TAMPA, Fla. — Something has to change.
That, above all else, is the overwhelming takeaway from the latest dismal loss for the Giants.
On the surface, getting beat 30-10 to the Buccaneers on Monday night was not so very different than so many other defeats for this franchise when it plays under the lights and wilts under the glare of a national television audience. Bad offense and yielding defense has a way of producing results such as this, a sad fact the Giants know all-too well the past five years.
This one was different, though. When the head coach says “we’ve got too many good players” to be scoring so few points and demands “we’ve got to put them in better positions, that’s it” it is fairly evident the offensive brain trust is not going to get out of this unscathed.
“I expect us to produce at a higher level,” Joe Judge said.
What we have seen thus far from Judge after games, win or lose, is a stoic demeanor, but he was more outwardly annoyed after this than any of the previous losses. He repeatedly put the blame on himself and his coaching staff and, when asked specifically about the job security of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, Judge did not offer anything. In the past, Judge quickly dismissed any notion that Garrett might be on the hot seat.
The Giants welcomed back Saquon Barkley and had top receivers Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney healthier than at any other time this season. Yet they scored only three legitimate points on offense — their lone touchdown came after they were set up on the Buccaneers’ 5-yard line after a Tom Brady pass deflected off the shoulder of Mike Evans and into the hands of cornerback Adoree’ Jackson for an interception. The Giants had just 215 total yards and quarterback Daniel Jones threw two second-half interceptions.
The only Giants touchdown was scored by Andrew Thomas — the left tackle — on a 2-yard reception in the second quarter. Kenny Golladay, the $72 million free-agent addition, had one catch and only two targets.
“We have to make sure to correct that,” Judge said.
Then, Judge said, “I get frustrated for the players.” He left nothing to interpretation, as far as pointing the finger at the coaching staff that is getting the players prepared.
“You guys can write that tonight,” Judge said. “We’ve got to make sure we put them in position to have success. You can write that down. I’m not going to debate that.”
When asked if this means changes to his offensive staff are imminent, Judge said, “Let’s not read too far into this right now.”
What a mess.
The bye week came and went and now the Giants might be saying goodbye to any semblance of relevant football for the duration of 2021.
Any encouraging vibes created after the Giants won two of three games were wiped out by a reality-check slap in the face administered by the defending Super Bowl champs at Raymond James Stadium.
Tom Brady had not lost three consecutive games since 2002.
It was not going to happen again, at least not on this night, not against this opponent. Brady completed 30 of 46 passes for 307 yards, two touchdowns, one interceptions and he was not sacked.
The Giants dropped to 3-7 and are now alone in last place in the NFC East, a basement residence they did not expect to inhabit 10 games into the season.
The glare of the spotlight does not show the Giants in a positive light. This was their 10th straight loss playing in prime time. Jones dropped to 0-8 when the entire nation was given the opportunity to see his team.
“We certainly didn’t execute, didn’t do what he planned to do,” Jones said. “Wasn’t too much that was good.”
Jones said he still has confidence in Garrett’s ability to direct the offense.
“Yeah, certainly do,” Jones said. “I think we were prepared, we had a plan and we didn’t execute.”
Barkley did not do much (25 rushing yards, 31 receiving yards) in his return from a sprained ankle.
The Giants were within 17-10 at halftime but their unraveling started immediately after the break. They got to the Bucs’ 25-yard line but a woeful fourth-and-1 play was a dud when Jones was pressured by linebacker Devin White and the pass hit nothing but grass. Brady then easily motored down the field on a 71-yard drive, cashing in when he hit Evans for a 5-yard touchdown pass, with Evans with the greatest of ease posting up cornerback James Bradberry in the end zone.
The Bucs added to their 24-10 lead after Jones, backpedaling and panicking, threw a ghastly interception, with no receiver in the area, dumping the ball to defensive tackle Steve McLendon. That set the Bucs up on the Giants’ 37-yard line and they added a field goal to go ahead 27-10.
Judge vowed he will change the fortunes of the franchise but did not promise when that might happen and understands frustration is rampant.
“It’s not the fans’ job to be patient,’’ he said. “It’s our job to give them something to be proud of. It’s not their job to have blind faith in us.’’
There is little chance of that happening.
