The New York Giants picked up a rare victory Sunday, beating the division-leading Kansas City Chiefs 12-9 in overtime. There was no bigger play in the game than the one Giants receiver Roger Lewis made with 2:12 to play in the extra period.
New York faced fourth-and-six from just outside field-goal range, in a spot where a failure would essentially end the team’s shot at victory. Eli Manning took a snap from the shotgun, dropped back and fired a deep ball down the left sideline, where Lewis was going one-on-one with defensive back Phillip Gaines. As the ball arrived, the receiver either lost his footing or slid to react to an under-thrown ball but nevertheless caught the pass from the ground for an essential 34-yard first down.
Wowwwwwwww.
Roger Lewis makes the INCREDIBLE grab to setup the @giants WIN. #GiantsPride https://t.co/YE9qsqlql5
— NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2017
After Manning took a knee to move the ball toward the center of the field, Aldrick Rosas nailed a 23-yard field goal to give the Giants their second win of the season.
So much about this result was improbable. For one thing, the Giants entered the day with a 1-8 record, while the Chiefs stood at 6-3, so just getting to overtime was a pleasant surprise for New York. Then there’s the fact that Lewis, who had only 14 catches on the season and 21 in his two-year career before Sunday, was the hero. His 55 yards on the game (on three catches) were a career high, and his 34 yards on that overtime grab were more than he’d had total in all but one game this season.
But against all odds, Lewis made the catch and the Giants got the win. Yes, New York might have been better off losing to improve its draft position, but for a fanbase that has had little to cheer recently, Lewis’ grab was certainly a welcome sight.
