Missed opportunities and mistakes cost the New York Giants as they fell to the Cincinnati Bengals 17-7 on Sunday night, dropping them to 2-4 on the year.
Despite a very strong defensive showing, in which the defense sacked Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow four times, the Giants offense could not find ways to score, as they are unable to move back to .500 on the season in what would have created a wide-open race for the top of the NFC East.
In the early goings for the Giants, they were beating themselves, as the first score of the
game came on a Joe Burrow 47-yard touchdown scramble on a play where the Bengals were set up with a 3rd-&-18. The play was Burrow’s second third-down conversion run of the drive, and longest rush of his career.
On the Giants’ second drive of the game, quarterback Daniel Jones was able to take his team all the way to the Cincinnati 14-yard line, but the drive would not end in points, as he was hit by B.J. Hill while throwing a pass that was intercepted by Germaine Pratt.
The Bengals’ 7-0 lead was the only score of the first half.
On the Giants second drive of the third quarter, they were finally able to find the end zone
for the first time at MetLife stadium this season. On a drive that started on their 21-yard
line, the Giants were able to convert on two fourth downs. The touchdown was set up on a key pass interference call against Bengals corner DJ Turner on Darius Slayton in the
end zone, setting them up on the 1-yard line. That allowed Tyrone Tracy to punch it in.
The Giants were down again in a flash, as on the very next offensive possession, the Bengals were able to take the ball all the way down the field to the Giants 1-yard line.
On 3rd-&-goal, Bengals running back Chase Brown’s touchdown was nullified by a holding call, forcing the ball back from to the Giants 11-yard line. With a second life, Dexter Lawrence got to Burrow for his seventh sack of the season, holding the Bengals to only an Evan McPherson field goal, which gave the Bengals a 10-7 lead.
Much like the beginning of the game, the end was filled with missed opportunities for the
Giants, after the drive that gave the Bengals the lead back. New York was able to get the ball
into field goal range. However, kicker Greg Joseph missed the kick.
One drive later, once again, the Giants were in Bengals territory but once again, they were forced to go for it on fourth down and were unable to convert. Jones was unable to find Darius Slayton on a crossing route, which, for the second time, forced the Giants to turnover the ball on downs.
The next drive, the Bengals were able to ice the game. The drive began with a key third-down conversion, with Burrow finding Andrei Iosivas on a 3rd-&-12. With the ball on the
Bengals’ 30, the Giants had a prime opportunity to get the ball back when Micah McFadden
forced a Brown fumble. However, the ball bounced off numerous players and found its
way out of bounds.
One play later, Brown made up for the mistake, rushing for a 30-yard touchdown, giving the Bengals a 17-7 lead, a lead they would carry to victory.
Jones finished the game completing 22 of his 41 pass attempts for 205 yards with an interception. Jones was also the teams leading rusher, rushing for 56 yards on 11 carries.
Darius Slayton led the team with 57 receiving yards on six receptions. Greg Joseph missed the
two field goal attempts he took.
For the Bengals, Burrow completed 19 of his 28 passes for 208 yards. He also rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown. Tee Higgins led the team with 77 yards on seven receptions.
