Giants Blow Opportunity to Get Back in NFC East Race With 17-7 Loss to Bengals

The Giants primetime woes continued on Sunday night with a stinker against the Bengals.

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) celebrates his third quarter touchdown beside teammate New York Giants center John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61), Sunday, October 13, 2024, in East Rutherford. / Kevin Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Giants defense held a potent Cincinnati Bengals offense that had scored over 33 points in its last three games to just 17 points. Still, it wasn’t enough, as the Giants' offense and special teams didn’t hold up their end of the deal, and the Giants fell to the Bengals 17-7 at MetLife Stadium.

The loss marked the Giants’ third straight at home this season. New York, who was also trying to notch its first back-to-back win game streak, have now managed just one touchdown at home in 12 quarters of play.

The Giants defense, which lost outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux for a minimum of four weeks while he healed from a broken wrist, saw Azeez Ojulari step up and deliver two sacks, two tackles for a loss, and two hits on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. 

Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence also each recorded a sack. The Giants defense was active in the run game, totaling seven tackles for a loss as a team. Bobby Okereke was also credited with a forced fumble on Bengals running back Chase Brown.

Burrow’s 47-yard run on the game's opening drive gave the Bengals the lead and set the tone for the game. The Giants' run defense was solid until Brown’s 30-yard touchdown run from Brown in the fourth quarter ended any chance of a Giants’ comeback.

The offense's performance was another disappointing one after a solid performance the week prior. Daniel Jones went 22/41 for 205 yards and a costly red zone interception that ended a promising Giants drive early in the game. 

Jones, who had looked so good a week ago, reverted to his inconsistent ways, particularly on the deep ball.

The one player who showed up on the offensive side of the ball was rookie Tyrone Tracy, Jr. It wasn't an eventful night for the run game, as they averaged just 3.8 yards per rush. 

Tracy rushed for 50 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries. He also showed versatility in the passing game, splitting out wide multiple times and catching six passes for 57 yards.

Receiver Darius Slayton had the same stat line, as he and Tracy were tied for the most receiving yards on the team on the night. Wan'Dale Robinson ended the night with five catches for 50 yards, and rookie Theo Johnson had three grabs for 30 yards.

It was another special teams nightmare for the Giants as well. Kicker Greg Joseph missed two field goals on the night, one that would've tied the game at 10 in the third quarter and the other when the game was over.

The Giants fall to 2-4 on the season with a 0-2 divisional record and Philadelphia on deck next week.

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