ARLINGTON, Texas — After all the mistakes, all the turnovers, all the ineptitude that produced a 17-point deficit and put the Giants on the precipice of getting blown out of their season opener, the Giants put themselves in position for one of the stunning comebacks they are known for in this venue.
“I’m thinking we’re rolling, this is what we do,’’ Victor Cruz said.
And then, just like that, it went poof, when a player who nearly was cut last week played a part in the Giants’ sixth turnover of what became a 36-31 loss to the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
“I’m totally disappointed and embarrassed by that kind of football,’’ a red-faced Tom Coughlin said.
In prime position to stay undefeated in Jerry Jones’ $1.2 million football palace, the Giants wilted. Trailing 30-24, they had the ball at their own 47 with two minutes left after Eli Manning hit Rueben Randle for 26 yards. Plenty of time for Eli, who was 4-0 here. But his next pass, a simple dump-off screen, caught running back Da’Rel Scott by surprise. Scott turned around too late, the ball glanced off his body and into the hands of cornerback Brandon Carr, who accepted the gift and scooted 49 yards for the game-clinching touchdown return with 1:50 to go. That made it 36-24 and Manning’s fourth touchdown pass (three to Cruz), to Brandon Myers with 11 seconds left, only served to make things look better, but not really.
“It’s a terrible feeling seeing that, that hurt a lot, we had a chance to win and I choked,’’ said Scott, who called the gaffe a “miscommunication’’ with Manning.
Scott was in the game because second-year back David Wilson was benched after losing two fumbles in a nightmarish first NFL start. Scott was on the roster only because Andre Brown broke his left leg in the preseason finale.
“You got some young running backs and we just have to get on the same page,’’ Manning said. “You just hope the mistakes aren’t costly ones.’’
Manning punched the air in frustration after his third interception on a night when he threw for 450 yards and endured wild swings of highs and lows the Giants don’t want to make a habit.
The six turnovers matched the sloppiest game the Giants have played under Coughlin. It was remarkable they were so close, considering their disregard for ball security.
“You’re not going to win anything with minus-five turnovers, there is just no way,’’ Coughlin said.
In a display of sloppiness that arrived early and stayed too long, the Giants coughed the ball up on their first play off the season with a Manning interception.
About the only thing that went right for the Giants offense in the first half was Manning’s 70-yard touchdown toss to Cruz. Down 27-10 late in the third quarter, Manning and his mates finally got their act together. He hit Cruz on an 18-yard touchdown pass to close the deficit to 27-17 and then lobbed a pass to Cruz over the reach of cornerback Orlando Scandrick for another 18-yard scoring play to pull the Giants within 30-24 with 8:47 to go.
From there, the Giants on defense got the scent of a comeback. Unable to sack Tony Romo through three quarters, they got him on back-to-back plays, Linval Joseph and Justin Tuck combining for the first and Jason Pierre-Paul getting the second. The Giants got the ball at their 45 but a three-and-out followed. They got it back on their 17 with 2:41 remaining, marched nearly to midfield before disaster struck, again, sealing their fate.
The Giants turned the ball over on their first three series of the season, an incredible display of ineptitude. Yet the Cowboys could only manage to score three points off the turnovers, a credit to a Giants defense that was left on the field far too long.
Early in the third quarter, Wilson lost a fumble that was scooped up by safety Barry Church for a touchdown to out the Cowboys ahead 20-10. In addition to his ball-security woes, Wilson was brutal in pass protection. He was benched after his second fumble.
“He’s got to play, he’s a very talented young man, but you just can’t do that,’’ Coughlin said. “Every time you touch the ball you’re going to turn the ball over?’’
Wilson afterward looked a bit shaken.
“Going back to work, put this game behind me, God will bring me through it,’’ he said.
The Giants in their home opener face the Broncos and Peyton Manning, who tossed seven TD passes in his opening-night victory.
“You can’t win games and have that many turnovers,’’ Tuck said “but we really don’t have time to sit here and say ‘What if’ because we got a beast coming in town next week.’’