Giants face cold reality in sad primetime loss to Buccaneers.
TAMPA, Fla. – The bye week has come and gone and now the Giants could be saying goodbye to any relevant football appearances during 2021.
They embarked on the second half of their season by being outscored in primetime on Monday. If the Giants were a TV show, they would have been canceled long before this. Their offense welcomed Saquon Barkley, but it was still a disaster. His defense was unable to get anywhere near Tom Brady, who has felt the most pressure taking a nap.
Any encouraging vibes created after the Giants won two of three games were wiped out by a reality check slap administered by the defending Super Bowl champs. There were no answers anywhere, as the Giants were defeated 30-10 at Raymond James Stadium.
Despite getting Barkley back and having his best receivers, Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney, on the field and healthy, quarterback Daniel Jones couldn’t generate much of anything. There was no sustained touchdown, no verve, no consistent execution, and once again, there weren’t enough points. Jones threw two interceptions in the second half and was nothing like the dynamic rookie who, as a rookie at this very spot two years ago, led the Giants to a comeback victory. Jones (23 of 38, 167 yards) didn’t do much.
Brady hadn’t lost three straight games since 2002, his first year as a full-time starter, when the Patriots were actually on a four-game losing streak. It was the only time in Brady’s 22-year career that he lost three consecutive games. This was not going to happen again, at least not tonight, not against this opponent. Brady completed 30 of 46 passes for 307 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and was not sacked.
The Giants fell to 3-7 and are now alone in last place in the NFC East, a basement residence they weren’t expecting to occupy 10 games on the season. Yet that’s where they reside and face the emerging Eagles (5-6) for the first time this season on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
The reflector glare does not show the Giants in a positive light. This was his 10th consecutive loss playing in prime time. Jones fell to 0-8 when the entire nation had a chance to see his team.
The Giants were within 17-10 at halftime only because a deflected Brady pass was intercepted by cornerback Adoree ‘Jackson, putting the anemic offense at the Bucs’ 5-yard line. Any idea that the Giants would turn it into a game in the second half quickly faded.
The unraveling began immediately after halftime. The Giants reached the Bucs’ 25-yard line, but an unfortunate fourth and 1 play was a flop when Jones was pressured by linebacker Devin White and the pass hit nothing but grass. Brady then advanced easily down the field on a 71-yard drive, charging when he hit Mike Evans for a 5-yard touchdown pass, with Evans most easily putting cornerback James Bradberry in the end zone.
The Bucs increased their lead to 24-10 after Jones, backtracking in a panic, threw a gruesome interception, with no receiver in the area, tossing the ball to defensive tackle Steve McLendon. That put the Bucs at the Giants’ 37-yard line and they added a field goal to go 27-10.
Brady has apparently been around since the Jurassic Period and the first push of the night might have been the easiest of his career. He completed his five passes and no defenders came near him, needing just eight plays to go 73 yards, ending Chris Godwin with a wide receiver screen for a 13-yard touchdown, with Bradberry invading the play and Julian Love – substituting for him. regular starting safety Logan Ryan (Reserve-COVID-19 list) unable to put a glove on the ball carrier.
A promising opening series for the Giants stalled and what he didn’t want to do against Brady – settle for field goals after marching into the red zone – was the bottom line.
The Bucs in their second series hoarded the ball for 18 plays, but the Giants defense, the best in the NFL in the red zone in the previous three games, dropped eight players in coverage on the third down, without hitting Brady. where to go with the ball. Ryan Succop’s next field goal made it 10-3.
It took a spark to get the Bucs out of their comfort zone and he came with 9:53 left in the second quarter. Brady threw a pass to the left sideline to Evans, but the ball passed through Evans’ hands, deflected from his shoulder, and flew into the air, where cornerback Jackson was awaiting the interception gift.
Jackson advanced the ball 10 yards to the Tampa 5-yard line. Two plays later, left tackle Andrew Thomas reported as an eligible receiver and the Giants actually threw it at him, with Thomas jumping into the end zone after Jones threw the ball at him under pressure from linebacker Lavonte David. It was 10-10 and the Giants were back in business.
The Bucs came back immediately, with Brady with all the time in the world finding Rob Gronkowski on a 35-yard pass play, leading to Ronald Jones’ 6-yard scoring run to make it 17-10.