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Say hello to the new Giants. Identical to the old Giants.
Unlike last year, there were fans in the seats at MetLife Stadium on Sunday to witness eyewitnesses to the unveiling of the 2021 Giants, a team that remarkably and dishearteningly looked like the seedy version of 2020.
All the concerns the Giants have brought this season have surfaced. A dull offense, even with upgraded weapons. A smart defense that lacked an on-board rusher to get it off the field. Saquon Barkley’s return was no antidote. There was another example of sloppy ball safety from Daniel Jones, who added a rushed touchdown on the last play of the game. and a rare mental blunder from head coach Joe Judge.
It was all to no avail for the Giants, who were beaten by the Broncos 27-13, a result that will not allay fears that this was another rambling season for the Giants.
This is the fifth consecutive year the Giants have lost their first game and the ninth time in the past 10 years that they have gone 0-1 after a game. The Giants don’t have much time to dissect that stench, as they head to Washington for a Thursday night game, trying to avoid a 0-2 for the fifth straight season.
There wasn’t much to do of any value on either side of the ball. The Giants had seven points, 111 total yards and 8 rushing yards in the first half, and anyone hoping for new things from offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has been deeply disappointed. The defense gave up a touchdown to complete the first half and start the second half and passed Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater as an MVP candidate.
Barkley returned from reconstructive knee surgery and made 10 rushing attempts for 26 yards, plus a reception for 1 yard. It will undoubtedly improve over time. No one knows if these giants will be able to do it.
Jones had a few moments to throw the ball, but there was no sharpness or fluidity in the attack.
The Giants came in at halftime 10-7 and showed their fans a squad on both sides of the ball that looked a lot like the 2020 version. There wasn’t much to feel good on offense and a smart defense that brought in yards but not a lot of points. The Giants trailed 3-0 after two mediocre offensive heats before they finally got underway.
A 17-yard dart to Kenny Golladay – his first reception for his new team – got things going and a Broncos’ pass interference call on the third down kept things going. Devontae Booker made a one-handed grab on a pass thrown behind him, then made a crisp chip block to give his quarterback the time he needed. Jones found Sterling Shepard on the Denver 21-yard line and Shepard did the rest, tiptoeing down the left sideline while avoiding rookie Patrick Surtain to complete a 37-yard touchdown connection.
It looked like the Giants would take that 7-3 lead at the break, as the Broncos faced a fourth and two runs in midfield with 48 seconds left. Denver coach Vic Fangio threw the dice and was rewarded when Bridgewater hit Courtland Sutton from 14 yards. From there, Bridgewater chopped up what is supposed to be a rock-solid Giants secondary, and his 2-yard flip to Tim Patrick, just beating James Bradberry, made it 10-7 with just eight seconds left in first. half time.
The Broncos got the ball to start the second half and held it for 8:12, picking up four third downs and converting a quarterback on a game the Giants won’t want to replay in the movie theater. From the 4-yard line, Bridgewater came out of the pocket and should have been dropped by Xavier McKinney. Instead, Bridgewater found Albert Okwuegbunam, who escaped a Blake Martinez tackle attempt for the touchdown to make it 17-7.
The judge threw up the red challenge flag, wanting to know if Okwuegbunam had gone out of bounds before reaching the end zone. However, all scoring games are automatically reviewed and the judge was not allowed to challenge the appeal, costing the Giants a time out.
Trying to get back, Jones hit Shepard twice before disaster struck in a familiar way. Jones traveled 9 yards to Denver 13, was hit, was stripped of the ball by linebacker Alexander Johnson and dropped it.
It’s not easy to have 42 yards in the first set and not even have a point, but that’s how the Giants opened their season. Jones on a free play – the Broncos jumped offside – hit Darius Slayton on the straight sideline, beating Kyle Fuller to put the Giants on the Denver 30-yard line. The next two plays produced a 6-yard loss (shovel pass to rookie Kadarius Toney) and a 2-yard loss (Devontae Booker run) and Shepard slipped and then dropped a third pass that would have put the Giants in. the field goal range.
The next offensive series wasn’t much better. On the third and second, Jones wanted to send the ball quickly to Barkley, but he was covered and there was no chance after that slight hesitation, as Von Miller cleanly beat right tackle Nate Solder on an inside swing for an 8 yards. bag.
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