Heroes, zeros and the full blitz from the Giants’ 20-17 overtime loss to the Panthers at Allianz Arena on Sunday:
Hero
Chuba Hubbard showed why the Panthers gave him a lucrative contract extension this week. And the Giants run defense proved why they entered the game the worst in the NFL. Hubbard torched the Giants all afternoon, recording 153 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 carries — good for a stellar 5.5 yards per carry.
After the Giants had cut their deficit to 10–7 in the third quarter, Hubbard broke a 25-yard run on 3rd-and-1 to move the sticks and later capped off the drive by punching in a 1-yard touchdown to give the Panthers a 17-7 lead. His fourth-quarter fumble didn’t end up mattering.
Zero
Who else? Daniel Jones threw two interceptions, both with the Giants inside or right outside the red zone. His accuracy was shoddy, missing a wide open Malik Nabers on third down on the first drive of the game and bouncing a throw to Wan’Dale Robinson in the fourth quarter. The offensive ineptitude starts with Jones.
Unsung
Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn, the No. 8 pick in the 2021 draft, largely covered Nabers and locked him up. Nabers had just six catches for 50 yards.
Key stat
3 Turnovers by the Giants, all killers. Jones’ interceptions came on the Panthers 21- and 8-yard lines and Tyrone Tracy’s fumble set up the Panthers for their game-winning field goal.
Quote of the Day
“I think it is. Just has to be comprehended a little better. … It’s just critical moments, and we’ve got to understand what those critical moments are to be able to win and come out on top. It’s annoying for sure.”
— Dexter Lawrence on if Brian Daboll’s message is getting through to the team
