The New York Giants looked en route to a domination of the Jacksonville Jaguars when the team jumped out to a 21-0 lead in easy fashion on Sunday. That didn't continue though, as two fumbles by the New York offense were recovered and returned for scores by the Jacksonville defense, which led to the biggest comeback in franchise history.
Tom Coughlin says kneeling would have been more effective than Giants’ offense
The Giants turned the ball over three times to the Jaguars, two of which were returned for touchdowns.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
After a terrible start to the game, the Jaguars' offense recovered some under the direction of rookie quarterback Blake Bortles; however, the Jaguars finished the game with just 258 yards of total offense. Were it not for the performance of the turnover-prone Giants offense, it's difficult to imagine the Jaguars managing the points offensively to climb out of a three-score hole.
According to Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, his team could have avoided playing offense altogether and likely would have been better equipped to avoid the collapse. Coughlin, a former Jaguars head coach, told NJ.com that the Giants could have just played in victory formation in the second half:
“We’ve talked about this and we’ve talked about the turnovers. Two turnovers for touchdowns?” Coughlin said. “We could have knelt on the ball in the second half and had a better chance to win.”
He may have a point too.
After the first seven drives of the game between the two teams, the Giants led in total yardage 230 to 4. New York managed 99 yards for the remainder of the game and turned the ball over three times. The Jaguars found more success getting points on the scoreboard with the Giants’ offense on the field than their own.
★★★
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