The Giants survived a mess of a Sunday at MetLife Stadium, beating the Titans 12-7, but the win came with a costly hit to the defense.
Brian Burns left late in the fourth quarter with what looked like a right knee injury, and it happened while the Giants were still clinging to a 12-0 lead. Burns had already been dealing with a sprained left ankle and did not practice all week, but John Harbaugh still dressed the veteran. He was hurt on his 23rd snap of the game.
From there, Tennessee finally found life. Cam Ward and a Titans offense that had been stuck in neutral all afternoon - the group had just one first down on six possessions by halftime - turned Burns’ exit into their first touchdown. Ward connected with former Giant Wan’Dale Robinson for a score with 5:35 left, trimming the lead to one possession.
The Giants then gave Tennessee another opening. After a punt, safety Elijah Campbell was flagged for interfering with Titans returner Chimere Dike on the catch, a 15-yard penalty that moved the ball from the 8 to the Titans’ 23 with 3:03 remaining. Ward and Tennessee pushed all the way to the red zone and had 1st and goal at the Giants’ 7 with 24 seconds left.
Then came the throw that ended it: Ward floated a lollipop interception right to safety Jevon Holland, who sealed the win. Holland has now produced a takeaway in all three games this season.
It was the kind of game the Giants could barely afford to lose, especially with the quarterback situation already in flux. They were without Jaxson Dart for the first time, and Jameis Winston went 14 of 22 for 118 yards. The offense never really separated itself, finishing with 238 total yards and a 4.1 yards-per-play average.
The points came in chunks of three, with Dominic Zvada accounting for all four Giants field goals that built the 12-0 cushion before Tennessee finally scored. The Giants did not reach the end zone.
The conditions matched the product: rainy, windy, and ugly. There were chances for both defenses to make the play that would have ended the game sooner.
Tremaine Edmunds dropped a Ward pass in the first half that should have been intercepted, and Dru Phillips let another one slip away in the second half. On the other side, Titans safety Amani Hooker dropped a Winston pass intended for Odell Beckham Jr. that should have been picked in the first half.
The crowd wanted Beckham involved - chants for OBJ broke out in the second half - but he never got a touch.
Ward’s late interception set off cheers and loud bangs in the press box from Giants employees who knew exactly how dangerous a loss to the Titans would have been.
Burns had to be carried off by teammates Aaron Stinnie and Andrew Thomas. Fullback Pat Ricard also walked back to the locker room afterward.
The Giants are 2-1 and will host the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday, with the quarterback room still very much a question mark.
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