Skip to main content

Giants Lose Tight One in Minnesota on Historic 61-yard Field Goal

 As I wrote for Fox Sports New Jersey 

VIKINGS 27 - GIANTS 24

It was another epic for two teams accustomed to playing close games. For the Giants, and certainly Giants' fans, they had to be well aware of what was going around them.

While Big Blue held a 13-10 lead midway through the third quarter, the Lions and Seahawks were on their way to getting rolled by the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively, meaning if Big Blue could hold on the Giants would clinch a playoff berth.

But it wasn't to be.




Sure there were moments where the Giants could have done just a little bit more to put this game away, and prevent the miracle finish that later ensued in Minnesota.

On the drive that resulted in a Graham Gano field goal that made it 13-10 G-Men, the Giants had the ball at the Vikings' 19 when Nick Gates was called for a false start penalty on second and six. Two plays later, Jones was sacked forcing the Giants to settle for three. They would have preferred seven.

The Vikings would quickly answer as Kirk Cousins drove the Vikes 75-yards in 12 plays for the go-ahead score. It was a scoring drive that wouldn't have happened had rookie safety Cor'Dale Flott held onto an Cousins interception. Instead his drop at the last second gave the Vikings renewed life.

Cousins drove the Vikings down field the rest of the way until hitting tight end T.J. Hockenson in the corner of the end zone to make it 17-13.



The miscues would continue for Big Blue in the fourth quarter. Daniel Jones was picked off on a pass i intended for Isiah Hodgins, and rookie wide out Richie James would drop a couple of huge passes. Then there was the blocked punt that helped set up Cousin's touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson that put the Vikings up 24-16.

Give credit to Big Blue, despite the hole the dug for themselves, they never gave up. Jones hit Darious Slayton for 32-yards on a critical third and two. Three plays later, Jones scrambled for eight yards to the Vikings 27.

Facing a now-or-never fourth and two, the Giants ran it up the gut with Saquon Barkely who broke a tackles and dashed like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer into the end zone for the score. Finally Jones hit Daniel Bellinger in the back of the end zone to tie it up at 24.

Unfortunately for Big Blue, they couldn't stop another Vikings miracle as Greg Joseph connected on a 61-yard field goal to win it with time expiring in regulation.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jets, Dolphins and Patriots Playoff Breakdown

Here are the formuli that could get the Jets into and out of the playoff party this season: 1) If the Jets win against Seattle and Miami, they win the AFC East based on a better conference record (8-4) than the New England Patriots, even if New England wins out as well. 2) If the Patriots win out and the Dolphins win out and finish at 11-5, the Jets would be 10-6, or 9-7, and probably out of the playoffs. Both New England and Miami would make the playoffs, with the Dolphins as a divison winner and the Patriots as a wild card. The Patriots make the postseason if Baltimore loses one of its final two games. 3) If the Patriots win out and the Dolphins and Jets split, then the Patriots win the AFC East. The Jets will have to hope that they beat Miami to win that tie-breaker and, further, hope that they have a better conference record than the Baltimore Ravens in order to clinch the sixth seed. 4) If the Patriots and Ravens win out and the Dolphins and Jets split their final two games, then ...
8 comments
Read more

Francisco Lindor Remains Red Hot as Mets Top Phillies

 Francisco Lindor remains the hottest player in Queens right now.  The Mets shortstop blasted two more home runs, including a three-run blast in the bottom of the eighth inning, Monday night to help propel the Mets to a 5-4 win over Philadelphia.   Lindor who typically struggles in the month of April is putting together a heck of a month. Monday's two hit effort was the 10th game in the last 11 where Lindor has recorded a hit. In fact in the month of April alone this year, Lindor was hitting at .311 coming into Monday's action.  On the year, Lindor is batting .284 with five homers and 13 RBI.  Lindor's efforts proved to be prophetic, as the Phillies Alec Bohm crushed a three-run bomb off Edwin Diaz in the top of the ninth to cut the Mets lead to a single run. Fortunately for New York, Diaz was able to shut the door with strikeouts of Trea Turner and Bryce Harper.  New York (16-7) has now won five in a row.  
Post a Comment
Read more

Mets Keep Rolling into Phillies Series

 The New York Mets are feeling pretty good about things right now!  The Amazin's swept a four game series from the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, winning 7-4 Sunday afternoon. It was the first time since 1986 that the Amazin's had swept such a series from St. Louis. We all know what happened later that season.    Well, not to get too far ahead of ourselves, because the 2025 version now faces a very stiff challenge. The Mets will face their arch rivals the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday with only two games separating the two teams in the NL East.  The Mets took out Philly in the NLDS last October, so this figures to be a heck of showdown. The Mets begin a month long stretch against teams that are likely postseason contenders like the Phillies, D-Backs, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers.  If the Mets (15-7) are this good, we will know for sure in a month.
Post a Comment
Read more