The New York Giants suffered a tough 34-27 loss this past Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The Giants handled business early, establishing a 10-point lead at home before barely falling short of a miracle comeback. After going up 10-0, the G-Men would give up a scoring drive after drive and had their back against the wall, 34-10 in the fourth quarter. After struggling throughout the game, throwing two interceptions, starter Jameis Winston was benched for young quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The former first-round pick rallied the Giants to multiple scoring drives, but his magical game ended with an incompletion on the Saints' 15-yard line. Despite a great comeback, the Saints exposed some serious holes in the Giants' team.
Turnovers Are Becoming a Game-Costly Issue
The biggest takeaway from this game was the Giants' numerous turnovers that, in fact, may have been the reason they lost this one. The Giants were flowing early on. They seemed to move the ball with ease until Winston threw two interceptions that gave New Orleans all the momentum they needed. The Saints turned these turnovers into scores and constructed a huge 24-point lead. Turnovers didn't only come through the air, though. Giants kick returner Charlie Jones coughed up the ball late in the first half, and that turnover helped the Saints tie the game. Not to mention J.J. McCarthy, who put on an incredible performance later in the game, even throwing an interception on his first drive. New York can't afford constant mistakes like this, especially as a team that is fighting to stay at the top of their division. If the Giants want these razor-close games to go their way, they need to learn to protect the football.
Consistency Wins Games
Another big learning point from the week six loss was learning to keep play consistent. New York was able to put pressure on the Saints and were firing on all cylinders early on. The problem was that once New York's momentum was taken away, so was their successful play. Saints signal caller Tyler Shough threw three touchdowns as they began to pick away at the Giants' defense. The G-Men were especially bad in the third quarter, where New Orleans scored 17 unanswered points and took control of the game. Once they regained their footing in the fourth, it was too late. New York keeps showing flashes of potential, but they need to keep consistent play if they want any chance at a successful season.
J.J. McCarthy May Be Ready to Take Over
While the Giants suffered a grueling loss, the 23-year-old quarterback McCarthy delivered an incredible performance after he took over for Winston late in the game. After two picks, the Giants decided to give the young guy a shot. It looked like it was just gonna be reps in garbage time for the former Viking, but instead he helped bring his team back from a 34-10 deficit. In just less than one quarter of play, the former Michigan Wolverine threw two touchdowns and passed for 243 yards, which is the third-most fourth-quarter passing yards this decade. The Giants came back within a score before ultimately falling short after a stopped fourth-and-one try. No matter the result, there is a lot to like from the young signal caller, and he could give some spark as a permanent replacement. The Giants' loss was a reminder of how quickly momentum can shift and how much costly turnovers can mean for a team. At the same time, the takeover of McCarthy should have Giants fans excited for next week if he is there to stay.
