Missed opportunities were the story of Week 6 for the Giants, as they fell to the Cincinnati Bengals 17-7 on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium.
Now at 2-4, they will likely look back at this game as one that got away. Here are three takeaways:
The Giants miss Graham Gano: After years of kicker turmoil, the Giants finally found their long-term answer at kicker in the form of Graham Gano prior to the 2020 season. And since then, he has been the least of the Giants’ concerns. Gano has made nearly 88% of his field goal attempts with the Giants, as well as 95% of his extra-point attempts. There is a reason why Gano has received not one but two separate long-term extensions from the Giants.
However, Gano has only played in 10 of 23 games over the last two seasons. In Week 2 against the Washington Commanders, the Giants became the first team in NFL history to score three touchdowns, hold their opponent to none, and lose the game. This was due in large part to the injury Gano sustained on the opening kickoff.
On Sunday night against Cincinnati, replacement kicker Greg Joseph missed both his field goal attempts, which were under 50 yards. This was a major blow to the Giants’ chances to win and without a reliable kicker like Gano, this is an issue that will continue for Big Blue.
The offensive line is no longer the problem: For years and years, Giants fans and the media alike have pointed to the offensive line as a major problem of the team, and few can blame them. Last season, the Giants allowed a 85 sacks, 20 more than any other team allowed.
General manager Joe Schoen went into the offseason knowing that needed to change, and, at least through six weeks of the season, it looks like he did just that.
The Giants have allowed 14 sacks, which is an average of just over two per game. It ranks them smack dab in the middle of the league, but for an offensive line that was by far the worst in the NFL a year ago, this is a major improvement — even with Andrew Thomas having perhaps his worst game as a Giant on Sunday night.
The rest of the line stepped up, as the Giants only allowed two sacks in the game against the Bengals. Players like second-year center John Michael Schmitz and free agent signings Jon Runyan and Jason Eluemunor have stepped up in big ways. The offensive line is one of the few positives that should be taken from this game.
Daniel Jones’ primetime struggles continue: After what was a strong string of outings for Daniel Jones, the quarterback struggled once again in Week 6. Jones missed numerous deep balls, committed a costly turnover in the red zone, and struggled to provide the Giants with any big-impact plays when they needed them most.
Jones, now 1-13 in night games, finished the game as both the Giants leading passer and rusher. He completed 22 of his 41 pass attempts for 205 yards and a touchdown with one interception. He also rushed for 56 yards on 11 carries. However, this game will be remembered for the mistakes he made.
