The New York Giants blew leads of 19-0 and 26-8 on Sunday afternoon at Empower Field at Mile High. They even managed to blow a 32-30 lead with 37 seconds remaining, falling to the Denver Broncos, 33-32, on a last-second game-winning field goal in one of the worst collapses in franchise history.
The Giants utterly dominated the Broncos for three-plus quarters, laying their opponents out with bone-crushing hits and leading the hometown fans to boo. But then it all went awry.
Blame can be spread liberally. A lot went wrong late, including haunting personnel decisions, injuries, and self-inflicted wounds. It was a genuine case of Murphy’s Law, which snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
Here’s a look at whose stock is up and whose is down after Week 7 of the regular season.
Stock up: QB Jaxson Dart
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart was all magic on Sunday until he wasn’t… Then he was again. His fourth-quarter interception proved costly — it was a rookie mistake that shouldn’t have happened — but he recovered and atoned for his error by leading what should have been a game-winning touchdown drive, where he gave an all-out effort to score with mere seconds remaining. The positives far outweigh the negatives for Dart. As a rookie, you take the mistakes and lean into the good. And there was a lot of good on Sunday.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!Stock down: Coaching staff
I’m inclined to give offensive coordinator Mike Kafka a pass here because he’s done well over the last few weeks, but the same can’t be said for head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. There were several issues getting a play called on time, which falls back on Daboll and Kafka, but it’s the mishandling of personnel and late-game defensive play-calling that truly raises a red flag. How do the Giants keep blundering the kicker situation? Why were Bowen’s best players on the sideline in the game’s biggest moments? How much longer is this team going to rely on Deonte Banks? These are all coaching issues.
Stock up: CB Cor’Dale Flott
Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott has really come into his own this season, and he had a career performance on Sunday in Denver. Flott made big play after big play, breaking up passes and punching the ball out of the receivers’ arms, stopping a multitude of potential first-downs and touchdowns. Add in four tackles (two solo, one for a loss), and it was a big-time performance by Flott.
Stock down: K Jude McAtamney
After missing a point-after attempt last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, kicker Jude McAtamney, on an international roster exemption, missed two more on Sunday. That forced the Giants to attempt two two-point conversions, each of which failed, and they ultimately lost by one point. You do the math. Forget that McAtamney shouldn’t have even been in that position; he’s still an NFL kicker who has a job to do, and he didn’t do it.
Stock up: LB Brian Burns
Your heart has to break for linebacker Brian Burns, who played through what appeared to be multiple injuries on Sunday. He left the stadium in a walking boot and his head hanging low, gutted by the historic collapse, but that was through no fault of his own. Burns recorded four solo tackles (three for a loss), one pass defensed, two QB hits, and 2.0 sacks, tying him for the NFL lead. This man is all heart and deserves better.
Stock down: CB Deonte Banks
It’s beginning to feel like everyone is piling on cornerback Deonte Banks, who truly did try to reinvent himself this offseason, but he’s a weakness on defense. The moment he came in to replace Paulson Adebo, who left the game with a knee injury, everything turned on a dime. The Broncos attacked him immediately and didn’t stop attacking him, repeatedly targeting him through the air and running directly at him on the ground. He couldn’t cover and didn’t set the edge, and the Broncos went on to score 33 points once he entered the game.
More stock up:WR Wan’Dale RobinsonDL Roy Robertson-HarrisOL Andrew ThomasS Dane BeltonLB Victor DimukejeTE Daniel BellingerRB Tyrone Tracy Jr.More stock down:CB Dru PhillipsTE Theo JohnsonRB Devin Singletary