despite this Brian Daboll’s bold decisionThat included five fourth-down attempts to ignite a struggling offense in the second half. New York Giants lost 17-7 cincinnati bengals Sunday night at MetLife Stadium.
“It’s hard to win games when you score seven points,” Daboll said. addressing crime conflictAlthough he ultimately scored his first home touchdown of the season, the team also committed red zone turnovers and missed two easy field goal attempts. “Seven points will not get the job done,” he said.
Many missed opportunities for Brian Daboll and the New York Giants
The Giants had a chance to tie the game with 10:27 left, but Greg Joseph’s 47-yard field goal went wide left. After the defense forced a punt, the Giants gained possession at their own 11-yard line with 8:06 on the clock. They reached the Bengals’ 35, but on a crucial third-and-2, running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. tripped, resulting in a one-yard loss.
Instead of attempting a 54-yard field goal, the Giants opted to go for it on fourth down. A pass by Daniel Jones to Darius Slayton was broken up by DJ Turner II, giving the Bengals the ball with 3:01 remaining.
The defense came close to forcing a three-and-out, but on third-and-12 from the 34, Joe Burrow scrambled and connected with Andrei Iosivas for a 29-yard completion, effectively giving the Bengals a three-and-out. The victory was sealed.
Chase Brown fumbled on the next play before the two-minute warning, giving Jason Pinnock a chance to recover. However, the ball went out of bounds, allowing the Bengals to retain possession.
On the next play, Brown secured the ball and ran 30 yards for a touchdown with 1:52 left on the clock. Greg Joseph missed a 45-yard field goal with 51 seconds remaining, ending any chance of a Giants comeback. Both Giants, now 0-3 at home, and the Bengals sit at 2-4 for the season.
The loss dropped Daniel Jones’ career prime-time record to 1–14. He hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass at home since clinching a playoff berth against the Colts in late 2022. Jones went 22 for 41, passing for 205 yards with one interception, while adding 56 rushing yards on 11 carries. Tyrone Tracy Jr. contributed 17 carries for 50 yards and caught six passes for 57 yards.
The Giants became aggressive during the second half
After a sluggish first half, the Giants took a more aggressive approach. On fourth-and-2 from their own 38, the Bengals declined an illegal-formation penalty to test them, with Brian Daboll keeping the offense on the field.
“I thought we needed to be aggressive. We didn’t have any points and I felt good about what we had,” said the Giants head coach.
Three plays later, Azeez Ojulari forced a fumble on Zack Moss, which was recovered by Micah McFadden, giving the Giants another chance. Remaining aggressive, the Giants faced another fourth-and-2, this time from their own 40. He executed an option pitch to Tyrone Tracy, gaining 4 yards and keeping the drive alive.
On fourth-and-1 from the Bengals’ 35, the Giants scored once again with a 5-yard run by Tyrone Tracy, thanks to a key block by tight end Chris Manhertz. A pass interference call on Darius Slayton’s throw in the end zone placed the ball at the 1-yard line. Tracy then finished a 16-play, 79-yard drive with a touchdown run, which was the Giants’ first home touchdown of the season and tied the game at 7.
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Continued struggle for Daniel Jones
The Bengals immediately responded with an offensive spurt, as Joe Burrow found Ja’Marr Chase for a 33-yard gain, advancing the ball to the Giants’ 1-yard line. On third and goal, it looked like Zack Moss had reached the end zone, but Cordell Volson was flagged for holding Dexter Lawrence. The punt brought the Bengals back to third-and-goal from the 11, where Lawrence sacked Burrow, leading to a 37-yard field goal that gave the Bengals a 10–7 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Other than a touchdown, the Giants’ best chance to score came late in the first quarter. Daniel Jones connected on three straight passes for a total of 38 yards, bringing the ball to the 14-yard line. However, on his next dropback, he attempted a risky pass in the end zone, coming under pressure from Bengals rusher and former Giant BJ Hill. The pass floated and was intercepted by Jermaine Pratt at the 3-yard line.
In the second quarter, there was almost a big highlight for the Giants when Daniel Jones found Darius Slayton for a 56-yard gain. However, a penalty on Andrew Thomas for illegal downfield motion wiped out the completion. As a result, the Giants’ longest gain of the night was just 15 yards.
With 2-4 records, Brian Daboll deprives Giants of victory (0-3) at home, and their quarterback struggles in prime-time games. Giants fans, who deserve a team that can inspire their enthusiasm, expect better performances.
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