New York Giants' Constant Mistakes Becoming a Major Problem

After jumping out to a 7-0 lead against the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants gave up 27 unanswered points in yet another prime-time meltdown at Lincoln Financial Field.

More alarmingly, the Giants and their unorganized showing in a critical NFC East game they needed to win to open up a wider lead in the division reinforced the notion they are what we thought they are: an undisciplined team that isn’t good enough to overcome the litany of self-inflicted mistakes that are threatening to doom yet another season. 

The mistakes this week are many, but in order to spare Giants fans who are no doubt longing for the days when the Giants actually lived up to their team moniker, let’s look at just a few, starting with the offense.

Quarterback Eli Manning, who per Pro Football Focus came into this week’s game tied with Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford as having the most dropped passes (17) in the NFL, saw his receivers drop at least three more this week. 

Manning, who also came into this week’s game having thrown two interceptions and having been sacked four times, was abused—mostly by a four-man Eagles rush that outdueled a five-man Giants offensive line.

After completing his first 10 pass attempts, Manning finished 14-of-28, as he was hit seven times and sacked three more as the offensive line’s pass-blocking was so poor that between getting hit and the fact the Eagles were bracketing receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants’ only consistent offensive threat.

Beckham was targeted just one time in the second half, that target falling incomplete. 

The running game? Blame part of the lack of a running game on the offensive line, which got very little push against the Eagles, who recorded seven tackles for a loss against the Giants.

You can also blame part of the problem on the play-calling, which inexplicably sent several runs wide against a fast Eagles defense that had little trouble stringing things out.

Michael Perez/Associated Press

The penalties? The Giants had 12 of them and of those 12, three were of the undisciplined variety, including dancing defensive end Damontre Moore’s stupid body slam of Bradford on a third-down play that extended an Eagles drive ending in the first of their 27 points for the night.  

There were also two intentional grounding penalties called against Manning, who probably should have had a third call against him were it not for the fact offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse illegally touched Manning’s pass.

And let’s not forget the illegal substitution play when the defense looked like it had three extra men on the field when the ball was snapped, perhaps the only time in the game where the Giants were caught off-guard by the Eagles’ rapid tempo.

“Just very, very disappointing. I expected to come down here and I expected it to be a very close game,” head coach Tom Coughlin said.

It might very well have been a closer game except the Giants, who were given four turnovers by the Eagles, did absolutely nothing with those gifts. In fact they went three-and-out on the three interceptions thrown by quarterback Sam Bradford, and only managed one first-down conversion, that coming off of the Eagles’ lost fumble.

Missed tackles? There were a few by the defense, who this week gave up four big plays of 20 or more yards, three of which came via the pass. 

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

The list goes on and on, but the story is the same. The Giants, who showed such brilliant resiliency against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, were once again met by the harsh reality that they’re just not good enough to overcome self-inflicted wounds. 

Beyond the loss, the bigger question is whether the Giants have the talent to move forward into a stretch that will include a Cowboys team that is coming off a bye in Week 7 and a currently undefeated New England Patriots team in Week 10.

Coughlin isn’t looking that far ahead, obviously, as he and his staff won’t have much time to go back over the tape of this latest meltdown with the players. Instead, all they can do is press ahead and hope somehow, someway, this team recaptures the magic it had against the Bills and starts to learn how to put teams away early. 

“We play again in six days and we play last year’s divisional champion," Coughlin said," and we’re going to have to get our chins up off the floor really quick.

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.

Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.