The fans will be back at Lincoln Financial on Sunday when the Eagles battle the Ravens.
According to the Eagles, and starting with the team’s home game on Sunday, Oct. 18, the stadium occupancy will be limited to 7,500 people, including players, coaches, team and stadium personnel, media, and fans.
As part of this work and preparation in recent months, the Eagles and Lincoln Financial Field achieved Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR accreditation for implementing the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention. GBAC STAR is the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation. Lincoln Financial Field demonstrated a strong compliance with the program’s 20 core elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment, emergency preparedness and response measures.
Single-Game Ticket On-Sale
Due to the limited capacity at Lincoln Financial Field, single-game tickets versus the Baltimore Ravens (Oct. 18) and New York Giants (Oct. 22) will go on sale to Season Ticket Members who have opted into the 2020 season beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Tickets will be sold in groups with the ability to purchase as many as six tickets in the same seating pod. Any remaining tickets for the Ravens and Giants games will go on sale to the general public and communicated at a later date. Single-game tickets for the remaining 2020 home games will go on sale in the coming weeks.
Lincoln Financial Field Policies and Protocols
Several changes to the game day experience at Lincoln Financial Field have been made to create a safe environment for fans and staff. A full breakdown of the policies and protocols for the 2020 season is available at PhiladelphiaEagles.com/Know-Before-You-Go. Some of these changes include:
Mask Policy
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Face coverings are required for all guests (age two and up) at all times, other than while actively eating or drinking (which should only occur when seated), within Lincoln Financial Field and in parking lots.
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Based on guidance from health authorities, bandanas and face coverings containing valves, mesh material or holes of any kind are not permitted face coverings.
Social Distancing
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Fans will be required to maintain six feet of social distance from other fans and stadium staff at all times.
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Signage throughout the stadium will help guide fans in maintaining proper social distancing.
Seating Pods & Mobile Ticketing
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Personalized seating pods have been established for proper social distancing and limited fan-to-fan contact.
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Each seating pod has been appropriately spaced out to allow six feet of distance in all directions.
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Fans are encouraged to purchase blocks of tickets and attend games with family and other trusted acquaintances.
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To help maintain social distancing guidelines, it is NFL Policy that ticket holders cannot sell, transfer or otherwise provide any of their tickets to anyone other than family with whom the ticket holder has been sheltering (or other trusted acquaintances). The NFL Policy accepts if the seller’s full pod of tickets are being sold, transferred or provided to one party.
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As has been the case in previous years, mobile ticketing will continue to be utilized. The Eagles Mobile App provides the most convenient access to mobile tickets.
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Fans within the same seating pod can enter together, but are not required to do so. A ticket holder who has their ticket transferred to them can enter the stadium separate from the other guests in their seating pod.
Contactless Parking
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Social gatherings or tailgating in the sports complex are not permitted for the 2020 season.
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Parking passes will be digital and fans are strongly encouraged to purchase their parking ahead of time. If a fan chooses to purchase parking on game day, a game ticket must be presented to the attendant at the booth.
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Only fans with tickets to the game will be granted access to the parking lots.
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K Lot and the Wells Fargo Center lots will be operational on game days, and will open approximately two hours before kickoff. To ensure a more convenient and quicker trip from the parking lot to Lincoln Financial Field, it is recommended that fans park in the designated lot found on their game ticket.
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To maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, every other spot in each parking aisle will be utilized.
Contactless Gate Entry
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Gates will open 90 minutes prior to kickoff and guests will be assigned a specific gate for entry that corresponds to the location of their game ticket.
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The clear bag policy will be in effect. Bags no larger than 12x6x12 are permitted.
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Walk-through metal detectors will allow for social distance screening.
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Fans will be asked to manage their own items as they go through the metal detectors.
Cashless Concessions
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All transactions will be cashless at the concessions stands.
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Cash conversion machines/stations will be available at the stadium.
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All meals and menu options, condiments and utensils will be pre-packaged and disposable.
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Food handling and preparation, as always, will be in accordance with FDA best practices.
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The Eagles Pro Shop on Pepsi Plaza will be open in a limited capacity and all merchandise transactions will also be cashless.
Stadium Cleaning & Staff Protocols
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In accordance with CDC guidelines, the stadium will undergo a thorough cleaning, disinfecting and sanitation process before, during and after each game.
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Numerous hand sanitization stations will be located throughout the stadium.
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Frequent sanitization of high-touched surfaces such as handrails, doorknobs and tables will occur.
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COVID-19 signage has been placed throughout the stadium to encourage compliance with mask wearing and proper social distancing.
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All staff members were required to complete a mandatory COVID-19 protocol training.
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Health questionnaires and temperature screenings will be required of all staff before entering the stadium.
Fan Health Promise
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In an effort to keep everyone safe inside the stadium, and as part of the Fan Health Promise, fans must stay home if:
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They have tested positive for, or been exposed to someone who tested positive for, COVID-19 within the prior 14 days.
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They have experienced symptoms of COVID-19 (fever of 100.4⁰F or higher, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking, muscle pain/achiness, headache, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, nasal congestion, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue or any other symptoms associated with COVID-19 identified by the CDC) within the prior 48 hours.
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They have traveled to any state or international territory identified by federal or applicable local governments as being subject to travel or quarantine advisories due to COVID-19 within the prior 14 days.
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Smoking will be prohibited in all areas of Lincoln Financial Field, including previously designated smoking areas.
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Fans are encouraged to download the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s free COVID ALERT PA app, which notifies users if they have been potentially exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. More information on the COVID ALERT PA app can be found by visiting pa.gov/covid/covid-alert-pa/.
The Philadelphia Eagles fought hard against the Steelers on Sunday. After being down 31-14 in the third quarter, the Eagles were able to cut the lead to 31-29 in the fourth quarter. With an opportunity to take the lead, Jake Elliott missed a 57-yard field goal, and the Steelers would march down the field and put the game away after Chase Claypool’s 35-yard touchdown reception as the Steelers would defeat the Eagles 38-29 at Heinz Field.
After five games, the Eagles have not played a complete game. Yesterday, the offensive came to play and put up a season-high 29 points, but defensively, the Eagles gave up a season-high 38 points. The Eagles inability to put together a complete game on both sides of the ball is one reason they are 1-3-1.
“We haven’t put four quarters, or we haven’t put two sides together, really, three phases, when you think special teams, as well,” Pederson said on Monday. “Listen, there’s enough when you watch the tape again today, there’s enough football plays offensively, defensively and even on special teams — we need to be better in the kickoff return game. There’s enough plays out there that we have to continue to show our players and continue to teach and coach. With the amount of players, new players, new faces, young guys that are playing, every game is a new game, and so we’re continuing to coach and get these guys ready to play and try to have complementary football.
“If the defense struggles, the offense needs to pick it up, right? And if the offense struggles, the defense needs to pick them up. So we’re building towards that and we continue to work to hopefully put that all together.”
It’s a good year to be in the NFC East, and even with Philadelphia being 1-3-1, they still are only a 1/2 game behind the Cowboys for the top spot in the division. If the Eagles were in any other division, they would be near the bottom, but all that is irrelevant, according to Pederson.
“Our division, what are we, still a half-game back? Look, it is what it is,” Pederson said. “I’m going to pull out my inner [Patriots Head Coach] Bill Belichick and say I’m focused on Baltimore.”
It might not take much to win the NFC East. With the Cowboys losing QB Dak Prescott for the rest of the season, and the struggles that New York and Washington are having, maybe the Eagles are the team that can take control of the division, but that won’t happen until this team figures out a way to have a complete game on both sides of the ball, which they will need to do if they want to beat the Ravens on Sunday.
The New York Giants had a great chance to get their first victory of the year on Sunday. However, after leading 17-3 in the second quarter, the Giants(0-5) would allow the Dallas Cowboys(2-3) to get back into the game, and ultimately, the Cowboys would defeat New York 37-34 at AT&T Stadium.
While the horrific injury to Dak Prescott may have overshadowed the game, this was an exciting contest. Prescott would leave in the third quarter with a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle. After relinquishing the lead, the Giants were able to take the go-ahead of Dallas midway through the fourth quarter 34-31 when Devonta Freeman scored on a seven-yard touchdown run.
However, Cowboys backup QB Andy Dalton led the team on two scoring drives, which allowed the Cowboys to tie the game and ultimately win at the buzzer when Greg Zuerlein hit a 37-yard field goal. It was Zuerlein’s second field goal in the final 1:56 after the Giants had taken a 34-31 lead.
The Giants’ 34 points was their highest total since their 41-35 overtime victory in Washington on Dec. 22, 2019. They had scored a total of 47 points and had not scored more than 16 points in their first four games. The 34 points are great, but New York is still 0-5.
“Look, obviously they’re disappointed after any game where we don’t come out winners, but one thing I know about our team is it’s a resilient group, and it’s a hard-working bunch,” Giants head coach Joe Judge said after the game. “We’ll come back to work this week, we’re going to see great energy, we’re going to have great focus, and we’re going to get tuned in and ready for another division opponent. All of our focus, whether it’s win or loss, shifts to the next opponent the next morning anyway, so we’ve got to clean up this game, get ready for the next opponent, and move on forward.”
According to Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who was 20/33 for 222 yards with no touchdowns and lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown, New York has to continue to stay the course.
“I think it’s been a tough start. To say we aren’t disappointed, would be a lie,” Jones said after the game. “We certainly are, it’s been a tough start. I don’t think anyone on this team is discouraged. We’re not going to allow ourselves to be discouraged and let this start affect the rest of this season. We have a lot of football ahead of us, and I think everyone on this team feels like we’ve been in the position to win games, we’ve improved as a team, and we’re capable of winning each of these games.
“So in terms of our confidence as a team and what we believe we’re capable of doing, I think that’s going to be the important thing in us finishing strong and winning these games down the stretch. So, that’s where we are as a team, we’re disappointed, we want to win every game, but we’re not going to let it affect our preparation and how we approach these next 11 games.”
Even at 0-5, New York still has a shot in the lousy NFC East. The Giants are two games behind the Cowboys in the division. The next few weeks for New York is vital as they play division foes Philadelphia and Washington, which Jones discussed after the game
“Yeah, all these divisional games are big games and important games,” Jones said. “Certainly, like I said, at this point we’ve lost, but I don’t feel like we’re out of the division at all. We have a couple big games coming up, and all we can do is prepare as hard as we can and be ready to play those games. Like I said, we’re not going to let this game affect us going forward, and how we prepare for the next opportunity.”
At this point, the Giants are not a good football team, but they played well against the Cowboys, which could be something to build on in the coming weeks.
It was an interesting week for the Houston Texans. On Monday, the team fired its head coach Bill O’Brien after the team started the season 0-4, but with interim head coach Romeo Crennel at the helm, who at 73 years old is the oldest coach in NFL history, Houston’s fortunes changed on Sunday at NRG Stadium.
Behind Deshaun Watson’s 359 yards passing and three touchdowns and WR Brandin Cook’s eight catches for 161 yards and one touchdown, the Texans(1-4) defeated the Jaguars(1-4) 30-14 to get their first win of the season.
“That was huge. The win was huge,” Crennel said after the game. “You know, particularly the way that we started the season, not winning a game out of four, and then being able to come here at home and play a tough game, hang in there. All phases made a contribution to the victory, and then we had several players who stepped up and did very well. The quarterback played well. The receivers played well. The runners were able to run. The line blocked defensively. I think we were under 100 yards rushing for the first time this season and got some turnovers, which we hadn’t been getting. So all of those things combined help us win the game.”
Texans DE J.J. Watt added: “We had a lot of fun today. We had a lot of fun on offense, defense, special teams. Everybody pitching in. Whenever something went wrong, the other group was ready to step up and make a play to make it right. Nobody hung their heads. Everybody was ready to roll, had great energy. I thought the fans were great, had a great vibe from the fans. It was just a lot of fun. For Romeo (Crennel), seeing his dance moves in the locker room after the game were a real treat, so that was enjoyable.”
At 1-4, the Texans have some work to do if they want to get back into contention, but according to Watson, the Texans can build on this win against Jacksonville.
“We’ve just got to continue to have fun and continue to build the momentum, continue to keep guys healthy, continue to prepare and just be loose,” Watson said. “Not too loose, but at the same time, just have fun. Regardless of what happens, good or bad, because each team is very, very good, and each team is going to make plays. It’s hard to score points in this league.
“It’s hard to stop people in this league. For us, just to keep building and just take it one week at a time, that’s our mentality. We’re not looking four to six weeks down the road or anything. We expect to win each and every week, and we’re going to go into each game, and you’re going to get our best, and you’re going to get everything we got. We have nothing to lose. That’s the mentality we have to have, and just keep stacking them each and every week. We’ve got to continue to ride this wave and build on it, you know.”
When you’re winless, any win is good. Now, with a new voice, maybe the Texans can find a way to turn things around in 2020.
On Thursday night, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers(3-2) were defeated on the road by the Chicago Bears(4-1) 20-19, but one bright spot in the loss was the play of running back Ronald Jones II.
The 23-year-old Jones had his second straight 100-yard game on Thursday night. Jones rushed for 106 yards on 17 carries, including a 37-yard scamper. With injuries to Leonard Fournette and LeSean McCoy, Jones has been getting the bulk of the carries for Tampa Bay, and according to Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, Jones is playing at a high level.
“I think RoJo (Ronald Jones II), he’s playing at an extremely high level,” Arians said on Friday. “I still can’t believe he didn’t get his touchdown where he made that catch, but that is the rule that you don’t get the forward progress after they blow the whistle. He’s running the ball well [and] making people miss, [getting to the] second level and making people miss.”
Arians is not the only one happy about Jones’ play. Buccaneers QB Tom Brady was also very complimentary of the third-year running back.
“Yeah, he played great,” Brady said about Jones on Thursday after the loss to Chicago. “Explosive runs and ran hard and took care of the football, and he’s a great runner. He’s just doing a great job for us. It was a short week. We knew there was some contingency, and hoping other guys get healthy, but it just wasn’t the case. He played really hard, and he played great.”
After five games, Jones has 74 carries for 359 yards and one touchdown. The 74 carries are fifth-most in the league and 359 yards is the third-most in the NFL at this stage of the season. Additionally, Jones is averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Now, when Fournette and McCoy are healthy, Jones’ workload will probably be reduced, but he’s the number one back for this team, so he’s going to get his touches, and after what we have seen the last two weeks, that’s not a bad thing for the Buccaneers.
After three weeks of no postponements due to COVID-19, the NFL is now starting to get hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, Titans-Steelers was postponed until Week 7, and Patriots-Chiefs was moved to Monday after players tested positive for COVID-19. This week, after more positive tests, the Broncos-Patriots has been moved to Monday night, and the Bills-Titans was moved to Tuesday night.
With the postponements, there has to be some concern around the league about the NFL’s ability to get through the 2020 season, and on Thursday, Jaguars LB Joe Schobert discussed the influx of positives test for COVID-19 throughout the league.
“It always gives you pause when you see something like this happen,” Schobert said. “Obviously, we’ve luckily been out of that crisis [that] I suppose Tennessee’s dealing with right now and a couple other teams that had some cases pop up. But I mean, it’s just the status of the world right now. We spent the whole offseason, not knowing what we were going to be doing if we were even going to be having a season.
“For me, right now, it’s always on the forefront of your mind because whenever you go and check your phone, you see a news flash of a new guy in Tennessee testing positive or their next week game potentially being postponed or forfeited or whatever the NFL decides to come up with if things keep happening. So, it gives you pause because NFL is our business and getting on the field and playing football is what we do for our living. Obviously, it gives you a moment’s pause, but I think, as professionals and in our environment here in Jacksonville, we just have to keep doing things the way we’ve been doing then.”
In a memo to all 32 clubs, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell warned teams if they don’t follow the league health and safety protocols that games could be forfeited. According to Schobert, if teams have to forfeit games or the season is canceled, it could impact players financially.
“Forfeiting games or just canceling the season would obviously not be great because then you don’t get paid for any of those forfeits or [if] the season’s canceled you’re not going to get paid anymore for the season,’ he said. “So, you don’t want it to get to that point because, like I said, it is our job. Obviously, we get paid very well in the entertainment industry as football players. There’s a lot of people out in the world who have normal every day, regular jobs who are being affected and have been affected by this as well. The forfeiture of games and potentially canceling the season is something that’s on your mind just from a financial standpoint and your family’s standpoint.”
The NFL will complete the season, but it won’t be easy, especially as we approach flu season. However, the league will do everything in their power to make it happen, so again, expect the season to be completed.
Tom Brady’s performance against the Charger is receiving a lot of recognition. Earlier on Wednesday, Brady was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, and later in the day, Brady named the FedEx Air Player of the Week for Week 4, marking the 11th time Brady has won this award in his career.
The 21-year veteran became the second quarterback in team history to win both awards in the same week.
Against the Los Angeles Chargers, Brady completed 30-of-46 passes for 369 yards and five touchdowns, earning a 117.0 passer rating in a 38-31 Buccaneers win. The win marked the 222nd of Brady’s NFL career, surpassing his former teammate Adam Vinatieri for the most wins by a player in NFL history. To secure that milestone win, Brady helped Tampa Bay overcome a 17-point deficit, marking the 34th time that Brady has led his team to a win after trailing by 10-or-more points – the most-such comeback wins in league history.
Brady’s team-record-tying five touchdown passes were the most by any player in Week 4, while his 369 passing yards ranked second in the league. He threw for 300 yards and five touchdowns in a game for the seventh time in the regular season, tying Peyton Manning for the second-most such games in NFL history. He also tied Manning for 300-yard passing games, notching the 93rd of his career.
The Philadelphia Eagles needed a big performance out of their defense against the 49ers last Sunday, and they got it. Philly’s defense forced three turnovers, scored a touchdown, and sacked San Francisco’s quarterbacks five times. Ultimately, the Eagles would get a big road victory against the 49ers.
Many members of that Eagles’ defense played well on Sunday night, including DE Genard Avery, who Philadelphia acquired from the Browns last October. The 25-year-old Avery was terrific against San Francisco. In only 16 snaps, Avery had one sack and five quarterback hits. One of those hits led to a Rodney Mcleod interception deep in Eagles’ territory.
Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was impressed by what he saw out of Avery, and according to Schwartz, it was a breakout performance for the third-year defensive end.
“That was sort of the breakout game we’ve been waiting for from him(Avery),” Schwartz said on Tuesday. “He’s always been a skilled pass rusher. It’s just fitting him in with all the other stuff. I think he’s really done a good job of refining his technique and limiting his — sticking with what works best for him.
“He’s certainly made a difference in this game. He was fresh when he came off the bench, which is a big thing for our guys that are coming off the bench, and he gave us that changeup and made some big plays for us in the game.
“His pressure led to the first interception, which I think was a huge play in that game, sort of maybe flies below the radar when the game is all said and done. They [the 49ers] were driving. They were in the red zone. We got that pressure, got that interception, and I think that that was a key turning point in that game.”
Philadelphia brought Avery in to do what he did on Sunday. The former fifth-round pick of the Browns had a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2018, and he hopes to build on Sunday’s performance moving forward. If he continues to play at this level, Avery will help the Eagles’ pass rush immensely.
After four games, the Philadelphia Eagles have not been very good, but they play in the NFC East, and after beating the 49ers on the road 25-20 on Sunday night, Philadelphia(1-2-1) is now on top of the division.
While it’s hard to call any game in Week 4 a must-win, Sunday’s contest was pretty close to that for Philadelphia. According to Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, the team felt relieved after defeating San Francisco.
“The guys were excited in the locker room, high-fiving, jumping around, hugging each other, what you would expect after a win,” Pederson said on Monday. “I think these guys have been obviously beaten down the last few weeks, not only by our opponents, but by what they are seeing and reading and being talked about outside of the building. I think you can just see the relief, right, or just kind of getting that win.”
The first quarter of the season is in the books, but even with all the lows, there still is hope in Philadelphia. On Monday, Pederson reflected on the first month of the season.
“I think the one thing that’s really stood out this first month is just how resilient this football team is,” Pederson said. “We have not played our best football; I don’t feel. We’ve kind of shot ourselves in the foot in the first three, four weeks here.
“Finally overcame some of the mistakes yesterday to put ourselves in a position to be in first place in the NFC East. But there’s a long road ahead. We’ve got to learn from the first four weeks, but at the same time, learn from it and carry it forward. We’ve just got to keep working, and this is what I appreciate about our guys is they come to work every day no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the situation. They practice. It’s always been a next-man-up mentality, and they go to work, and that’s what I’ve learned, and that’s what’s going to carry us these next four weeks.”
Injuries have hurt the Eagles in the first month of the season, including injuries to both tackles on the offensive line and injuries to their top two wide receivers in Jalen Reagor and DeSean Jackson. Furthermore, Carson Wentz has struggled in the early part of the season, but the Eagles have found a way to stay afloat at this point.
The Eagles by no means have solved all their issues. Plus, their next two games are against Pittsburgh and Baltimore, which means Philadelphia easily could be out of first place in NFC East by next Sunday. However, for now, they lead their division, and they still have time to fix what’s wrong.
If it’s true that young NFL teams must learn how to win, the Giants are enduring those growing pains.
For the second time in three weeks, they had a chance to stave off defeat and perhaps earn their first victory of the season and in Joe Judge’s tenure as coach with a touchdown in the final minute. Once again, they had to force their way into the end zone to cap an impressive final possession.
Two weeks ago in Chicago, they trailed by four points when they drove 50 yards without a timeout in the final 2:02. But their chance to hold a locker room celebration ended when wide receiver Golden Tate was penalized for offensive pass interference in the end zone on the game’s final play.
Late Sunday afternoon, they were eight points behind when they traveled 62 yards to the Los Angeles Rams’ 18-yard line with 57 seconds remaining. But on the seventh play of the drive Daniel Jones’ pass for Damion Ratley was intercepted by diving cornerback Darious Williams at the five-yard line.
The Giants’ only turnover of the game left them no way to escape an 0-4 start.
“Certainly, frustrating for me,” Jones said. “There at the end of the game with a chance to score and go for two and tie up the game, and to not do that, certainly frustrating. So, we’ve got to stay at it and learn and keep moving forward.”
“Obviously, we came up a little short today,” Judge said. “I’m proud of the way our guys fought, I’m proud of the way they played. We have to make sure we clean up and eliminate some mistakes and keep making more positive plays going down the stretch. I’m proud of the way they fought. They are an improved team from last week, and I’m proud of how they worked last week, I’m proud of the improvement they made. We have to keep pushing on and making strides going forward.”
The defeat was particularly hard to swallow because the Giants’ defense played superbly most of the game. The Rams scored a touchdown on their first possession on a two-yard run by tight end Gerald Everett. But in its next six possessions, Los Angeles totaled 86 yards and scored just three more points.
After giving up 36 points to the 49ers last week, the Giants held the Rams – who averaged 30 points and 449.7 yards in their first three games – to 17 points and 240 yards – 200 under their average. The Rams gained just 116 yards in the first half.
“I love the way our defense is playing right now,” Judge said.
“I think it was awesome,” linebacker and defensive captain Blake Martinez said of his unit’s performance. “I think that’s the type of team we want to be, and I think overall it’s something we’ll hold our hat high on, but at the end of the day, it’s a production league, it’s getting wins, and that’s what we want, and I think we’re not going to be satisfied until that happens.”
It didn’t happen on Sunday because the Giants were held out of the end zone not only on their final series but the entire game. For the second week in a row, their scoring was limited to three Graham Gano field goals – from 35, 37 and 27 yards.
“Offensively, I like some of the things you saw down the stretch,” Judge said. “We have to get the ball to the end zone more, but we just have to keep pushing on forward, keep making corrections and adjustments, and getting better as you go down the stretch.”
The Giants kept plugging away despite their offensive sluggishness. Gano’s three-pointer as time expired in the first half cut the Giants’ halftime deficit to 10-6. After a scoreless third quarter, he made it 10-9 early in the fourth quarter.
After an exchange of punts, the Rams took possession at their own nine-yard line with 9:46 remaining. Eight plays later, Los Angeles faced a third-and-three at their own 49. A Giants stop would have put them in a position to get the ball and take the lead with another Gano field goal.
What followed instead was the game’s biggest play and the only one of the Ram’s 57 offensive plays to gain more than 16 yards. Jared Goff threw to a wide-open Cooper Kupp, who caught the ball at the Giants’ 40, sidestepped a tackle attempt by cornerback James Bradberry inside the 25 and sprinted to the end zone for the touchdown that increased the home team’s lead to 17-9.
“They hurried up to the line,” Bradberry said. “It was just miscommunication on the back end. We’re all accountable for that. We didn’t communicate enough. That’s what led to the touchdown.”
“Obviously, anytime that there’s a touchdown, nothing went exactly right,” Judge said, “so we’ve got to look and make sure we identify the breakdown and correct it going forward.”
On their next possession, Jones’ pass to Tate on fourth-and-11 fell incomplete. But the defense remained tough, forced a punt and gave the Giants a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion.
Starting at the 20, Jones immediately connected with Darius Slayton for 33 yards, the Giants’ longest play of the game. Jones ran for gains of 13 and 11 yards and threw a five-yard pass to Evan Engram that set them up on the 18. But the seventh play of the drive was unlucky as Jones’ pass landed in the wrong hands.
Asked what he learns from moments like those, Jones said, “You can’t force the ball in those situations.”
Moments later, he said, “I think I may have had the opportunity to run and have to learn from it and move on.”
For the Giants, it’s on to Dallas and their first NFC East game of the season – and another chance to earn that elusive first victory.
VIa: giants.com
