Defense at a loss over loss

LANDON Collins and Eli Apple expressed frustration at both the Giants’ plan and execution after the defense surrendered a fourth-quarter lead for a third straight game to fall to 0-5. Collins was asked what the team must do better to protect leads late. “I don’t know. You gotta ask Coach that,” Collins said.

Apple cast some doubt on the reasons he was given for being benched for the game’s first three series. “Yeah, we talked about it,” Apple said. “I mean, the message was kinda weird, but I can’t tell you. It’s kind of internal.”

Apple, who played a large amount anyway after, also was critical of the defense’s resolve at the end. “In the end, I don’t know, I just feel like some guys when momentum was low, we’ve got to do our best especially on defense to get that back,” Apple said. “We’ve got to have that extra energy. Sometimes all the stuff that happens throughout the course of the game kind of drains some guys. And as a team we’ve got to come together better.”

Collins, who played through a leg injury, took responsibility for failing to stop the Chargers from the Giants’ 11 after Eli Manning’s game-changing fumble. “We have to step up, and they kind of schemed us up on that last play,” Collins said.

But the Giants defense was lucky even to be protecting a lead at that point. A shaky Philip Rivers missed both Travis Benjamin and Keenan Allen for wide-open touchdowns. And the Chargers exposed the same weaknesses in the Giant ‘D’ that all teams go after. Running back Melvin Gordon beat linebackers B.J. Goodson and Keenan Robinson for two TD catches, including the game-winner. And Hunter Henry’s TD grab improved opposing tight ends’ stats against the Giants this season to 32 receptions for 367 yards and six TDs in five games.

RUNNING AWAY

D.J. Fluker replaced a struggling John Jerry at right tackle early and the Giants rushing attack dramatically improved to a season-high 25 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown. The Giants hadn’t gained more than 91 rush yards in a game previously and were averaging only 59.3 per game prior .... The Giants had a lot of long-awaited firsts in this loss: They scored their first points of any first quarter this season on a safety after a bad Chargers snap. Darkwa scored the first rushing TD by a Giants running back. And safety Darian Thompson made the first interception for the Giants’ defense . ... Olivier Vernon knelt for the national anthem for a third straight week on Sunday, despite not being in uniform due to an ankle injury. Linebacker Keenan Robinson also raised his fist.