Giants Deliver a Dud in 24-6 Loss to Saints
The New York Giants had no answers for the New Orleans Saints, who shut the visiting team out 24-6 at the Caesars Superdome, the loss sending the Giants to 5-9 and ensuring that New York will finish with a losing record this season.
New York’s defense allowed only 296 yards, but within that yardage, it allowed three long touchdown drives and 20 first downs. The offense could only muster 193 yards, with only 60 on the ground, and ended the game with zero trips to the red zone and converting just two of 16 third-down attempts.
The Giants, down 7-6 at halftime, let the game get away from them as the Saints scored 17 unanswered points. Rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito, who had enjoyed three straight weeks with a passer rating above 100 and who last week wasn't sacked once, finished with a passer rating of 72.8 and absorbed seven sacks as he was knocked around like a pinball.
DeVito, who at one point was evaluated for a head injury and who appeared to injure his ankle when teammate Ben Bredeson stepped on his foot in the fourth quarter, finished with 177 passing yards and no touchdowns despite completing 20 of 34 passes. DeVito also finished as the Giants' leading rusher, with 36 yards on four carries.
Saquon Barkley, meanwhile, was held to just 14 yards on nine carries, along with two receptions for 23 yards. Darius Slayton was the Giants’ leading receiver, with 63 yards on four catches. Tight end Darren Waller, back after a five-game absence, had four receptions for 40 yards in his return from injury.
Saints quarterback Derek Carr completed 23 of 28 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns, ultimately finishing with a 134.8 passer rating. Running back Alvin Kamara totaled 110 yards from scrimmage, rushing for 66 yards on 16 carries and catching five passes for 44 yards. Wide receiver Juwan Johnson had 38 yards and a touchdown on just two catches.
The first half was controlled by both teams’ defenses, with all but three drives ending in a punt. Nonetheless, the Giants would score on the game’s opening drive, moving 37 yards in nine plays.
New York’s opening possession was extended by a running into the kicker penalty on New Orleans, and an outstanding 17-yard, one-armed catch by Barkley moved the ball into Saints territory. Randy Bullock would finish the drive with a 56-yard field goal to give the Giants an early 3-0 advantage; however, Bullock injured his right hamstring on the ensuing kickoff, forcing punter Jamie Gillan into kicking duties.
After both teams punted, the Saints took the lead with an 11-play, 68-yard drive that took just over six and a half minutes. New Orleans faced only two third downs on their possession and were bolstered by 15- and 17-yard receptions by Johnson and Lynn Bowden Jr., respectively. Carr finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Keith Kirkwood, who hauled his fourth catch of the season to put the Saints ahead.
The next four drives ended in punts, although the Giants managed to mount a drive to the Saints’ 35-yard line thanks to a 29-yard reception by Darren Waller and a 14-yard run by DeVito. Unfortunately, DeVito was sacked by defensive tackle Bryan Bresee on 3rd and 11, knocking them out of Gillan’s field goal range.
On New York’s next possession, they would advance to the New Orleans 21-yard line, primarily assisted by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on the Saints defense that gave the Giants an automatic first down on a 3rd and 22.
Despite temporarily losing DeVito to injury, backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor completed five and eight yards passes to Wan’Dale Robinson and Matt Breida, respectively, to keep the drive going. Gillan was then brought out for a 40-yard field goal attempt, and he successfully knocked it through the uprights to reduce the Giants’ deficit to 7-6 at halftime.
However, the Saints took control of the game in the third quarter; the Giants gave up 10 points and could only run six offensive plays.
New Orleans began the second half with a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that took up six minutes and 21 seconds. Carr completed a pair of passes to Rashid Shaheed for 19 and 11 yards before throwing a 23-yard touchdown pass to Johnson, extending the lead to 14-6.
The Giants would merely go three-and-out with DeVito back under center, and the Saints would have good field position at their 43-yard line. Carr promptly completed an 18-yard pass to A.T. Perry to move the ball into Giants territory, and this would be enough for kicker Brandon Grupe to drill a 50-yard field goal and extend the lead to 11.
After forcing another three-and-out, New Orleans firmly distanced themselves from the Giants by driving 65 yards in 11 plays, chewing up seven minutes and two seconds of clock. Kamara set the tone with a 15-yard run and a 17-yard reception, while Carr converted a 3rd and 16 with a 16-yard pass to Perry to move the ball just outside the red zone.
Three straight runs by Kamara moved the ball inside the 10, and a pass interference penalty on the Giants’ Jason Pinnock in the end zone set up Carr’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham, increasing the Saints’ lead to 24-6.
Trailing by three scores, the Giants began their next possession with a 13-yard reception by Robinson, and DeVito found Robinson again for eight yards to convert a 4th and 2. However, New York faced a 4th-and-8 scenario just four plays later, and this time, DeVito’s pass to Jalin Hyatt fell incomplete to turn the ball over on downs, ending any hopes of a comeback.
After forcing the Saints to punt, the Giants advanced as far as the New Orleans 28 thanks to a 33-yard strike from DeVito to Slayton. Unfortunately, DeVito was sacked for a 12-yard loss two plays later, and the Giants would eventually turn the ball over on downs while the Saints would maintain possession for the rest of the game.
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