Big Blue Review: Week 9 vs. 49ers; L; SF: 34, NYG: 24
Are the Giants lucky to have Jackson Dart, or what? Otherwise, they’d be even more irrelevant than their 2-7 record suggests. Everything collapsed after that Week 7 disaster in Denver, in which the Giants achieved some of the worst fourth-quarter records imaginable. The next week in Philadelphia, they lost their sparkplug, Cam Skattebo, for the season. And last week, back at MetLife Stadium, they went down quietly with a 34-24 loss to San Francisco.
At least the Giants are scoring points. There would be no hope for them otherwise. Not hope for this season, of course. Hope for the future. For next year, when Dart, Skattebo, and Malik Nabers are reunited. For now, it’s more episodes of ESPN’s “Bad Beats” in Giant land. What’s the next fumble going to be?
While Brian Burns has had an exceptional season, highlighted by an NFL-leading 11 sacks, Dexter Lawrence has had a down year. He’s getting double-teamed every week, and his effect on the Giants’ defensive line has reduced significantly from prior seasons. Maybe that’s because of Shane Bowen’s poor play-calling – he needs to be fired now, I mean, what are the Giants doing? – or maybe it’s because Lawrence entered this season after receiving surgery to repair a dislocated elbow.
Former Giants linebacker Carl Banks didn’t hold back on his criticism of Lawrence after the Giants’ Week 8 loss in Philadelphia. “Dexter Lawrence, nobody respects you anymore,” Banks said on his podcast. “Nobody.”
Lawrence responded to Banks’s comments, saying, “He’s delusional. Let’s say this. I hope people start trying to disrespect me.”
Larence was only able to make one tackle last week, and the Giants’ NFL-worst rushing defense allowed 380 total yards, including 159 on the ground. 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey had a breakout game, totaling 106 yards on 28 carries, plus a rushing and a receiving touchdown.
“I don’t think there was any lack of effort,” Lawrence said regarding his team’s defensive disaster on Sunday. “Everybody played hard. Just didn’t make the plays. I think I was getting a lot of knock-back, a lot of push, seeing a lot of doubles. Same stuff [as usual]. I think I’m playing well, but I have to make more plays.”
For a third straight season, the Giants are 2-7. Once again, their defense is disastrous. In addition to numerous injuries to the secondary, including Paulson Adebo and Jevón Holland, the Giants’ pass rush looks lost.
“Everyone as an individual has to look at themselves and see if they are executing, if they are in the right spot, if they are doing the right thing, if they are studying longer, if they are making the plays that come to them,” Lawrence said.
The Giants started Sunday’s game with another opening drive touchdown as Jaxson Dart found Theo Johnson for a 15-yard reception. Meanwhile, most of the fans in the building were wearing San Francisco red, and there was noticeably less cheering as usual after that opening drive score.
“That… was interesting,” Dart said. “I’ve never played a home game where I felt like it was kind of lopsided in that department.”
Giants fans were smart to sell their tickets because San Francisco responded immediately to the Giants’ touchdown with a nearly seven-minute scoring drive. In 15 plays, they chugged 68 yards down the field, and the Giants’ defense had no clue what to do.
“We’ve got to be able to not just let things collapse,” Dart suggested. “We have to let the intensity and the focus as a whole team to weather the adversity storms and keep the belief that we’re going to win. I think at times, we just let a few things lead to another.”
It’s good that Dart is optimistic. Somewhat, at least. But if head coach Brian Daboll loses this locker room – and he might have done so already – it will further arguments for his dismissal. Comments like “I hate this s**t” from Wan’Dale Robinson don’t help Daboll’s case either.
After San Francisco tied the game, they took a commanding lead with a 10-0 scoring advantage in the second quarter. Their second-quarter touchdown came on an 11-yard pass to Jauan Jennings. 49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones finished 19-for-24 on passes with 235 yards and two touchdowns.
On their final possession of the first half, after Brian Burns sacked Jones and forced a fumble, which Abdul Carter recovered, the Giants had the football at San Francisco’s 27-yard line. Tyrone Tracy tried to run, but he couldn’t gain any yardage. A timeout and two incomplete passes later, Graham Gano was attempting a field goal. If that wasn’t a bad enough outcome for a drive that started 27 yards from the end zone, the final result was even worse. Gano missed the kick, which transferred whatever momentum the Giants had left into San Francisco’s hands.
“I don’t want to say that was a [game] breaker,” Daboll said. “But you’d love to have points down there, and we didn’t get it done.”
Evidently, that missed field goal was enough to knock the Giants out of this game. They scored a couple of touchdowns in the second half, including one on the ground by Dart and another in the air by Gunner Olszewski. But it wasn’t nearly enough.
If this wasn’t a foregone conclusion before Sunday’s loss, it’s 100% official now: This Giants season is over. It’s another wasted year. The only thing that keeps the Giants interesting now is Jaxson Dart. He’s amazing. The Giants are far from that.
Whoever flew the airplane over MetLife Stadium on Sunday that said, “Mr. Mara, Enough is Enough. Clean House,” is right. It might be best to wait until the end of the season, but nobody’s job is safe in East Rutherford. Brian Daboll and his entire coaching staff need to go. This misery has gotten quite old. The Giants have had six 2-7 starts in their last nine years. The only time they were anything better than 3-6 was in 2022. That was a long time ago.
When asked about what he thinks is wrong with this team, Wan’Dale Robinson replied, “Feels like it’s everything. One game, it might be we’re hot and the defense might be hot, and we’re down. It’s just a little bit of everything.”
Andrew Thomas might have said it better: “Jaxson is a great player, but it takes all 11 when you’re out there.”
Team Stats:
Scoring Breakdown:
Scoring Drives:
Sunday Funday Injury Report (11/6):
CB Paulson Adebo (knee) did not practice.
WR Beaux Collins (neck) did not practice.
OLB Victor Dimukeje (shoulder) did not practice.
K Graham Gano (neck) did not practice.
DL Chauncey Golston (neck) did not practice.
LB Darius Muasau (ankle) did not practice.
C John Michael Schmitz (shin) did not practice.
OL Jermaine Eluenumor (pec) practiced in a limited capacity.
TE Thomas Fidone II (foot) practiced in a limited capacity.
LB Neville Hewitt (foot) practiced in a limited capacity.
S Jevón Holland (knee) practiced in a limited capacity today.
CB Andru Phillips (calf) practiced in a limited capacity today.
DL Demitrius Flannigan-Fowles (pec) practiced in a limited capacity today.
CB Cor’Dale Flott (concussion protocol) was a full participant in practice today.
TE Theo Johnson (shoulder) was a full participant in practice today.
DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches (elbow) was a full participant in practice today.
TE Daniel Bellinger (neck) was a full participant in practice today.
T Andrew Thomas (veteran rest) did not practice today.
The 2-7 Giants’ next game will be on Sunday at 1 PM (12 PM CST) as they visit the 5-3 Chicago Bears (FOX, FOXONE).
