Giants Let Giant Win Slip Away Against Depleted Patriots

Photo via SI.com

Another week, another last-minute loss for the Giants as they fall to 5-5. This time, the defeat was all the more gut-wrenching because of close and/or controversial calls on catches that didn’t go Big Blue’s way. Face it, the game came down to officials overturning Beckham’s touchdown catch and not upholding Landon Collins interception on the Patriots final drive. Either of those happen for the G-Men and they emerge with a major upset win. Of course, most Pats fans weren’t shy about telling everyone how many injuries they’ve suffered, like the Giants haven’t lost or didn’t have for the matchup (starting WR, starting LG, starting T, starting TE, 3 starting LBs, starting CB, etc.)

So, the Giants had a very depleted Pats squad and couldn’t take advantage of what appeared to be a very winnable game. To push the odds forever in New York’s favor, New England loses Edelman to a broken foot and the Giants still couldn’t stop Brady’s Bunch. It was straight up comical that Craig Dahl and Brandon Merriweather collide on the deep ball to Gronk. How and why Merriweather was so far out of position and fooled so badly is equal parts a testament to Gronk’s superior route-running abilities and Merriweather’s lack of discipline.

How NO ONE was around Amendola on the completion that put the Pats in field goal territory is also unfathomable. There are officially 2 guys you have to worry about on that down: Gronk and Amendola. And you place a LB over Amendola and zone it up? Barf. Although, anyone who watched Gostowski’s kick almost put a hole in the net knows that kick would’ve been good from 70 yards out.

A lot of Giants fans were harping on the fact that this was similar to the regular season finale in ’07 when the Patriots came into the Meadowlands and had to scrap, claw, and scratch their way past an amped up Giants team to round out their perfect, undefeated season and how that loss gave the Giants the confidence to plow through the NFC en route to a rematch in the Super Bowl. That’s cool, but I just don’t see it. For one, I believe the Patriots didn’t have half their roster missing in that finale like they did in this week 10 contest.

Eli had 257 passing yards at the half (87 of which came on that long TD to Beckham)and finished with 361 yards and 2 touchdowns. I’m probably Eli’s biggest critic and I hate myself for the things I say about him (I JUST found out that he played with a fully torn plantar fascitis in 2009), but … losing that fumble on the strip-sack and not hitting Beckham on the slant for an easy score in the 4th… that’s hard to stomach. Eli is probably the only quarterback who has the vision and the arm to thread a ball through and over 2 defenders to Will Tye, yet misses wide open Vereen (and Beckham) on a big third down opportunity and throws well short of the first down marker on numerous other third down opps.

Photo via NorthJersey.com

Manning definitely spread the wealth, connecting with 8 different receivers (that’s a badge in Madden), but just couldn’t seem to fit the ball into Beckham. Take away the 87 yard catch and run, and OBJ only had 3 catches for 17 yards! You have to give respect to Malcolm Butler for blanketing Odell all game. If Butler is 1/2 second slower in knocking that ball out of Beckham’s hands on that touchdown catch, the Patriots are staring at their first loss of the season.

You could say the Giants loss also highlighted their inability to run the ball. The last offensive series was the prime example. You need to run time off the clock and force New England to take timeouts. Then you throw on 3 straight downs. Granted, the throw to Beckham is a touchdown 9 out of 10 times, but how many times are the Giants going to line up for a 3rd and 1 or 3rd and goal to go and not tote the rock?

And how awful a play call is it to have Eli ROLL OUT on a sprint bootleg, effectively cutting down the space and time he has to throw with only 2 F****** guys in the pattern?!?! I could see maybe rolling out right and throwing back left to a wide open third string TE or eligible tackle, but that was never in the cards.

Do Ben McAdoo and Tom Coughlin talk during games? I’m kinda over Tom saying that he trusts Ben. I think Ben needs to earn your trust first because McAdoo’s proven time and time again, he doesn’t know what to do when the game’s on the line. The way McAdoo calls plays in crunch time cost them the game in Dallas, vs. Atlanta, against New Orleans, and now against the Patriots. Four losses by 4 points or less, all happening in the final minutes of the 4th. TOM, TELL BEN TO STOP LOOKING SO CONFUSED AT HIS PLAY SHEET AND USE SOME LOGIC! This is what I picture going on in Ben’s head: “Everyone thinks I’m gonna go left, well, hold on to your underoos, because we’re going straight to hell!”

Dwayne Harris had another decent game. The touchdown catch before the half was straight Land o’ Lakes. I have no idea how that referee initially called that incomplete. What the Fuddrucker’s was he looking at? I still don’t have a lot of confidence in Will Tye. I often daydream about what this team could’ve been had the Giants rolled the dice and dealt for Jimmy Graham or Martellus Bennett. Rueben Randle looks like he’s playing at about 50% speed, which might be due to injury or could just be that Randle is chill af. The biggest disappointment had to be Vereen, who ended up with 2 catches for 12 yards against a LB corps that was without Jamie Collins.

Yet again, we’re talking about the Giants red zone INefficiency, as they only converted 1 of 5 trips inside the 20. Josh Brown was perfect again, going 4 of 4 on field goals, but unless you’re the 2000 Baltimore Ravens or 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you’re not winning games on 3-pointers alone. If the Giants cross the goal line just 1 more time (great song), they can notch a mark in the W column.

Photo via Univision.com

On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants were led by Jasper Brinkley, probably one of the most underrated acquisitions for any team this season. #53 had 9 solo tackles and 3 assists with a sack and a forced fumble. Safety Craig Dahl and defensive end Robert Ayers, Jr. also got to Brady while JPP was held off the stat sheet. Though, the Mega-Mitten did get a notable amount of pressure on Brady, according to my Pats friend, Tom Brady should’ve been wearing the Giants like an ugly holiday sweater all game.

It’s surprising that the Giants were able to stifle the Pats running game. I thought for sure that Blount would have 40+ attempts with 200+ yards on the ground, but they managed to corral him without my main man Hankins in the middle. Though, ask a Pats fan, and he or she will tell you it was because they had 2nd and third stringers playing O-line.

Trumaine McBride came up with another big interception, this time saving at least 7 points. But, as I mentioned in the opening paragraph, it was Landon Collins near-interception that was the back-breaker. Personally, I thought it was a pick. He went up, controlled the ball all the way to the ground then rolls over and lets the ball go because he just shattered his rib cage and somehow that’s incomplete. I don’t even know what the word “catch” means anymore. Cris Collinsworth said it best during the Cardinals-Seahawks Sunday Night Football game: “If you were to ask a little kid if that’s a catch, he would say, ‘yes’.” Props to Al Michaels for chiming in with, “Even a big kid would.” Al’s going on a nationwide tour after the season, folks.

PS – It’s straight up Chiquita that the Giants could be 9-1 right now.

UP NEXT: BYE (THANK, GODZILLA)

THEN…
Sun, Nov 29 @ Redskins 1:00 PM – Kirk Cousins torched the Saints and Washington’s D kept Brees in check. There’s speculation that Cruz might return for this game, but we all know how that goes. This could be the end of the Giants season.

Sun, Dec 6 vs Jets 1:00 PM – If somehow the Giants survive Fed Ex Field, they get to play the Jets, who’ve come down to Earth after a hot start. You would think Chris Ivory would have a day against this Giants rush defense, but maybe Big Blue’s front seven have turned a corner?

Mon, Dec 14 @ Dolphins 8:30 PM – It appeared the Eagles would blow the Dolphins out of the stadium, past Miami, down to Argentina the way that game started yesterday, but then Bradford gets hurt, Sanchez can’t muster a comeback and the Dolphins chip away a win. I don’t get the Dolphins or the Eagles or life in general, so I’m going with a tie here.

Sun, Dec 20 vs Panthers 1:00 PM – I don’t think anyone can stop the Panthers except the Panthers themselves. Somebody needs to sabotage the Panthers itinerary night before gameday.

Sun, Dec 27 @ Vikings 1:00 PM – Adrian Peterson hasn’t really done that well against the Giants in his career, averaging about 60 yards per game. If the Giants can force Teddy Bridgewater to win the game with his arm (and not his feet), maybe they pull out the crucial dub, but at this point, I just don’t see a huge road win.

Sun, Jan 3 vs Eagles 1:00 PM – It might be a pointless game if they don’t get 3 more wins before the Minnesota showdown. Another meaningless regular season finale against Sanchez? Happy 2016!