The New York Giants’ 26-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night football It was a winnable game considering how it developed in the first half in which the game was tied 9-9 thanks to an exchange of field goals.

Eventually, it all fell apart: Penalties, the Giants’ poor run defense, and poor quarterback play all contributed to the loss as the Giants fell to 2-6 midway through the season, their season on the verge of ending. disappear forever.

Looking back at the plays that were and weren’t made, here are the five key plays that contributed to the Giants’ latest disappointing loss.

Before we get into the breakdowns of this grueling play that gave the Steelers the lead, it’s surprising how the referees failed when a Steeler collided with the kicker, which would have given the Giants five yards and a chance to kick again.

The only explanation that makes any sense is that the defender was blocked on the shot, although from our point of view, that did not appear to be the case.

Now, let’s move on to Calvin Austin’s 73-yard punt return for a touchdown, the first touchdown of the game. The Giants didn’t help themselves at all on this play, starting with punter Matt Haack beating his coverage on all four missed tackles on the play.

This simply shouldn’t be happening this late in the season, yet every week, it seems like the Giants’ special teams do something that backfires. This week was nothing different.

Another momentum-changing play involved Calvin Austin, this time in the passing game. Austin got the better of rookie nickel cornerback Dru Phillips on a corner route. He ran past Phillips for an easy throw by Russell Wilson for a 29-yard touchdown.

This play put the Giants into a 14-point deficit, creating an uphill battle to come back against a defense with exceptional pass rush to pressure Daniel Jones on true pass-back plays.

After rookie running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr. scored the Giants’ first touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter, they opted for a two-point conversion instead of an extra point because that’s what the analytics and the coach said in Chief Brian Daboll. He seems to firmly believe in what the analyzes say.

The play call was, to say the least, a headache. The Giants used the swing gate formation and attempted to throw a screen to Malik Nabers.

The problem was that no one on the Giants was prepared for it, and although everyone seemed to be milling around when the ball was snapped, the Steelers made one of the easiest plays a player will ever make.

The botched play, by the way, caused quarterback Daniel Jones to explode in a rare display of anger/frustration, which practically personified how Giants fans would be feeling at the time.

With 3:04 left in the fourth quarter on 3rd-and-7 from the Steelers’ 19-yard line, TJ Watt beat Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor to secure a sack of Daniel Jones that the Steelers recovered.

As it turned out, Jones was supposed to make a snap call, sending rookie tight end Theo Johnson to help Eluemunor face Watt. Jones did not complete the call and the outcome of the play altered the game.

The Giants’ offense moved the ball downfield, hoping to tie the game with a two-point conversion.

With 42 seconds left at the Steelers’ 35-yard line, Jones dropped back and threw a pass over running back Devin Singletary’s head and into the arms of rookie defensive back Beanie Bishop Jr for a game-ending interception.

The problems here were numerous. First, Jones never saw Theo Johnson fully open up the middle. Secondly, he never stood up, feeling the pressure that, while there, allowed him to make a quicker decision. And then there was the hurried throw into a window he had no business throwing at, something Giants fans have seen too many times before.

This game should frustrate Giants fans because there were multiple opportunities to take advantage of to win. Instead, the Giants weakened when it mattered most, their 2024 season on life support and fading quickly.