The New York Giants miserable stretch continued on Sunday, losing their seventh-straight game in a 19-14 defeat to the struggling Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
Against one of the league’s worst offenses, defensive coordinator James Bettcher’s unit allowed the Bears to gain 338 yards of total offense, eclipsing the 300-yard mark for just the second time this season.
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky — who was averaging a league-low 176 pass yards per game this season — threw for 276 yards and a touchdown in the win.
Meanwhile, the Giants offense generated next to nothing against a stout Bears defense, though two missed field goals from Aldrick Rosas proved to be the vital miscues.
An uneventful first half finally saw some action in the second quarter after a 12-yard punt return by Golden Tate gave the Giants possession past midfield (Chicago’s 42-yard-line) for the first time of the day.
A 22-yard reverse to Sterling Shepard — playing in his first game since Week 5 after issues with concussions — put the Giants in the red zone on the very next play.
It took five plays and a defensive holding penalty, but the Giants managed to find the end zone with 7:38 left in the second quarter when Daniel Jones hit reserve tight end Kaden Smith for his first-career touchdown reception and the first points of the day.
It was the high point of Jones’ day as he was held to just 150 yards passing while completing just 58.3-percent of his passes.
Saquon Barkley was invisible yet again, posting just 59 yards on 17 carries.
The Giants left points on the table on their next two drives when Rosas blew a pair of field goals.
Jabrill Peppers’ 42-yard punt return put the Giants on Chicago’s 29-yard-line on for Shurmur’s offense to go three-and-out.
The combination of the Giants’ defense and Bears’ dysfunction gave the Giants the ball past midfield yet again. Following a Chicago three-and-out, Bears punter Pat O’Donnell shanked his punt for just 13 yards.
New York would drive to the Chicago 25, but Shurmur’s decision to call a toss play on a 3rd-&-1 was costly as Barkley was well short of the first down, leading to Rosas’ second-straight missed field goal.
What could have been at least a 13-0 lead at the half was just a 7-3 advantage when the Bears managed to nab a field goal in the final seconds of the second quarter.
Chicago quickly made the Giants pay for their missed opportunities and took the lead with their first possession of the third quarter when Trubisky hit Allen Robinson for a 32-yard touchdown.
The Bears started at their own 40-yard-line after Rosas sent the opening kick-off out of bounds.
Robinson would torch the Giants for 49 yards on the very next drive to get the Bears out of dangerous territory when they were pinned back at their six-yard-line by a Riley Dixon punt.
They would get down to the Giants’ six-yard-line, but New York’s defense held firm to limit the damage to a field goal.
But things would only get worse for the Giants when Jones was strip-sacked by Khalil Mack to give the Bears possession on the four-yard-line.
It was Jones’ league-leading 10th lost fumble of the season.
Trubisky found paydirt with another red-zone opportunity with a two-yard touchdown scramble for his first rushing score since November of 2018.
Out of nothing, the Giants generated a 97-yard drive to get within five with four minutes remaining. This after they had -1 yards of total offense in the second half.
Jones evaded pressure and hit Golden Tate on a 4th-&-18 from the Bears 23 to make it interesting in the final moments — especially after the Giants stopped the Bears to get the ball back on their 5-yard-line with 3:37 to go.
They could only get to their 35-yard-line, however, as they turned it over on downs to ice the game.
