Tennessee Titans 29 – New York Giants 10

Mistake-Prone Giants Fall to 1-2: The Giants fell to 1-2 today as New York fell 29-10 to the Tennessee Titans at New Meadowlands Stadium. The game was tied at half time 10-10, but the Titans scored 19 unanswered second-half points.

The Giants out-gained the Titans in total net yards (471 to 271), net yards passing (364 to 110), and first downs (26 to 17). Incredibly, the Giants lost a game where their punter never had to punt. But it was all for naught.

The Giants missed two field goals, had two drives inside the Titans’ 10-yard line end in turnovers, allowed a safety on a penalty, and committed five personal foul penalties.

The Giants received the football to start the game. After picking one first down, the Giants turned the football over as QB Eli Manning was intercepted near midfield when the ball bounced off of WR Hakeem Nicks’ hands. The Titans picked up only one first down, but that was enough to put them in field goal range as Tennessee successfully kicked the 48-yarder to go up 3-0.

On New York’s second drive, the Giants moved from their 17 to the Tennessee 2-yard line. On 3rd-and-goal, Manning’s pass intended for TE Kevin Boss was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback.

The Titans went three-and-out on the ensuing possession with QB Vince Young being sacked by DE Mathias Kiwanuka on 3rd-and-4. The Giants started their third possession near midfield and picked up two first downs. But a 12-yard sack knocked the Giants back and Tynes missed a 53-yard field goal. With the miss, Tennessee started their third possession at their own 43-yard line. The Titans then moved 57 yards in 10 plays to take a 10-0 lead.

The Giants finally managed to get on the board on their next possession as the Giants drove 38 yards in eight plays to set up a successful 50-yard field goal by Tynes. This drive was also sabotaged by a sack.

Tennessee went three-and-out and with just under three minutes to go before the half, the Giants drove 63 yards in 9 plays to tie the game at 10-10 when HB Ahmad Bradshaw scored from 10 yards out.

Despite allowing the Titans to return the second-half kickoff to near midfield, the defense held after allowing one first down. The ensuing Tennessee punt was down at the Giants’ 1-yard line. A key moment in the game came on 3rd-and-10. Manning hit WR Mario Manningham for a 43-yard play, but Bradshaw was flagged for an illegal chop block in the end zone, resulting in a safety and a 12-10 Titans lead.

With the safety, the Giants were forced to kick the ball back to Tennessee, and the Titans returned the kick again to near midfield. Six plays later, the Titans scored on a 3rd-and-7 pass at the Giants’ 13-yard line. Tennessee was now up 19-10.

It looked like New York would get back into the game on their second drive of the half as the Giants drove from their own 11-yard line to the Tennessee 6-yard line. But on 1st-and-goal, Bradshaw fumbled the ball away to Tennessee. An unnecessary roughness penalty on LT David Diehl also gave the Titans an extra 15 yards.

The Titans went three-and-out. The Giants drove the ball again, this time from their own 25-yard line to the Tennessee 21-yard line. But the drive stalled and Tynes missed from 44 yards out early in the fourth quarter. To make matters worse, a personal foul penalty on RT Kareem McKenzie gave the Titans the ball near midfield again. The Titans then drove 46 yards in 10 plays to set up a successful 22-yard field goal. Tennessee 22 – Giants 10.

With less than eight minutes to go and down by 12, the Giants moved from their own 20-yard line to the Tennessee 31-yard line. But another personal foul penalty on McKenzie helped to stall the drive and the Giants failed to convert on 4th-and-14. Tennessee then put the game away with a 5-play, 65-yard drive that was aided by a 42-yard run by HB Chris Johnson and yet another personal foul penalty on the Giants. This time on S Antrel Rolle. Johnson scored from eight yard out to put the game away.

Lowlights of the game are available at NFL.com.

Post-Game Notes: Inactive for the Giants were WR Ramses Barden, WR Duke Calhoun, OC Shaun O’Hara (ankle/Achilles), OT William Beatty (foot), DT Linval Joseph, LB Chase Blackburn (knee), LB Phillip Dillard (hamstring), and S Michael Johnson (back).

Article on Head Coach Tom Coughlin: New York Giants Coach Tom Coughlin Could Find Himself Out of a Job if Big Blue Miss Playoffs Again by Mike Lupica of The Daily News

Article on S Antrel Rolle: Family of ‘Fighters’ Stands Behind Outspoken Giants Safety Antrel Rolle by Mike Garafolo of The Star-Ledger