Giants Break Scoring Streak, Fall to Monster Field Goal in Up-and-Down Game for OBJ

Entering Sunday’s road contest against the Carolina Panthers, the New York Giants were unfortunate owners of one of the NFL’s most futile streaks. For 36 consecutive games, the Giants had failed to score 30 points, dating back to a 35-30 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17 of the 2015 season, a year where the Giants hit the 30-point mark seven times.

That changed on Sunday when Eli Manning hit Saquon Barkley for a 15-yard touchdown and Aldrick Rosas drilled the extra point, giving the Giants a 31-30 lead with 1:08 remaining. However, the final result was the same as that Eagles game – a loss, and in a manner far too familiar to the Giants.

With just one tick left on the clock, Panthers kick Graham Gano bombed in a 63-yard field goal, tying an NFL-record for longest game-winning kick and devastating the Giants, who fell to 1-4 on the year. The kick was eerily reminiscent of another Eagles game – one from Week 3 of 2017, when Jake Elliott booted a 61-yarder as time expired, giving the Eagles a 27-24 victory, sending the Giants to an early-season hole at 0-3.

In fact, Gano’s 63-yarder marked the 5th time the Giants have lost to a field goal in the final seconds of a game since 2015. It’s not even the only time Gano himself has done it – he knocked one in from 43 yards in a 38-35 Panthers victory over the Giants in 2015, another one of those 30-point Giants games from that year.

Last week’s matchup was an opportunity for the Giants to make a statement on the road with an upset victory and avoid entering the doldrums of another disappointing season. It also became a put-up or shut-up type of game from star wideout Odell Beckham Jr., following an explosive interview with ESPN where he claimed he is not being given the opportunity to be the best he can, and criticized a stagnant, predictable offense reluctant to take chances or adapt to opposing defenses.

So, how did OBJ play with the spotlight shining even brighter than usual? He turned in arguably the most up-and-down performance of his career, which is saying something for a receiver known for incredible catches, but also for having quite the temper, such as in feuds with Josh Norman (which actually started in that 2015 Panthers game), and a kicking net.

Beckham’s first big moment of the game came late in the first quarter, with the Giants facing a fourth-and-three at the Carolina 39-yard line. At this point, Beckham already has three catches for 55 yards, including a 19-yard reception earlier on the drive on his signature slant route. But with just three points to show for their first two drives, a conversion here would allow the Giants to continue building momentum and push for six. Instead, Beckham drops a pass which would have moved the sticks, giving the ball back to the Panthers.

Luckily, the Giants defense gets a stop, forcing a Michael Palardy punt. Beckham, who became the team’s punt returner for the game, tries to do to much by running across the field to block a Panthers gunner in position to down the ball inside the five, and gets inadvertently hit by the ball as it comes down. What happens next is a frenzy with multiple Giants missing opportunities to recover the ball, and the Panthers’ Colin Jones recovering in the end zone for a Panthers touchdown. Off Beckham’s ruled fumble, Carolina takes a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter.

After a brutal sequence of a few plays where Beckham essentially costs the team 10 points, he does redeem himself later in the second quarter, by connecting with Saquon Barkley for a 57-yard passing touchdown on a rare trick play for the Giants, and the team’s largest play through the air all season long on just Beckham’s second career pass attempt.

Then, during the Giants’ comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, Beckham picks up his first receiving touchdown of the season, good for 33 yards. He finished with a huge game – with eight receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown, and the 57-yard passing TD. Yet for as much greatness as Beckham put on display, in a two-point loss, it’s tough not to look at the miscues.

Of course, that’s funny, because had Gano’s game-winning field goal come up left, or right, or short, we would be talking about the game, and by extension the Giants’ team in a totally different light, applauding their tenacity and looking ahead optimistically at a team with two impressive road victories over the past three weeks.

Instead, the Giants enter Week 6 as current owners of the #1 pick in the 2019 Draft, tied for the league’s worst record. Luckily despite the poor start, the Giants are only 1.5 games out of first place and a playoff spot in the woeful NFC East, behind the 2-2 Redskins and 2-3 records of the Eagles and Cowboys. In this division, anything is possible, and the Giants are still firmly in the race.

Their matchup this week, home against the Eagles on Thursday night, is absolutely pivotal. Should they come out on top, though, there could be real reason to be excited about this team. The hardest part of the Giants’ schedule is over – a first five weeks that included matchups with the Jaguars, Saints, Panthers, and the team’s road meeting with the Cowboys.

I’m not worried about the Giants’ locker room falling apart or anything as a result of Beckham’s media comments. Damon Harrison says they’ve taken care of it, and when Snacks speaks, you listen. Many have and will continue to criticize Beckham’s immaturity, but at this stage in his career, don’t expect to see a personality change.

Beckham is one of the most passionate players in the league, and isn’t afraid to speak out, regardless of what comes from it. This is a great player challenging his team and coaching staff to be as good as he knows they can be. Would I prefer it happen behind closed doors? Absolutely. But there’s no doubt Beckham wants this attention put on everybody as an extra motivator. We’ll see how his plan works out.

And despite how atypical it is for a player to give such a revealing interview during the season, it’s not like Beckham is wrong. His criticisms of the Giants offense were on point, and it already looked like we saw some positive changes on Sunday. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this was the team’s first 30-point game in over two years. I also don’t think it’s a coincidence the performance comes without Ereck Flowers, the chronically underperforming offensive tackle taken #9 overall by the Giants in the 2015 draft and finally released Tuesday.

The Pat Shurmur era has gotten off to a rocky start for the Giants, but this team has the playmakers to be successful if they can manage to come together like they are capable of. This year’s Giants have an added spark with Saquon Barkley, who just became the third player in NFL history to total 100 scrimmage yards in each of his first five career games. A win against the Eagles would do wonders for this team. They have a decent chance if they can avoid giving up a 60-yard field goal.