NY Giants studs and duds from disastrous 17-14 loss to Atlanta Falcons
The NY Giants’ defense gave up a second consecutive fourth quarter game-winning drive, this time against the Atlanta Falcons, in a 17-14 home loss
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Sunday felt like a realization of sorts, for the NY Giants.
On a day that should have been a celebration of the pair of championships delivered by Eli Manning, and the legacy of the franchise’s greatest quarterback, it was boost that reverberated so loudly they might have been heard by the guests of the nearby Hilton Meadowlands that defined the afternoon.
So it goes, when a team loses its 90th game in the decade since Manning’s last Super Bowl heroics, to a team that is struggling to find its way.
There have been plenty of losses over the past decade, but Sunday’s last-second 17-14 loss to the woebegone Falcons feels like the kind of seminal event that could trigger changes throughout the franchise.
Not only was Giants co-owner John Mara forcefully booed at the beginning of the ceremony inducting Manning into the Ring of Honor, but tight end Evan Engram was booed after a pair of drops and loudly cheered when he came off the field later in each of those series’.
Mara admitted to a pair of reporters that he heard the boos.
NY Giants head coach Joe Judge stepped out of character, when he stepped off the podium following his post-game press conference and offered to no one in particular; “We’re gonna be alright, guys, alright? We’re gonna be alright.”
After a pair of last-second come-from-ahead losses, it’s starting to feel like things are far, far, far away from being alright …
Here’s a look at the NY Giants studs and duds from Sunday’s loss to the Falcons:
NY Giants QB Daniel Jones: STUD
It’s tough to find fault in Daniel Jones’ performance through the NY Giants’ 0-3 start, or for his showing Sunday.
Against the Falcons, Jones showed plenty of patience in the pocket throughout, and was an efficient 24-of-35 for 266 yards and a 90.9 passer rating, while also adding eight rushes for 39 yards.
What was most impressive about Jones’ showing was that he gutted out a nearly 300-yard passing effort without Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, for the better part of three quarters.
Entering this season, the belief was that if Jones could cut down on turnovers and grow into an efficient passer, the NY Giants would be competitive. The past two weeks, Jones did enough to beat the Washington Football Team and Atlanta Falcons, but late game defensive collapses handed New York a pair of losses.