Giants-Steelers: 5 plays that changed Monday’s game

Giants-Steelers: 5 plays that changed Monday’s game
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The New York Giants lost 26-18 in Pittsburgh against the Steelers on Monday Night Football. New York was penalized 11 times in the game for 65 yards; Pittsburgh was penalized five times for 50 yards. Each team’s kicker booted three first-half field goals.

The game opened up in the second half after the Giants’ special teams’ surrendered a punt return touchdown. However, rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. ran all over Pittsburgh for 145 yards on 20 touches with a score. He left the game with a concussion.

Darius Slayton was the Giants’ leading receiver in the game. He finished with four catches for 108 yards on seven targets with this 43-yard grab:

Malik Nabers finished with seven catches on 13 targets for 71 yards. Each quarterback was sacked four times. Azeez Ojulari had a pair of sacks, and Brian Burns had a sack; Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden split a sack that Dexter Lawrence caused. New York made the game interesting but ultimately failed to come away with the victory. Here are five plays, or five sequence of plays, that led to the loss:

Play(s) 1: Let’s trade fumbles

The Giants trade fumbles late in the fourth quarter. The first fumble gave life to the Giants, as Bobby Okereke — with help from Micah McFadden — punched the football away from Russell Wilson:

The fumble gave the Giants the football down eight late in the fourth quarter. The score was 26-18, and Daniel Jones started the drive at Pittsburgh’s 37 yard line. A sensationally timed play by Okereke and McFadden, but T.J. Watt returned the favor five plays later:

After the game, head coach Brian Daboll provided valuable context as to why Jermaine Eluemunor was alone against Watt. Daboll stated that Daniel Jones was supposed to shift tight end Theo Johnson from left to right to give Eluemunor help. Jones admitted the mistake in his post-game press conference.

The Giants’ defense stepped up again after the Jones’ fumble. They forced a Steelers’ punt, and the Giants’ offense had 1:53 left in the game to drive 85 yards. However, Jones threw this interception on the fifth play, effectively ending the game for the Giants:

Play(s) 2: Wilson to Austin

The Giants kept the game competitive into the second half. However, after Calvin Austin III returned a punt for a touchdown, the Giants’ offense mustered a three-and-out. Pittsburgh took the football with a seven-point lead and put more points on the board. Russell Wilson converted a third-and-eleven to Van Jefferson for 36 yards and had a third-and-8 29-yard touchdown strike to Austin:

The Steelers took a 23-9 lead at the start of the fourth quarter, which seemed insurmountable. But the rookie fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy Jr. took a handoff 45 yards for a score.

Play 3: Early fourth quarter

The fourth quarter was exciting after a slower game that saw just 27 points in the first three quarters. The Giants seemed done after Wilson connected with Austin, but...