The image was painful for Giants and their fan base. The Seattle Seahawks were lapping around the sidelines greeting the Seahawks faithful, laughing as Bib Blue walked away with heads down wondering if it could get worse.
Super Bowl expectations are gone with only a 1-6 record remaining. The Giants now walk away into their bye week with more questions then answers and wondering what is next?
With the injuries to key players, Eli Manning’s weapons were so limited that the Giants offense was only able to produce a total of a 177 total. Manning still feels he is still learning his new receiving core which time eventually help in the future. ” Well, yeah, it’s a different situation. Just to game plan – I don’t know what I threw for in the first half, I didn’t have many passing attempts. It’s a different type of game offensively that we’re playing than we had the mindset going on, with the amount of explosive players that we thought we had. So, hopefully, we get [Sterling] Shepard back, and get a few guys – I know we lost a few guys on the offensive line – get some guys back and be able to make some plays.”
Sunday’s game was still in striking distance for New York until a crucial play which was called an interception. Both Landon Collins and Paul Richardson came down in the end zone withe the ball. With this ruling they always say the tie goes with the offensive player. Landon Collins felt that there was no doubt that this was an interception and felt the call was going to be overturned. ” It had to. Once you saw it, you could blatantly see it was on my chest. Once the referee could see it, it was like he has possession of the ball. I turned over and he was trying to fight into my arms to get it. That was my ball. ”
NFL official Tony Corrente saw things differently. “The receiver went into the air, had control of the ball, lost control, re-grasped the ball and at the same time he did, the defender grabbed the ball, also. They went to the ground simultaneously with the football. Then they started a little wrestling match. It’s over now. That catch is established because if the defender was to pull the ball out of his hands now, it’s still a catch because the defender has a second action. So at that point when they were on the ground together, and they’re tussling to begin with, the catch is over, that’s the touchdown. Now, after that is when he rolled over and we don’t have any clear view of, quote unquote, anything happening after that. So that’s where it stands.”
The Giants are deflated and should be after their world has been turned upside down with key injuries and last second defeats. Jason Pierre-Paul understands that loosing is part of the job and everyone in locker room needs to be a pro. “We’re all professionals. It don’t matter if we have a losing record or a winning record. You got to come out and do the same thing every week. This is why we’re professional football players. So we’re going to come back. Get this bye week and then come back and be ready to roll.”
The Giants were trailing 10-7 at 4:34 mark of the third quarter when Aldrick Rosas had the opportunity to tie the game by hitting a 47 yard field goal. This might have been the play that rattled the cage for New York as the Rosas not only cost the team at chance to tie the game but help swing the momentum back in Big Blue’s favor and Aldrick knew it. ” We had a little momentum going. The offense did great and to put us in the best position to continue on with the game and give us the best chance to win, and I got to go out and I got to make my field goals. I got to continue to make this team better and win games.”
Towards the end of the 4th quarter, with the game no longer in question, the Seahawks faithful were left chanting in full force. Devon Kennard understands that this will happen until Big Blue gives them something to cheer about. “Obviously, I would like them to be chanting the Giants, but we got to give them something to chant about. So that’s our responsibility. If we’re winning games and if we’re winning that game at the end of the game, that wouldn’t have been the case. So that’s on us.”
Pete Carroll downplayed the Seahawks faithful in the house when reporters asked about loving the NY atmosphere. “Yea, it’s alright. Nice place. I like coming out here. Our guys are really fired up to play New York. They respected it; the place and the team and all that and they’re fired up about getting out of here with a win.”
The Giants head into their bye week and will be back in action November 4th against the Rams at Metlife Stadium.
