NY Giants takeaways as defense collapses late in 17-14 loss to Falcons

For the second consecutive week, the NY Giants’ defense came up small in the biggest moments, as the Falcons escape with a 17-14 win

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The NY Giants’ defense was supposed to be this team’s hallmark, but for the second consecutive week Patrick Graham’s unit allowed its opponent to march down the field and complete a fourth quarter comeback.

Sunday’s 17-14 loss drops the NY Giants to 0-3.

Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ offense took over possession with 1:50 remaining, and a pair of timeouts at their own 20-yard line — after the NY Giants punted from midfield, and Ryan methodically marched downfield.

Cordarrelle Patterson got behind the NY Giants’ secondary for a 48-yard gain. Kyle Pitts broke wide open for a 25-yard gain to the 25-yard line.

A Mike Davis run, and Ryan kneel down set up a 40-yard field goal that Youghoe Too split the uprights on, to hand New York its second consecutive last-second loss.

Groundhog Day in East Rutherford.

On a day when thunderous boos rained down on Giants owner John Mara during a halftime ceremony inducting Eli Manning into the Ring of Honor, this was a game the Giants simply had to have, the Giants came up short. And are now 0-3.

Here are key takeaways from the NY Giants’ loss to the Falcons: 

NY Giants Wide receivers stare down crisis

The first half of Sunday’s game was catastrophic for the NY Giants’ receiving corps.

Darius Slayton was knocked from the game due to a hamstring injury in the first quarter, and later in the half Sterling Shepard also went down with a hamstring injury, but that wasn’t the end of the NY Giants’ did receiving corps’ woes.

During the second half of Sunday’s game Kenny Golladay didn’t play a snap on the NY Giants’ first offensive possession of the third quarter, which forced the likes of C.J. Board and Collin Johnson into prominent roles.

First-round rookie Kadarius Toney caught two of his first tree targets and showed some elusiveness, but seemed to be on some sort of pitch count in the second half.

Once Golladay returned in the second half, he pulled down a 16-yard catch, and then drew a pass interference call in the end zone on consecutive Jones passes.

Meanwhile, Johnson quickly became one of Daniel Jones’ favorite targets through the final three quarters, catching five passes for 51 yards.

Obviously, with games upcoming at New Orleans and at Dallas, the NY Giants are going to need significantly more from Toney if this offense is going to compete with the high-octane attacks of the Saints and Cowboys.