For the NY Giants to have a chance to keep things going against the Bills and come away with a close win, the absolute last thing they need is for the team in stripes to get in their way. In the first half, a nightmare call from the zebras has already impacted Big Blue.
On first down early in the second quarter, Tyrod Taylor rolled out of the pocket and decided to take a deep shot downfield for rookie third-round pick Jalin Hyatt. This was an incredible throw and catch, which got Giants fans off their seats.
However, an ineligible man downfield penalty was called on right tackle Evan Neal. When watching the play closely, it's clear the officials blew it. This was NOT a penalty on Neal, as he did nothing wrong here.
Just a GORGEOUS throw by Tyrod Taylor and a SICK catch by Jalin Hyatt!!
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) October 16, 2023
Guess who was ineligible downfield... Evan Neal. pic.twitter.com/SBBlWK9cp7
The refs are already blowing it for the NY Giants against the Buffalo Bills
At first, we'll agree, we were furious with Neal, who is in the middle of a terrible campaign with this team. However, the former No. 7 overall pick did nothing wrong. On the TV broadcast, the one and only Terry McAulay even said that the officials messed up big time on this play.
Hyatt hasn't been used much in recent weeks, but this would have been a great way to see him get involved. Taylor fired that ball perfectly for No. 13 to come down with. The Giants would have had the ball right around the 40-yard line had the reception stood.
Instead, the officials got in the way and ruined what could have been an incredible moment for this offense. The Giants ended up having to punt the ball to Buffalo on this possession, but luckily Josh Allen and Co. weren't able to do anything on offense. The rest of the way, the refs must clean things up and not have a negative impact on the game. This simply can't happen.