The New York Giants hosted the AFC West-leading Las Vegas Raiders at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon, which was a perfect day for football with temperatures around 50 degrees and hardly any wind.
The Giants were coming off another disappointing loss while Las Vegas was coming off their bye week. It was hardly an uneventful week for the Raiders with the tragic Henry Ruggs situation, and the Giants were uncertain about who would be available this week after some faulty COVID-19 tests.
The line at kickoff had dipped down to Giants +2.5 with an over/under of 46.5 points as per the Tipico Sportsbook app.
The Giants opened the scoring with a crisp seven-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a Daniel Jones-to-Evan Engram 30-yard hookup for a touchdown that Engram grabbed over Raiders safety Jonathan Abram.
WHAT. A. CATCH.
đź“ş: @NFLonCBS & Giants App pic.twitter.com/6trJBDNEaw
— New York Giants (@Giants) November 7, 2021
The Raiders stormed right back, marching 72 yards on 10 plays and tied the game when Derek Carr hit Hunter Renfrow for a two-yard score after Renfrow shook James Bradberry on the goal line.
The defenses took over the game and the clubs traded field goals to bring the score to 10-10 with 2:00 remaining in the first half. The Giants have been terrible at the end of the first half all season and they continued that in this game as Las Vegas was able to add another field goal with 0:10 remaining in the half to take a 13-10 lead into the tunnel.
The Raiders lead was short-lived as Giants safety Xavier McKinney picked off Carr on the first possession the second half and took it 41 yards to the house to give the Giants a 17-13 lead.
On the next possession, the Giants defense once again stood tall and forced a field goal. It was their third red zone stop of the game in four tries.
Graham Gano’s 32-yard field goal widened the Giants’ lead with 14:07 remaining. The defense did their thing again on the Raiders’ next drive, stopping them on third-and-6 from the Giants’ 10. Daniel Carlson then hooked the 25-yard field goal attempt wide left to keep the score at 20-16 in favor of New York.
McKinney’s second interception shut the door on Las Vegas’ next possession and sent the Giants on a drive that resulted in a 36-yard field goal to extend the Giants’ lead to 23-16.
The Raiders took control of the football on their own 25 with 3:21 remaining. After driving down to the Giants’ 13 with 0:50 remaining, the defense went work again. Rookie defensive end Quincy Roche stripped Carr of the ball and it was recovered by Leonard Williams on the 23.
The Giants finally win close one. They are 3-3 after starting the year 0-3.
Notes
- The Giants were shorthanded in the backfield. Saquon Barkley (ankle) and rookie Gary Brightwell (COVID-19) were inactive. Barkley has played in just 20 of the Giants’ last 41 games.
- Devontae Booker had a career high 99 yards rushing on 21 carries and added 23 yards on three receptions.
- Sterling Shepard (quad) missed his fourth game of the season. Shepard has now missed 14 games since the beginning of the 2019 season due to various injuries.
- Fourth-round pick Elerson Smith, an outside linebacker out of Northern Iowa, made his NFL debut. Oshane Ximines was a healthy scratch, perhaps benched after his offsides penalty cost the Giants a chance to win last Monday night in Kansas City.
- KR/WR Pharoh Cooper and safety J.R. Reed also made their Giants debut in this game.
- Keion Crossen’s personal foul penalty on Raiders punter A.J. Cole was the 12th special team penalty of the season for the Giants, the most of any team in the NFL this year.
- The game was broadcast on CBS as the Giants were hosting an AFC team. Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins (field reporter) called the game.
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