With just 28 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter, the New York Giants had victory in their grasp. They were up 10-7 and Graham Gano was lining up to kick a 35-yard field goal.
But Gano would miss the field goal attempt and Zach Wilson completed two passes totaling 58 yards to set up Greg Zuerlein’s game-tying 35-yard field goal to send the game into overtime. Then in OT, Zuerlein would connect again from 33 yards to end the game and give the Jets a 13-10 victory, and effectively end the Giants season.
Sunday’s loss was devastating to the Giants in more ways than one. They lost Tyrod Taylor (ribs) and Darren Waller (hamstring) to the game due to injuries. They finished with an embarrassing minus nine net yards passing, and now it would take a virtual miracle for them to rally over the final nine games to be in playoff contention.
With all that said, here are the three biggest takeaways from the crushing defeat.
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Brian Daboll’s questionable decisions have cost his team
Last season, New York finished the year 9-7-1 and won a playoff game due to the fact that Brian Daboll had his team prepared for any and every situation, and he pressed all the right buttons. That has not been the case this season.
With Daniel Jones missing his third consecutive game due to a neck injury, Tyrod Taylor made his third start and was the only viable quarterback option for the team. Unfortunately for the team and Taylor, he was knocked out of the game in the second quarter and taken to the hospital after being sacked by Quinton Jefferson and C.J. Mosley.
With backup Tommy DeVito now under center, the offense was one-dimensional and had to rely on Saquon Barkley even in obvious passing situations. DeVito entered this game without having thrown a pass in the NFL and it showed. He completed two out of seven passes for minus one yard.
Barkley had a season-high 128 yards on 36 attempts as he tried to carry the team to victory. But when you don’t have confidence that your quarterback can complete a forward pass, you’re doomed to fail.
Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen have to take blame for not having another quarterback on the roster with NFL experience. The team worked out Matt Barkley and Ian Book two weeks ago and decided not to sign them or any other QB to the active roster. Not having a capable backup is one of the reasons they lost this game.
Another decision that cost the team the game was electing to have Gano attempt the 35-yard field goal. The Giants were facing a 4th and 1 from the Jets 17-yard line and Barkley was having success running the ball. If they run the ball and get a first down, the game is over, as the Jets were out of timeouts.
But the 48-year-old head coach elected to go for three points and it backfired. What makes the decision even more head-scratching is even if Gano connected on the field goal to put Big Blue up 13-7, it doesn’t seal the victory as the Jets could score a miraculous touchdown.
To make matters worse, it was reported by Art Stapleton that Gano has been dealing with a knee injury that will eventually require surgery. Gano had missed on a 47-yard attempt in the second quarter and missed a 42-yard field goal last week against Washington. After the game, Gano put the loss on his shoulders, but for multiple reasons, he shouldn’t have been put in that spot.
The team will likely bring in kickers this week to try out, but it will be too little too late.
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The defense was outstanding until the end of the game
When you suffer a crushing defeat like this one, it’s hard to come away with any positives. But until the final moments of the 4th quarter, Wink Martindale’s defense was outstanding. They limited the Jets to convert only 2 of-15 third down conversions and they sacked Zach Wilson four times, three of those were by Kayvon Thibodeaux.
But again, the defense’s dominant performance for 59 minutes gives little solace due to the outcome. It’s inexcusable to allow a team without any timeouts to drive the ball 58 yards in two plays and kick a game-tying field goal. Nobody on the defense can hold their head high after letting a game slip through their fingers.
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The team may part with veterans before the trade deadline
As we mentioned previously, at 2-6, it would be a miraculous turnaround for the team to win enough games over the final nine games to get into the playoff hunt. This is why some feel they may look to trade away some veterans before the Tuesday 4 PM ET trade deadline, as they look to acquire picks for the 2024 NFL trade.
Some players that could be on the move are Leonard Williams, Adoree’ Jackson, and Xavier McKinney. It will be interesting to see what the front office decides to do between now and the trade deadline.
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