Giants Win Then Watch The Eagles Tank

 

 

By Andrew Rosario

 

When the New York Football Giants hosted their hated division rival Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on the last game of the regular season last Sunday afternoon, both teams knew what was at stake. The winner would need the Washington Football team to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles later that night in order to win the division and host a first round, wild card playoff game. Both teams entered the game going in the opposite direction. Big Blue was on a 3 game losing streak while Americas Team were riding a 3 game winning streak. They faced each other in week 5 with the Cowboys coming away with a narrow 37-34 victory. 

 

The intensity was established from the very beginning as there were skirmishes from both teams including a 15 yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Cowboys Jourdan Lewis. New York would get on the board the first time they touched the ball. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard, lined up on the left side, takes the handoff from quarterback Daniel Jones and scatters 23 yards down the right sideline before getting in the end zone. Kicker Graham Gano missing the extra point.

 

The Giants forced another Boys punt before running back Wayne Gallman Jr fumbles, resulting in a Gary Zuerlein 38 yard field goal cutting the lead in half at 6-3. Jones and Shepard would connect again for their second score of the first half, this time through the air. With the ball on the Cowboys 10 yard line, Jones whips a quick pass and Shepard bulls his way into the end zone. The drive was aided by another 15 yard Dallas unnecessary roughness penalty (Randy Gregory) extending the lead to 13-3. 

 

The defense kept Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton in check and running back Ezikiel Elliot was held to only 27 rushing yards, 39 in total in the first half. Zuerlein connects on another field goal (46 yards) and Jones stuns the Dallas defense on the last possession of the first half. From the shotgun finds a streaking Dante Pettis for the 33 yard touchdown catch taking a 20-3 lead. Dalton moved team far enough for Zuerlein to blast a 57 yard field goal cutting the lead to 20-9 as Dallas got the ball to start the third quarter. 

 

Big Blue forces another Dallas 3 and out looking to put more points on the board. Jones, on second down, sees his pass go through the hands of tight end Evan Engram and is picked off by Donovan Wilson. Dalton connects with wide receiver Amari Cooper who comes up 1 yard short of the end zone. The next play sees Elliott push the pile into the end zone reducing the lead to 20-16.

 

Undaunted, Jones (17-25, 229 yards, 2 td’s, 1int) was moving the ball when Shepard was hit with a 15 yard, illegal crackback penalty. The Giants punted giving Dallas the ball back looking to take the lead. Suddenly, the Giants defense was playing on their heels. Dalton got the Cowboys within 1 (20-19) after completing 5 passes and another Zuerlein (36 yard) field goal. Both teams would punt on their next possession. On the Giants following drive, Jones’ pass to Pettis looked like it hit the ground which would have forced the Giants to punt. Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy did not throw the challenge flag. “We felt like it was kind of a bang-bang type situation,” McCarthy said afterward. “The fact of the matter that we were in a tight game and the three time outs was obviously of high value there. So, we just didn’t think there was enough information to overturn it.”

 

Gano then redeemed himself converting a long field goal (50 yards) which would turn out to be the game winner. But not before two scary moments.

 

First, Dalton, (29-47, 43 yards, 1int) needing a touchdown to win and keep their playoff hopes alive, begins the drive on their own 35. Six complete passes later, the Cowboys are on the Giants 17 yard line. From the shotgun, Dalton gets pressured by Leonard Williams which forces him out of the pocket making him move to his left. Dalton looks for tight end Dalton Schultz in the end zone but Xavier McKinney steps in front for the interception. You would have thought that was the end of the game, it wasn’t. 

 

Needing only one first down to ice the game, Gallman gains 5 yards on his first carry. Gallman runs for 8 more yards on his next carry but the ball slips out of his hands and it appeared that Dallas recovered the fumble. Upon review, Gallman recovered the fumble putting the game away and eliminating Dallas from the playoffs.

 

The New York win was all for nothing as that night, Philadelphia would lose to the Washington Football team in a game that had the football world shaking its head. The Eagles trailed Washington 10-0 before Philly rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts gives them a 14-10 lead running for two touchdowns. A late second quarter touchdown gave Washington a 17-14 lead. The Eagles were in the position to tie the game with a field goal when head coach Doug Pederson deicides to go for the touchdown. Hurts pass falls incomplete and they come away with no points. It was the last time Hurts saw field as Pederson inexplicably benched him for third string backup Nate Sudfeld. Washington dreuled at the replacement, suffocating Sudfeld the rest of the game. This was Pederson’s lame excuse as to why he made the switch. “My plan was to get Nate in the game. Nate’s a guy that is very capable of running our system.” The only thing that Pederson and Sudfeld did was run the Giants out of the playoffs.  

 

Giants first year head Joe Judge after the win said, I’m proud of the players and the way they played tonight. They’ve had a good year. We’ve improved every game. I’m proud of the way they came out here and fought for 60 minutes. We knew it was going to be a game that came down to the wire, as all of our division games do.” On Monday, Judge was asked about Pederson’s decision that led to their loss and eliminating the Giants. “Let me be very clear on this: We had 16 opportunities this year. That’s it. We don’t ever want to leave our fate in the hands of anyone else. We’re not going to make excuses. Not now, not ever. We had our opportunities.” 

 

You never want one game to determine whether or not your team will make the playoffs. You definitely don’t want another team to determine your fate either. Unfortunately for Giants both happened. That’s why they will be watching the playoffs that begin Saturday.