Giants try to turn the page after their historic Mile High meltdown defeat

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NEW YORK (AP) — Less than 24 hours after becoming the first NFL team in more than two decades to blow an 18-point lead or bigger in the final 6 minutes of a game and lose, the New York Giants are trying desperately to put the epic collapse behind them and turn the page.

That's easier said than done, and plenty of questions remain about decisions made by players and coaches on either side of the ball.

“There are certainly a lot of guys that are hurting right now, some physically,” coach Brian Daboll said Monday on a video call with reporters. “They gave everything they had, and we came up short. That was a tough one, make no mistake about it, but you’ve got to get back on your horse and get ready to play."

Up next is a rematch — this time on the road — against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, whom the Giants defeated at home in prime time on Oct. 9. That was on a short week with the game taking place on a Thursday night.

New York has a full week to try to process the Mile High meltdown that unfolded in Denver, when a 26-8 lead inexplicably evaporated with the Broncos finishing off the stunning comeback to win 33-32 on a buzzer-beating field goal.

“Every game, obviously there’s plays that go one way or the other and you learn from it,” linebacker Bobby Okereke said. “When you have a growth mindset you don’t get too high, you don’t get too low. That’s what we’re preaching. You don’t let one big play lead to two and you don’t let one big loss lead to two. So, we’re compartmentalizing this, making the corrections and we’re excited for this coming week.”

The Giants' loss ended a streak of 1,686 regular-season and playoff games of a team up 18 or more with 6 minutes left going on to win. The last not to do it was Tampa Bay on Oct. 6, 2003, when the Buccaneers led Indianapolis 35-14 with 5:09 left before losing 38-35 in overtime.

It was the first time since at least 1970 that a team leading by 18-plus points with 6 minutes remaining lost in regulation. The loss dropped the Giants to 2-5 this season and, at least temporarily, zapped the optimism around the energy rookies Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo have infused into the organization.

The questions now are more about why they struggle to close out winnable games, given that similar defeats happened at Dallas in Week 2 and New Orleans in Week 5.

“I honestly don’t think there is a secret sauce to winning,” left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “I think it’s execution in moments that matter. That’s really what it comes down to, and (if) you don’t make those plays, you lose. We’ve just got to figure out a way to do that. When the game is on the line, execute, do your job, and that’s how you win.”

Thomas and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor were excellent in pass protection. According to ESPN Stats & Info, they each had pass block win rates of 100%.

It was an impressive performance in general by the offensive line against an opponent that leads the league in sacks.

“There are some things we can clean up, especially in the run game, some of our play action stuff,” Thomas said. “They brought a lot of pressure (so it takes) communication between us, the backs, receivers ... just to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

The lack of execution was not just on the players. Coaches bear some of the brunt for the late-game blunders.

Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka called for a pass play with just under five minutes left instead of running the ball to force Denver to take its final timeout. It doesn't help that Dart's throw was intercepted by Justin Strnad, though Daboll defended the decision.

“I thought the play call that Mike called was a good play call,” Daboll said. “I thought it was an aggressive call to make a good play against the right coverage, what we anticipated to get.”

Linebacker Brian Burns, as he walked to the locker room afterward, could be heard yelling about defensive coordinator Shane Bowen's decision to send only three pass rushers and drop eight players into coverage on a play during the final drive. Nose tackle Dexter Lawrence also criticized that conservative approach in his postgame meeting with reporters.

Okereke chalked that up to being “fiery, competitive dudes” and said the Giants talked about taking accountability.

“It’s not one player, one coach, one position group,” Okereke said. “Everybody really had their hands in the pot in this loss.”

Daboll said he was not considering any changes to his coaching staff.

“We’ve all got to do a better job. It starts with me,” Daboll said. “There were plenty of opportunities to finish that game the way we wanted to, and we didn’t get the job done.”

Tight end Daniel Bellinger is becoming a popular target for Dart. Bellinger had three catches for 88 yards and the touchdown that put New York up 7-0.

Jude McAtamney missed two extra points in his fourth game filling in for injured kicker Graham Gano, and they may each never play for the Giants again. Former Atlanta kicker Younghoe Koo is on the practice squad and figures to get the nod at Philadelphia, though Daboll wasn't tipping his hand that far in advance.

“We’ll see where that goes here throughout the week,” Daboll said.

Daboll did not have updates on safety Jevon Holland, who left with a knee injury, cornerback Paulson Adebo (undisclosed) or Burns, who was limping noticeably.

0.7% — The Broncos' win probability with 6:38 left facing fourth and three and trailing 26-8. It was the most improbable comeback of the season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

After licking wounds and getting back to practice, the Giants face a tall task of trying to beat the Eagles twice in 18 days. They are again 7-point underdogs on BetMGM Sportsbook.

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