SAME OLD BLUES
With unbeaten Vikings on tap, G-Men relapse to mistake-prone 2015 ways in first loss
The Giants’ first loss of the season had far too many similarities to many of the seven late losses that ruined their 2015 season.
Instead of playing heads up and avoiding blunders, Big Blue found almost every way possible to give away a 29-27 loss to the Redskins, who had come into MetLife Stadium 0-2 and facing the potential of falling out of the NFC East race before October.
“Nothing surprises you in this league,” said coach Ben McAdoo after suffering his first loss after two late close wins to start his Giants career. “We needed to be a more disciplined team, and we were not. The effort was there and we will learn from it. We knew what type game it would be, and it was, We have to be more disciplined, but it’s one of 16 games.”
To make matters worse, Big Blue must now get ready to play on the Monday Night Football stage at Minnesota next week where the Vikings are off to a 3-0 start under ex-Eagles QB Sam Bradford, who has rescued the Vikings after they lost their best offensive weapons — leading rusher Adrian Peterson and QB Teddy Bridgewater to leg injuries.
After playing in Minnesota, the Giants have just as difficult road games at Green Bay and Baltimore the next two weeks,
Monday, the Giants learned they had lost their own running back — Shane Vereen — to what is likely a season-ending injury he suffered Sunday after having led the G-Men with 73 rushing yards. The triceps injury will need surgery.
Vereen had 147 rushing yards and 75 receiving in Sunday’s game where the Giants had 457 total yards — their most since they got 525 last year against the 49ers — and passed for 337.
What haunted the G-Men most Sunday was a personal foul penalty Andre Adams that cost them possession inside the 20 late in the game. They had signed him Friday.
Romeo Okwara had blocked a Redskins punt to set up a potential clinching Giants TD.
The Giants had a later chance, but Eli Manning was intercepted with 1:02 left at their 41, and it let the Skins run the clock out.
Manning said it was his fault the Giants’ last chance was wasted. “I should have gone to my next progression, but their guy made a nice play,’” Eli said.