Heavy underdogs coming into the game, the New York Giants went into the locker room at halftime with a surprising 6-0 lead over the Buffalo Bills. But despite the surprising lead, the mood around the Giants was negative.
There was no reason that New York shouldn’t have been up at least 9-0 at halftime. The more modest 6-0 lead came because the Giants botched the end-of-half goal-line scenario at a nearly unfathomable level.
New York faced a first-and-goal from the Buffalo 14-yard line. With 14 seconds remaining, the Giants had time for two, probably three, plays before kicking a field goal. There was one catch, however. New York did not have a time-out. That seemingly eliminated the run as an option, or at least it should have.
But on first down, quarterback Tyrod Taylor handed the ball off to Saquon Barkley, who had nowhere to go. Barkley was tackled short of the goal line, leaving the offense to try to scramble back to the line of scrimmage to get set so Taylor could spike the ball and stop the clock. There was not enough time, though.
The Giants came away with nothing, running only one play.
"That's a terrible, terrible clock management at the end of the half. That's awful."
"On the goal line, you can't do that one."
Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth go off on the Giants, who completely butcher the end of the first half against the Bills. pic.twitter.com/liV7Yg0aHf
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 16, 2023
So, what happened?
Understandably, Giants coach Brian Daboll was furious. Walking off of the field, he didn’t have anything to say about the play (or anything else) to NBC’s Melissa Stark.
“I walked off the field with Brian Daboll at the end of the half… very red in the face… I asked about clock management… He said in a very frustrated way, ‘I don’t want to talk about it…’ ‘I am so sorry; my head is not in this; I cannot focus on anything right now.'” pic.twitter.com/pRXGNdXl7z
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 16, 2023
Most likely, Taylor chose the run in a run-pass-option play or simply called the wrong play.
But the end-of-half scenario left the NFL world baffled.
Nah coach daboll mad that tyrod called the wrong option. My question is why was there a option there. Shouldn’t have been a run option! Not the best coaching to close out the half.
— Jonathan Stewart (@Jonathanstewar1) October 16, 2023
Omg Brian Daboll what the hell man
You could’ve had minimum two passing plays
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) October 16, 2023
What in the world was that?!?
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) October 16, 2023
Gotta know the number: how many seconds you need to reset and spike
The Giants weren’t close to getting in a second snap. Their number is wrong and/or it was poorly executed
Against a team like Buffalo you cannot get it that wrong in that circumstance https://t.co/GTiW2rm9Rx
— Phil Murphy © (@Phil_Sports) October 16, 2023
Looked like Tyrod audibled to a run but still on coaches to make it clear he couldn’t do that or to call a pass with no run option. 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/Ok8IVVGeso
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) October 16, 2023
[Photo Credit: NBC]
