STEELERS 26 - GIANTS 16
It was a step in the right direction, but it wasn't enough to lock a crooked number in the win column. Thanks to a pair of costly turnovers by quarterback Daniel Jones, and just too much Big Ben in his return from elbow surgery, the Giants lost 26-16 on Monday night.
It's not like Big Blue didn't have opportunities to do something big.
Right from the onset, the Steelers were doing everything they could to give the Giants the game. A muffed punt return by Pittsburgh gave the Giants the football at the Steeler-three yard line. However, Big Blue could do nothing with it.
Daniel Jones tried to force the ball to Saquon Barkely twice, overthrowing him once and hitting him for only one yard on third down. The Giants were forced to settle for three points, when seven points would have sufficed.
Later in the first half, Jones orchestrated a nifty seven-play 75-yard scoring drive that gave New York the lead when he found Darious Slayton in single coverage for a 41-yard touchdown to take a 10-3 advantage.
But that is where all the fun and games would end for Big Blue. For the rest of the night a cataclysm of mistakes betrayed the Giants, as Pittsburgh stormed back to take a double-digit advantage.
It started when Jones was picked by T.J. Watt at the Giants' own 36-yard line, setting up a Steelers touchdown, six plays later, to cut the Giants lead to 10-9.
Later in the second quarter, Roethlisberger started to look like the Big Ben of old, completing five of seven passes for 67 yards in a drive that culminated in a 13-yard touchdown pass to James Washington to give Pittsburgh their first lead at 16-10.
The turning point of this game came in the third quarter. Jones and the Giants were rolling right along on an epic, 18-play, 87-yard drive that had eaten nearly nine minutes off the clock. Jones looked poised in the pocket, spreading the ball around to Barkley, Sterling Shepherd and Slayton. However when it mattered the most, Jones again made the big mistake.
On second and three at the Steelers four-yard line, Jones forced an errant pass into the end zone that was popped into the air and picked off by Cameron Heyward. Jones should have taken the sack or thrown the football out of bounds. Instead he forced the issue. A horrible mistake that not only cost the Giants the lead, but also the game.
The Steelers responded by scoring the next 10 unanswered points to blow the game wide open at 26-10.
While Big Blue did get a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, the dye was already cast on this one.
Jones finished 26-of-41 for 279 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. It was a maddening night for the second year signal caller. There were moments of brilliance and moments where he still looked like a young, developing project.
It didn't help matters that the Giants were working in a new offensive line that at times was beat off the line of scrimmage by the Steelers ferocious front seven.S
Subsequently Saquon Barkely had a very silent night. Barkely carried the rock only 15 times for six yards. While he did catch six balls for 60-yards, Barkely's value is at running the football, and the Giants didn't do it enough, nor well. It was like offensive coordinator Jason Garret was transfixed at passing the football.
On the flip side, Roethlisberger was impressive in his return from Tommy John Surgery. He threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile back-up running back Benny Snell picked up nicely for a banged up James Conner, running for 113 yards on 19 carries.
The Giants (0-1) will face the Chiacgo Bears (1-0) on Sunday at Solider Field. The Bears stunned the Detroit Lions on Sunday with a 27-23 come-from-behind victory. They will be dangerous on Sunday for this young Giants team.
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