Three takeaways from the Giants' Week 6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals

1. Missed opportunity in NFC East race 

There was plenty for the Giants to stew over after Sunday night’s 17-7 loss to the Bengals, but perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the result was that it kept them from putting themselves plop in the middle of a tight NFC East race.

With the Commanders and Cowboys both losing and the Eagles winning in less-than-impressive fashion, a victory would have had the Giants tied in the win column with Dallas and Philadelphia (next week’s opponent) and only a game behind Washington. Instead, they woke up Monday morning firmly mired in last place at 2-4. 

“We’re trying to win every game we are playing,” Daniel Jones said when asked about that scenario, brushing it aside. “[The loss] is frustrating for that reason.”

Maybe. But being in the thick of an up-for-grabs division would have been much better than where the Giants find themselves now.

2. What home-field advantage?

Home games are supposed to be helpful. For the Giants, they are painful.

MetLife Stadium certainly is not providing any kind of advantage for the Giants, who have  lost all three games there this season. Jones hasn’t won in the building — or even thrown a touchdown pass there — since he clinched a playoff berth for the Giants at the end of the 2022 season about 22 months ago.

It’s almost as if there is some kind of mental block for this team to function on its own field. They are 2-1 with 68 points scored in their three road games this season but have managed only 28 points in front of their own fans. No wonder they get booed.

“We had plays there; we just didn’t make them,” wide receiver Darius Slayton said after this most recent loss. “It doesn’t have anything to do with the venue or psychological things or anything. We just didn’t hit them.”

The Giants will be back at MetLife Stadium on Sunday against the Eagles in what figures to be an emotionally fraught event for the players and fans alike with Saquon Barkley’s return.

3. Ojulari steps in and steps up

Azeez Ojulari was kicking himself after he had a chance to sack Joe Burrow in the end zone but just let him go. “I thought the ball was out,” Ojulari said. “I was looking on the ground, but he ended up having it. I was devastated.”

Ojulari made up for it, though, with two sacks later in the game and a forced fumble in the third quarter. It was his first start at outside linebacker this season with Kayvon Thibodeaux on injured reserve after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured wrist this past week.

“Azeez played his [butt] off,” said fellow linebacker Brian Burns, who also had a sack and two other tackles for a loss. “I’m really proud of him. I knew he was ready for this.”

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

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.