Giants' eighth loss in a row sealed by blocked field goal
Two hours before kickoff on Sunday, an ominous sign loomed over MetLife Stadium — literally.
A plane flew overhead bearing a pleading message for Giants co-owner John Mara: “MR MARA ENOUGH — PLZ FIX THIS DUMPSTER FIRE.”
A terrible season provoking such levels of despair is better than the indifference the Giants have created in the last two months. Their 14-11 loss to the Saints in front of a sparse MetLife Stadium crowd was another gut punch in a season full of them.
Graham Gano’s 35-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by Saints defensive lineman Bryan Bresee with eight seconds left as the Saints became the latest team to celebrate at MetLife, where the Giants (2-11) fell to 0-7.
It tied a franchise record — in 1983 and 2003 — for most home losses in a season. Their losing streak is at eight games, one shy of tying the franchise record.
“Just disappointed after this game,” said coach Brian Daboll, who used the word “disappointing” four times in his opening statement. “I thought they battled their tails off. I’m proud of the way they competed. We came up short and it’s tough.”
It was maybe a fitting end to a game in which special teams hurt the Giants throughout.
A holding penalty by Greg Stroman Jr. in the second quarter erased a 56-yard punt return for a touchdown by Ihmir Smith-Marsettte.
In the fourth, a 48-yard field goal by Gano was nullified by a personal-foul penalty on Jake Kubas. It added to a day in which the Giants committed 12 penalties for a season-high 112 yards.
It also hampered an offensive rally with the Giants down 14-3 in the fourth. Tyrone Tracy Jr. scored on a 1-yard run with 4:11 left and Malik Nabers caught a deflected pass for a two-point conversion.
The defense followed up by forcing a three-and-out, including Micah McFadden stuffing Kendre Miller for a 1-yard loss on third-and-1.
On the Giants’ next possession, Drew Lock threw a fourth-down interception to Demario Davis.
Lock atoned on his team’s final possession with a fourth-down scramble for 25 yards, getting the Giants in field-goal range. He then found Nabers, who ran past several defenders for a 23-yard catch to the Saints’ 12-yard line with 21 seconds left.
But the Giants couldn’t cash in. Joshua Ezeudu was called for a false start, his second penalty at left tackle filling in for Jermaine Eluemunor, and Lock threw two incompletions.
Then came the play in which Bresee leaped over the line of scrimmage and got a hand on Gano’s attempt to tie it.
“They just pushed our line down, same thing we did in Seattle,” Gano said. “It’s a tough play to stop. There’s really nothing much to it. They made a really good play.”
Lock, in his home debut as Giants starter, was 21-for-49 for 227 yards (146 came in the fourth quarter). He took 13 hits and was sacked twice.
The Giants finished 5-for-19 on third-down attempts. They wasted great field position as five of their first six drives started at their 43-yard line or better. They got only three points from it, a 43-yard kick by Gano in the second quarter.
“It’s one of those halves where you’re going to go back and be frustrated,” Lock said. “They were giving us some stuff and just didn’t maximize the opportunities they gave us. As the quarterback and how I feel, it’s the classic shooting myself in the foot.”
The defense did more than its share, holding the Saints to 292 yards. They limited Alvin Kamara to 27 rushing yards with a defensive line that started rookie Elijah Chatman at tackle and had Casey Rogers and Cory Durden log heavy reps after both were on the practice squad last week.
The Giants snapped their NFL-record streak of 11 games without an interception when Tre Hawkins III picked off Derek Carr in the third quarter. Yet they also gave up a 98-yard scoring drive in the first, ending with an 8-yard run by Miller.
McFadden finished with a team-high 11 tackles, including five for a loss.
Nabers, who had five catches for 79 yards, was targeted only twice in a first half in which the Giants had 86 total yards. Nabers also has the NFL rookie record for most receptions through 11 games with 80, surpassing Odell Beckham Jr.’s 79.
But it went for naught, and Nabers, like his teammates, had to deal with being told about the pregame plea from fans via the plane message.
“I ain’t pay for the plane. I ain’t got nothing to say about it,” the rookie receiver said.
He didn’t have to. The Giants have said plenty all season, and with four games left, there’s little room to change perception or give fans hope.
Notes & quotes: Left guard Jon Runyan Jr. (ankle) and center John Michael Schmitz (neck) left the game with injuries and did not return. Defensive lineman D.J. Davidson was placed on injured reserve.