Giants lose to Bengals as offense held to one touchdown
Germaine Pratt of the Cincinnati Bengals pursues Daniel Jones of the Giants in the first quarter at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Mike Stobe
The Giants took the risks. They did not get the rewards.
Despite an all-out decision-making effort by Brian Daboll to play Sunday night’s game against the Bengals aggressively, a mindset that included five fourth-down conversion attempts in the second half, the Giants lost, 17-7, at MetLife Stadium.
With 10:27 left in the game, the Giants had a chance to tie the score but Greg Joseph’s 47-yard field goal attempt hooked wide left. The defense forced a punt and the Giants got the ball back at their own 11 with 8:06 remaining. They drove to the Bengals’ 35 and on third-and-2, but running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. slipped for a loss of 1. Rather than attempt another field goal, this one from about 54 yards, the Giants tried to convert on fourth down. Daniel Jones’ pass for Darius Slayton across the middle was broken up by DJ Turner II and the Bengals got the ball back on downs with 3:01 left.
The defense nearly forced a three-and-out but on third-and12 from the 34 but Joe Burrow scrambled and found Andrei Iosivas for a 29-yard pass that essentially sealed the Bengals’ win. Chase Brown made things interesting with a fumble on the next carry just before the two-minute warning but despite Jason Pinnock having a good shot at recovering the loose ball it went out of bounds and the Bengals retained possession. On the next play, Brown held the ball tight all the way to the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown with 1:52 remaining.
Joseph missed a 45-yard field goal attempt with 51 seconds left to end any hope of a Giants comeback. The Giants and Bengals are both 2-4.
The game dropped Jones’ career record in prime-time games to 1-14. He has not thrown a touchdown pass at home since the game that clinched the Giants a playoff berth against the Colts late in the 2022 season. He finished this game 22-for-41 for 205 yards with an interception. Tracy had 17 carries for 50 yards and caught six passes for another 57.
After a low-scoring first half, the Giants came out determined to take chances. Facing fourth-and-2 from their own 38 after the Bengals declined an illegal formation penalty and essentially dared the Giants to go for it, Daboll took the challenge and kept his offense on the field.
It didn’t work. Jones’ pass for Wan’Dale Robinson was broken up by Mike Hilton and the Bengals had the ball in great position.
But three plays later, Azeez Ojulari forced a fumble by Zack Moss that was recovered by Micah McFadden and the Giants had the ball back.
They remained adamantly aggressive on that possession and this time it paid off for them. Facing fourth-and-2 from their 40 — nearly the identical situation as moments earlier — they converted on an option pitch right to Tyrone Tracy Jr. for a gain of 4. On fourth-and-1 a few plays later from the Bengals’ 35, the Giants again converted on a 5-yard run by Tracy behind a key block from tight end Chris Manhertz. And then, after a pass into the end zone for Slayton drew a pass interference penalty and put the ball at the 1, Tracy capped the 16-play, 79-yard drive with a touchdown run. It was the first touchdown by the Giants at home this season and it tied the score at 7.
The Bengals answered with their own new-found offensive spark as Burrow hit Ja’Marr Chase for a gain of 33 yards on their first play back that began a drive that would reach the Giants’ 1. On third-and-goal from the 1 Moss appeared to score but Cordell Volson was flagged for holding Dexter Lawrence on the play. That made it third-and-goal from the 11 and Lawrence sacked Burrow to force a 37-yard field goal. The Bengals led 10-7 at the end of three quarters.
The Bengals opened the scoring on their first drive of the game by duping the Giants into a lopsided formation and taking advantage of it. On third-and-18 from the Giants’ 47, the Bengals loaded all of their offensive weapons on the left side and the Giants followed them. But when Burrow took the snap he didn’t even look in that direction. Instead, he sprinted right where the entire side of the field was open and dove for the pylon to cap a 47-yard touchdown run with Isaiah Simmons and Jason Pinnock nearly catching him.
It was the most exciting play of an otherwise sleepy first half that ended with that 7-0 score. The Giants did have some opportunities into Bengals territory but they were undone by untimely mistakes.
The first came late in the first quarter. Jones had just completed passes on three consecutive snaps for a combined 38 yards to reach the 14 but on his next dropback he tried to strongarm an ill-advised pass into the end zone with Bengals rusher B.J. Hill pulling him down. The pass fluttered into the air and was intercepted at the 3 by Germaine Pratt.
The next big Giants opportunity came late in the second quarter when Jones hit Slayton on a slant for 56 yards but a penalty was called on left tackle Andrew Thomas for being illegally downfield.
Notes & quotes: Giants punt returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette left the game in the second quarter with a foot injury. CB Adore’ Jackson replaced him in that role … Slayton was checked for a concussion after drawing the pass interference penalty in the third quarter but was cleared to return.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
