Sunday at MetLife Stadium, none of the nice things the Giants crammed into their surprise and resurgent season were on display. Perhaps the first icy gust of the approaching winter blew everything away.
Or perhaps the Giants were due for a poor performance.
Offensively, they were ineffective, as Saquon Barkley was frequently stopped and Daniel Jones was forced to chuck the ball into the air.
Jones’ stretch of six consecutive games without throwing an interception came to an abrupt end.
Adoree’ Jackson, their finest cornerback, fell down with a knee injury while returning a punt, causing the defense to suffer.
The units of the special teams were unstable.
All of these factors contributed to the Giants’ poorest performance of the season under their first-year head coach, Brian Daboll.
They briefly led in the second quarter, but were unable to maintain strong play on their side of the ball in a terrible 31-18 loss to the Lions, which took a tremendous physical toll.
In addition to Jackson, four other Giants starters suffered injuries: right tackle Tyre Phillips (neck), center Jon Feliciano (neck), wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), and cornerback Fabian Moreau (ribs).
This does not portend well for the Giants’ upcoming matchup with the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day in Arlington, Texas.
The 7-3 Giants have never lost consecutive games this season, but they will be short-handed for a crucial NFC East battle.
Barkley entered the game as the NFL’s leading rusher, while the Lions’ rushing defense ranked 31st in the league.
Form did not hold, as Barkley was absolutely shut down, gaining only 22 yards on 15 carries.
Four yards was his longest run of the day. Jones threw two interceptions, and Isaiah Hodgins fumbled the ball. For a squad with limited tolerance for mistake, the Giants had little chance after committing three turnovers.
This was gross. The Giants trailed 17-6 at the break and 24-6 following three quarters. The Lions (4-6) have won three consecutive games. Williams scored three touchdowns on the ground.
The Giants’ first offensive possession resulted in a quick three-and-out, and it was immediately apparent that the Lions were selling out to limit Barkley.
There was a swift adjustment, and the second series appeared significantly improved.
Rolling out of the pocket to create throwing opportunities, Jones completed all four of his passes for 58 yards before easing into the end zone from three yards out to give the Giants a 6-3 lead. Graham Gano’s extra point was pushed wide right.
Jackson injured his knee while returning a punt for three yards early in the second quarter, causing the Giants to suffer a severe loss.
Jackson was immediately disqualified.
Without Jackson on the field, the defense forced a three-and-out and the Lions offense struggled to create a rhythm.
At that point, the Giants committed the crucial misstep they had previously been able to avoid.
This season, Jones’ strongest skill has been his ball security, and the end of his streak without an interception came at a difficult time.
He completed 153 consecutive passes, the most in the NFL this season, but failed to recognize rookie defensive end Aidan Hutchinson dropping into coverage.
Jones intended to pass to Darius Slayton across the middle, but Hutchinson intercepted the pass and returned it 19 yards to the Giants’ 18-yard line. Jamaal Williams scored from three yards out three plays later to make the score 10-6.
Jamie Gillan’s weak punt of 25 yards to the Lions’ 32-yard line and Jared Goff’s completion of 32 yards to a wide-open Amon-Ra St. Brown put the Lions in motion. Williams scored his second touchdown on the ground, and the Giants fell behind 17-6. After a poorly executed offensive series with 44 seconds remaining, Jones was sacked on the final play, and the Giants were jeered off the field at halftime. With Barkley limited to 18 yards on 10 carries, the Giants threw the ball more frequently than they ran it in the first half, accumulating yards but scoring few points. It never improved in the second half. The Lions had no difficulty moving 56 yards on nine plays against a weakened Giants defensive backfield that included Rodarius Williams and Cor’Dale Floyo at cornerback. Early in the third quarter, Williams’ third rushing touchdown put the Giants in a 24-6 hole.
Jones’s second interception was a pass to tight end Lawrence Cager that was intercepted by safety Kerby Joseph on an overthrow. Jones completed 27 of 44 passes for 341 yards.