Munich Misstep: Giants' Key Takeaways from Tough Loss to Panthers
The New York Football Giants really blew it this week in Munich, Germany. They pulled a classic Giants move, waiting until the last minute to get it together on the field against the Carolina Panthers. They didn’t score in the first half but made a promising comeback in the second half. The game even went into overtime, but they still failed to return to the U.S. with a win this week. The final score was 20-17, with the Panthers taking the victory back home. Here are several takeaways from this game that the Giants should seriously consider before heading into their Week 11 bye.
1. Stop Rushing the Ball
The Giants missed several big opportunities on the field against the Panthers on Sunday. They rushed the ball on several plays, with mixed results, sometimes it worked, and other times it didn’t. This has been a recurring pattern ever since Daniel Jones became the starting quarterback. Saquon Barkley used to be their go-to rusher, and they overused him to the point that the league fined the Giants for running the same play repeatedly. Most teams around the league have figured this out. The Giants no longer bring any surprises to the table, which is why they’ve been steamrolled and lost nearly every game this season.
In this game, they brought in Tyrone Tracy Jr. as the primary rusher. However, their strategy failed, as it usually does. Tracy kept running straight into the middle, where the Panthers repeatedly stopped him, much like what used to happen with Barkley. Tracy had only one explosive play all game. After that, the Giants’ decision to keep rushing the ball backfired. Occasionally, Jones would throw it, but not often. When he did, things didn’t go as planned either. The ball either bounced off his receivers' hands or landed in the wrong hands. He wasn’t making the crucial decisions needed in his position, which resulted in the Giants struggling.
2. Stop Waiting Until the Last Minute
One recurring theme for the Giants this season is their habit of waiting until the last minute to pull things together and put points on the board. They didn’t score in the first half, although they came close near the end. In the third quarter, Tracy finally scored the Giants' first touchdown of the game. While they started to gain momentum at this point, they were still struggling overall.
By the fourth quarter, the Giants somehow started moving the ball down the field. Jones was finally making contact with his receivers. However, it was too little, too late for the Giants. They managed to tie the game at 17-17 on their final drive of regulation, showing a promising comeback. However, they need to start playing this way from the beginning, not when the game is almost over. Giants fans are getting tired of seeing the same pattern play out.
3. It’s Not Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s Fault for Their Loss
The very last play of the game in overtime marked the final blow for the Giants. Tracy has been beating himself up over the loss, but technically, it's not his fault that his game ended this way. Jones passed the ball to Tracy, but it seemed as though it wasn’t secure enough in his hands. It appeared that Jones didn’t guide it into his hands properly. Tracy was tackled, and when he hit the ground, the ball slipped out, resulting in a fumble. The Panthers capitalized on this mistake, sealing the defeat for the already struggling New York Giants. It’s not his fault, though; Jones didn’t secure the ball enough for him. There were plenty of other mistakes made during the game that contributed to this loss, including Jones’ several interceptions, Graham Gano’s missed kick, and multiple fumbled turnovers. There were a number of factors, so it’s not all on Tracy for the outcome of this loss.
This coming week, the Giants will enter their bye week. It looks like it’s going to be a pivotal one. Management and the coaching staff may need to start making tough decisions. This season was supposed to be a promising one, but so far, it hasn’t lived up to expectations. They beefed up the offensive line, but it still needs work, especially with the way Jones has been playing. The defensive line also needs improvement. Fans will have to wait and see what happens this week. Hopefully, the second half of the season will be much better than the first.
