The New York Giants have gotten especially creative in finding ways to lose, surrendering 33 fourth-quarter points on Sunday against the Denver Broncos is one of the NFL’s all-time worst collapses.
Leading 19-0 after three quarters and 26-8 midway through the fourth quarter, it seemed like the Giants were going to cruise to their second consecutive stunning upset. Perhaps a new era would truly be ushered in back in East Rutherford.
Not so fast. These are the Giants, after all.
Everything that could go wrong over the final 10:00 of the game did. From the coaching staff to the offense and to the defense, the Giants entirely fell apart. And as the final second ticked off the clock, a game-winning Broncos field goal sailed through the uprights. 33-32.
With the eighth game just around the corner, here’s a look at the pulse of Giants fans, analysts, and former players.
Fans left reeling
A long time ago in a galaxy that now feels far, far away, the New York Football Giants were a dominant franchise capable of embarrassing opponents, closing out tight victories, and winning meaningful games.
For the current generation of fans, they know nothing of the sort.
For more than a decade, these Giants have been a poverty franchise. They cycle through general managers, head coaches, scouts, and personnel, but the results are always largely the same. They not only lose with consistency, but also find new and creative ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
While their former players dominate league-wide, these Giants continue to torment their fans. And on Sunday against the Broncos, the current generation got to see (and feel) firsthand just how soul-crushing that can be.
For long-time Giants fans who lived through the highs and the more recent lows, what happened on Sunday didn’t really come as a surprise. Seasoned fans tempered their expectations even when the game seemed entirely out of reach.
They knew better.
“I’m a Giants fan and I know what is possible when it seems impossible,” el Jefe said. “And we proved it once again on Sunday.”
Shane Bowen stays
Even before the Giants’ historic collapse on Sunday afternoon was complete, fans and analysts were calling for the job of defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. His late-game decision-making sent many, including his own players, into a spiral.
Linebacker Brian Burns was extremely vocal about his frustration, while nose tackle Dexter Lawrence used momentary silence to get his point across.
Ultimately, head coach Brian Daboll opted against making a change, having already used his “blame it on the DC” card on Wink Martindale.
“No, I’m not considering that,” Daboll said Monday. “We all gotta do a better job. Starts with me, and there’s plenty of opportunities to finish that game the way we wanted to. We didn’t get the job done.”
Needless to say, this did not sit well with fans.
The kicking conundrum
How is it that the New York Giants are still dealing with these same issues three years later? How many games must they lose before they learn how to handle their special teams personnel properly?
Giants Wire broke down the three-year history of this issue, which has directly contributed to a minimum of three losses over that span.
On Sunday in Denver, kicker Jude McAtamney, who was signed to the active roster after multiple practice squad elevations, missed two point-after attempts. That came one week after missing another PAT against Philadelphia.
McAtamney doesn’t handle the kickoffs, and in a league where 60-plus yard field goals have become common, the Giants don’t trust him to kick from 40-plus. So, why is he here?
The Giants have Younghoe Koo on their practice squad and allegedly held a competition for the job of replacing Graham Gano (IR), which McAtamney apparently won. But with three missed PATs over the past several weeks, Daboll has now, mercifully, left the door open for change.
A little late for that one, huh?
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants pulse: What are analysts and fans talking about in Week 8?
Reporting by Dan Benton, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
