The New York Giants played their first-ever game in Nevada on Sunday afternoon when they faced off against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
There were lots of storylines heading into the game as the Raiders were playing their first game under interim head coach Antonio Pierce and offensive coordinator Bo Hardegree and were starting a rookie (Aidan O’Connell) at quarterback.
The Giants finally had quarterback Daniel Jones under center again and had left tackle Andrew Thomas in the lineup for the first time since Week 1.
That did not last for very long, however. Jones injured his knee in the first quarter, leaving the Giants’ offense to sputter through another frustrating game.
By halftime, it was 24-0 and the rout was on.
The Giants fall to 2-7 on this forgettable season, which has officially reached ‘circling the drain’ status. The Giants did very few things right in this game and were outmatched and outclassed by a very average Raiders team under a makeshift coaching staff.
Final score: Raiders 30, Giants 6
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Giants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Raiders | 7 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 30 |
Keys to the game
- Jones’ injury put a damper on the team, but to be honest, they were doing nothing with him under center. He went just 4-of-9 for 25 yards passing and rushed twice for a total of nine yards.
- The Giants’ offensive line was finally intact but they did little to protect the quarterbacks as Las Vegas racked up eight sacks.
- The Giants had no sacks of their own on rookie Aidan O’Connell and their only QB hit came midway through the fourth quarter.
- The Giants went 3-12 on third-down attempts and 1-5 on fourth downs.
It was over when...
Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito was intercepted on consecutive possessions late in the second quarter. The Raiders, already up 14-0, scored 10 unanswered points before halftime to pull ahead, 24-0, as a result of the turnovers.
The Giants, who have averaged just 10.6 points per game over their last six, could not be expected to come back and make this a game.
Players of the game
- Saquon Barkley rushed 16 times for 90 yards (5.6 YPC) and added another 23 yards on three receptions
- Xavier McKinney led the Giants with 10 total tackles (seven solo) but that’s not saying a lot considering how the defense played overall.
- Tommy DeVito completed 15-of-20 passes for 175 yards, mostly after the game was decided. He showed solid composure for a rookie but he’s clearly not the Giants’ future at quarterback.
Injuries
Quarterback Daniel Jones, in his first game back from a neck injury that caused him to miss three games, went down with a non-contact to his right knee at the end of the first quarter attempting to avoid a sack by Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. Jones stayed in the game but collapsed during the next play trying to maneuver on the leg and had to leave the game. He headed into the locker room under his own power and was replaced by backup Tommy DeVito.
Right tackle Evan Neal, who recently missed time with a right ankle injury, limped off the field in the fourth quarter with a left ankle issue and did not return. He was replaced by Tyre Phillips.
What's next?
Head coach Brian Daboll will hold a Zoom call with the team’s beat writers on Monday afternoon before a few players are also made available.
Big Blue will return to practice on Wednesday ahead of a Week 10 game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, November 12 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is 4:25 p.m. ET.
