FOXBOROUGH, Mass. \u2014 The Giants finally looked like one of the NFL\u2019s worst teams for a full game.<\/p>\n
After a series of heartbreaking fourth-quarter blown leads that led to the firings of head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and masked (to some) the larger issues at play, the Giants fit the mold of a tanker haplessly playing out the stretch Monday night in a 33-15 loss to the Patriots.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got embarrassed on national television,\u201d left guard Jon Runyan Jr. told The Post. \u201cNot a good feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Giants (2-11) allowed 30 points in the first half for the first time since the 2009 season finale, leaving a restless bye week ahead. The Patriots (11-2) showed the Giants\u2019 hope of matching their one-year turnaround with a new coach and a stud young quarterback feels more like a pipe dream than reality.<\/p>\n
Theo Johnson reacts after not being able to catch a pass during the Giants\u2019 Dec. 1 loss to the Patriots. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sick of this sh\u2013,\u201d edge rusher Brian Burns said when he got to the locker room after soaking in the loss alone on the bench with the field nearly cleared. \u201cGot to be better if you want better.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fact, the only time the Giants showed any real fight in interim head coach Mike Kafka\u2019s third game at the helm was when Theo Johnson drew an unsportsmanlike penalty for charging into Christian Elliss after Elliss leveled a scrambling Jaxson Dart on the sideline.<\/p>\n
Dart, who was making his return from a concussion and vowed to be more judicious in the hits that he takes, tiptoed down the sideline while chasing a first down and gave Elliss the opportunity to get the clean shot.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThis is football. I\u2019m going to get hit. We\u2019re not playing soccer,\u201d Dart said. \u201cI play this game aggressive. I\u2019m not going to change.\u201d<\/p>\n Drake Maye (24-of-31 for 282 yards and two touchdowns) outdueled Dart (17-of-24 for 139 yards and a touchdown) in a battle of quarterbacks the Giants coveted in the past two draft classes.<\/p>\n The special teams \u2014 the only unit on the team not led by an interim coordinator \u2014 were especially unspecial <\/a>as the Giants fell behind 30-7 in the first half and put Michael Ghobrial on notice.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just wasn\u2019t a great team effort,\u201d Kafka said. \u201cIt\u2019s never just one phase.\u201d<\/p>\n Jaxson Dart looks to throw during the Giants\u2019 Dec. 1 loss to the Patriots. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post<\/p>\n The Giants allowed an opening kickoff return of 39 yards to feed into a 12-play field goal drive and then were burned by Marcus Jones\u2019 94-yard punt return for a touchdown. It was 10-0 before defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen had a chance to impact the game in his debut after an elevation from outside linebackers coach.<\/p>\n Of course, Bullen\u2019s hands were tied by one of his own players before the game even started.<\/p>\n With rookie pass rusher Abdul Carter on the bench and disciplined by Kafka for the second time in three weeks, the defense surrendered two scoring drives. Carter sat the entire first qu<\/a>arter for missing team responsibilities \u2014 as has been a habit this season, league sources told The Post.<\/p>\n General manager Joe Schoen is expected to answer for Carter\u2019s missteps, a second consecutive 2-11 start to a season and more Tuesday during his annual bye-week news conference.<\/p>\n \u201cI let my team down today,\u201d Carter said. \u201cFirst two drives I was out, they scored 17 points. I take responsibility for that. I got to be out there, I got to do better.\u201d<\/p>\n When Dart briefly gave the Giants life \u2014 with a 30-yard touchdown pass that included a nice catch-and-run on the back end by Darius Slayton \u2014 the dubious special teams struck again.<\/p>\n Drake Maye looks to make a throw during the Patriots\u2019 win over the Giants on Dec. 1. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post<\/p>\n