nicks in one-on-one coverage, but Nicks did not finish his slant to the inside as he slipped and when the ball got there, cornerback Bryan McCann intercepted the pass and raced 101 yards to the end zone for a touchdown taking what could have been a potential 10-9 lead into a 16-3 deficit.
“You can’t do that,” Coughlin stated about Nicks appearing to give up on the slant route. “You have to continue to run the route, run through the defenders, do whatever you have to do.”
Trailing 19-6 to begin the third quarter, the Giants defense looked to force a three-and-out from the Cowboys and force a punt. Instead, on a third-and-10, Jon Kitna found Felix Jones on a perfectly executed screen pass that was set up for him and he sprinted past the defense for a 70-yard touchdown, shocking the crowd at New Meadowlands Stadium.
“It was a great play, and they got us at the right time,” Said safety Antrel Rolle, whose bad angle on the play sprung Jones for the score.
Manning would lead them back into the game briefly when he found Mario Manningham for a five-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 26-13. Yet again, the defense would break down again as with the Cowboys moved 85 yards with ease, starting with a 46-yard catch-and-run by Bryant.
Another key play of the game would come in the drive with Dallas facing a third-and-22 from their own 49. Kitna found Roy Williams on a 27-yard completion that followed up by Miles Austin beating Corey Webster on a post pattern for a 24-yard score to put the lead back up to 20.
“We got out-executed and outplayed, said cornerback Terrell Thomas.“That’s not Giants football.”
The touchdown was the third of the game by Kitna, who on the afternoon only completed 13 passes (13-for-20), but threw for 327 yards, the most allowed by the Giants this season. The 427 total yards were also a season high.
Kitna benefited from time in the pocket to throw as the Cowboys used a “max-protect” scheme, using two tight ends and occasionally a running back to slow down a pass rush that ended Tony Romo’s season in the team’s first meeting. The result was only one sack and that came when he tripped over his center on a third down play with the ball at the Giants 1 in the second quarter.
“They attacked our weakness, and they made plays,” Thomas continued. “They went right after us, and they kind of caught us off guard.”
It took just 1:08 for the Giants to bring the game back to 33-20 when Kevin Boss hauled in a 35 yard touchdown pass. Dallas would give the Giants several opportunities in the game to get close, but the offense was unable to capitalize.
On a fourth-and-1 from the Cowboys 49 with 1:08 left, Head Coach Tom Coughlin elected to punt rather than go for it. The result was Matt Dodge punting the ball into the end zone.
Facing second-and-20, Manning had Nicks wide open in the middle of the field after he split the safeties, but dropped the pass.
“I tried to cut up field and tried to make a play,” Nicks said. “I should’ve looked it in.”
Two plays later needing one yard, the Dallas defense stoned Brandon Jacobs short of the first down forcing a turnover on downs.
Deon Grant would intercept a Kitna pass in the end zone, but the Giants would give it right back when a bad snap saw Manning chasing the ball and eventually fumbling it as Anthony Spencer recovered.
David Buehler would then miss a 34-yard field goal late in the fourth, but the Giants would see their dreams for a comeback end when at the Cowboys 17, Manning would have his pass intercepted by Alan Ball to seal the game.
“Every time we tried to close the gap they would answer and we would make mistakes,” said Boss. “You are not going to win ballgames like that.”
The third turnover of the game increases their season high total to 27. The loss, pending the outcome of the Eagles game tomorrow against the Redskins now make next Sunday’s game for a share of first place in the NFC East.
“We have only played two division games and we have a lot of football left,” said Manning.
All season the Giants had been able to overpower opponents past their own miscues.
Sunday was either a wakeup call or a preview of things to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment