2-9 Giants lose sixth straight
EAST RUTHERFORD – The New York Giants entered Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium without former starting quarterback Daniel Jones, relying instead on Tommy DeVito to lead the offense. What followed was a nightmare for the Giants as they suffered a lopsided 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Giants are now 2-9 and have lost six straight games.
The Buccaneers set the tone early with a methodical 14-play, 70-yard drive that consumed over eight minutes of game time. Running back Sean Tucker capped off the opening possession with a short touchdown run to give Tampa Bay a 7-0 lead. Former Giant Sterling Shepard made his presence felt, catching two passes during the drive.
The Giants’ offense struggled to gain traction in response. Their best chance came on a fourth-and-1 from their own 37-yard line, but Wan’Dale Robinson’s jet sweep was stopped short, turning the ball over on downs.
Tampa Bay capitalized on the Giants’ turnover, but New York’s defense stiffened near the goal line, holding the Buccaneers to a Chase McLaughlin field goal. That made it 10-0 early in the second quarter.
The Buccaneers continued to dominate, with Bucky Irving’s touchdown run pushing the lead to 17-0 midway through the period. Meanwhile, the Giants’ offense sputtered, unable to string together meaningful drives.
Late in the half, Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield added insult to injury with a rushing touchdown, spinning past defenders into the end zone. He celebrated by mocking DeVito’s famous “finger purse” gesture, drawing loud boos from the MetLife crowd. The Giants trailed 23-0 at halftime, their offense yet to show any signs of life.
New York’s offense opened the second half with a glimmer of hope. DeVito connected on three straight passes to Malik Nabers, who hadn’t been targeted in the first half, driving deep into Tampa Bay territory. But disaster struck again when Tyrone Tracy Jr., lined up in a Wildcat formation, fumbled at the Buccaneers’ 5-yard line. Lavonte David forced the turnover, squashing the Giants’ most promising drive of the game.
Tampa Bay responded with another methodical drive, culminating in yet another touchdown to extend their lead to 30-0 late in the third quarter.
By the fourth quarter, the game was well out of reach. The Giants’ offense finally reached the end zone on a 13-play, 68-yard drive that was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Devin Singletary.
Giants inactives
- S Anthony Johnson
- CB Tre Hawkins
- G Jake Kubas
- DL Jordon Riley
- QB Tim Boyle (3rd QB)
Buccaneers inactives
- S Tykee Smith
- CB Tyrek Funderburk
- OLB Jose Ramirez
- T Tristan Wirfs
- TE Devin Culp
- DE Earnest Brown
