EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Brian Daboll loves to talk about playing complementary football. What his New York Giants did on Sunday was the polar opposite.
Mistakes on offense, defense, and special teams doomed the Giants in a 34-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers that was not as close as the score indicated. The game was played in front of a crowd that sounded more like it was in the Bay Area than the Meadowlands.
“I’ve never played in a home game that was lopsided in that department,” rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart said. “But they have a big fan base.”
Drops plagued the Giants early as Theo Johnson and Wan’Dale Robinson failed to secure passes thrown right at them by Dart. On defense, Christian McCaffrey was left wide open for one of the easiest touchdowns of his career. McCaffrey and Brian Robinson Jr. dominated the field all afternoon, carving through would-be tacklers repeatedly.
Adding to the Giants’ woes, kicker Graham Gano missed a field goal attempt wide left in the final minute of the first half. Later, special teams miscues continued when Zaire Barnes collided with returner Gunner Olszewski on a punt in the third quarter.
“We have to keep believing that we will win,” Dart said. “It’s not fun to lose. We missed out on certain phases of playing complementary football. You have to win at least two of those areas, and we didn’t.”
The loss marked New York’s third consecutive defeat, dropping their record to 2-7 this season with the NFL trade deadline looming Tuesday. Frustration within the fan base was evident, with a plane circling the stadium carrying a banner that read, “Mr. Mara enough is enough clean house.” Another banner wished owner John Mara well in his fight against cancer.
“Look,” Daboll said, “we’re not where we need to be.”
Injury troubles piled up as well. Starting center John Michael Schmitz, inside linebacker Darius Muasau, and rookie receiver Beaux Collins all left the game. The Giants were already missing their top two cornerbacks, Paulson Adebo and Cor’Dale Flott, as well as starting free safety Jevon Holland. This is on top of season-ending injuries to Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo.
Despite the struggles, Dart and the energy he has brought are sources of long-term optimism. He showed flashes of promise against San Francisco, completing three of four passes with a touchdown to Theo Johnson on the opening drive — which was the high point of the game. The 49ers responded immediately, scoring on their first possession and dominating the rest of the contest.
The Giants have allowed at least 33 points in each of their past three games during this skid.
“Nothing was good enough,” Daboll said, defending his decision to kick a field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line — a choice that drew boos from the home crowd. “We have to keep working on our tackling. Whether it’s finishing tackles or finishing catches, we have to do better.”
Dart and Daboll have worked closely together since the Giants traded back into the first round to draft the Mississippi product as their future at football’s most important position.
When asked about pressure for a coaching change, Dart deferred. “I can only control what I can control,” he said. “As a team, we should be thinking the same way.”