THE OLD 'BOYS DRUB
The Giants are finding it next-to-impossible to beat anyone not from around here and so perhaps what comes next might be the tonic for what ails them.
“Definitely don’t want to lose to the Jets,’’ safety Michael Thomas said. “Not to a hometown team.’’
The Giants are experts in losing and Monday night dropped their fifth consecutive game, hanging around before falling by the wayside in a 37-18 loss to the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in a game that was not as lopsided as it looks but nevertheless amounted to nothing positive.
This sets up quite a lowdown showdown in Week 10, with the Giants (2-7) facing the Jets (1-7) in a game to determine who is worst in the land.
“They’re probably just as frustrated as us,’’ center Jon Halapio said. “They’re struggling as well.’’
The struggle is real for the Giants, who ordinarily are routine losers, getting beat in orderly fashion, with angst-free regularity. And so, perhaps in some twisted way it is a sign of progress that their latest setback was filled with anguish for plays not made and regret for opportunities that were squandered. For a team desperate for any hint of consolation, this might actually represent progress, as sad as that sounds. The Giants led 12-3 in the second quarter, were down 13-12 at halftime and were within 23-18 early in the fourth quarter before faltering.
“All the things you can’t do in a ballgame happened and we lost,’’ coach Pat Shurmur said.
This was a return to GiantsCowboys intensity of the past, with scuffles and penalty flags flying, chants of, “Let’s go Cowboys’’ and, “Cowboys suck’’ pouring down from the fans, with thousands of Dallas supporters among the crowd of 76,107. There was even a black cat running onto the field in the second quarter, scampering in front of the Cowboys sideline as the Giants were driving for a field goal that put them ahead 12-3. The cat made its way into the end zone, making the feline more productive than a Giants offense that four times settled for field goals after advancing deep into Dallas territory.
“That was costly for us,’’ rookie quarterback Daniel Jones said.
The Cowboys made the game look like a rout when Jones was sacked and fumbled and the loose ball was returned 63 yards for a touchdown by Jourdan Lewis with six seconds left to play. It was the third turnover (one interception, two lost fumbles) of the evening for Jones, who now has 16 turnovers this season, tops in the league.
“It needs to get corrected,’’ Shurmur said. Down by only five points, the Giants defense believed it was off the field when on third down Dak Prescott threw too long for Amari Cooper. A flag was thrown late and rookie DeAndre Baker was hit for pass interference, a call made directly in front of the incensed Giants sideline. It was a soft call but it was hard on the Giants, as it led to Prescott hitting Cooper on a 45-yard catch-and-run for the clinching touchdown with 7:56 to go.
“I felt like I made a good play, they threw a flag and I was only mad for a little second, I knew I had a new play to play so I got over it pretty quick,’’ Baker said.
Jones led the Giants in rushing with 54 yards, an indictment of how bottled up Saquon Barkley was by a Cowboys defense that at times cut through the Giants offensive line like paper in a shredder. Barkley gained only 28 yards on 14 rushing attempts.
“I need to do a better job helping the offensive line and getting downhill a little more,’’ Barkley said.
The Giants showed fight when Jones, after a 15-yard run in the third quarter, got hit out of bounds by safety Xavier Woods. Guard Will Hernandez raced to Jones’ defense as Woods was hit with a penalty and a scuffle ensued.
“That’s just something that is unacceptable. You’re never going to let your QB get hit, especially out of bounds like that,’’ Hernandez said.
The Giants contributed to their undoing with terrible execution the closer they got to the Dallas end zone. The Giants settled for four Aldrick Rosas field goals after reaching the Dallas 2-, 7-, 8- and 10-yard lines.
“We played extremely undisciplined football,’’ receiver Golden Tate said. “It’s hard enough to win in this league, but when you’re doing I guess knuckleheaded things it certainly doesn’t work in your favor.’’
The Cowboys (5-3) now own a six-game winning streak over the Giants, as Ezekiel Elliott ran for 139 yards and Prescott threw three more touchdown passes against the Giants.
It did not help that they gave up 10 points in the final 52 seconds of the first half to fall behind 13-12 at halftime.
“Things are not going our way right now,’’ Barkley said. “Can’t just cry about it.’’