Worst aspects of NY Giants’ identity sink New York in loss to Buccaneers
The NY Giants’ lack of a pass-rush and Daniel Jones’ turnovers sink New York in 30-10 loss to Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The NY Giants are a team still 10 games into this season aiming to forge an identity, but the worst flaws came to the fore at the worst possible time on Monday night, against the defending champion and suddenly firing on all cylinders Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Led by Tom Brady’s efficiency from a mostly clean pocket, the Buccaneers made swift work of the NY Giants, 30-X10 at Raymond James Stadium, as lack of a pass rush, Daniel Jones’ carelessness, and the Giants’ underachieving playmakers were simply a recipe for disaster.
After going several weeks looking like he’s improved dramatically protecting the football, Jones rolled out and floated a pass with only NY Giants center Billy Price in the zip code that Buccaneers defensive end Steve McLendon easily intercepted.
Later, Jones added a second interception.
Jones now has seven interceptions, including three in the past three weeks, and 29 in 37 career games.
It’s difficult to win with such mediocre quarterback play, especially a former No. 6 overall pick.
It’s even more difficult to win when you’re defense has no pass-rush to speak of, either from defensive-line pressure or off the edge.
Brady wasn’t sacked on Monday night and was only hit twice.
NY Giants general manager Dave Gettleman famously quipped “Rome wasn’t built in a day, darlin’,” when pressed about not drafting a pass-rusher in 2019 with any of New York’s three first-round picks.
Three years later, the NY Giants are 27th in sacks with 19. Since the 2019 season, the NY Giants are averaging just over 30 sacks per season. Through 11 weeks, three teams have already sacked the quarterback at least 29 times.
This is who the NY Giants are.
These struggles are why beating teams like the Buccaneers — or competing, is a Herculean task for this team. But, until these flaws are remedied and so long as they remain the NY Giants’ identity, it will always be harder for this team to break through.
Here are key takeaways from the NY Giants’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Pressure’s off Tom Brady
It’s a tale as old as time.
If a team can’t pressure Tom Brady, that team likely cannot win.
Monday night, the NY Giants struggled to lay a finger on Brady in the pocket, allowing him to sit back and systematically and with pinpoint accuracy hit his top targets with ease; Chris Godwin six catches for 65 yards and a touchdown, Mike Evans six catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, Leonard Fournette six catches for 39 yards.
It was just that kind of night.
Brady finished Monday night’s game 30-for-46 passing for 307 yards with two touchdowns to one interception. Even when the NY Giants’ secondary was able to hold up, it was undone by how little pressure the front-seven was able to generate.
The lack of a pass-rush has been a going concern for the NY Giants this season, but few quarterbacks can make a team pay for allowing an eternity in the pocket quite like Brady. And he did exactly that.