The Chargers’ front seven gave the Giants’ offensive line fits throughout Big Blue’s crushing 21-20 loss yesterday. And for all the pressure Eli Manning faced, the hits and the hurries and the harries, it was a hold that proved the most devastating mistake of all, the single biggest gaffe that led to Big Blue’s fourth-straight loss.
Oh, there is plenty of blame to go around, from shaky defense to farcical special teams play. But the blocking up front may have been the most insidious culprit, and their biggest mistake came in the most crucial part of the game.
Cornerback Terrell Thomas’s weaving 33-yard interception return set the Giants up on the San Diego 4; but on the very first play, right guard Chris Snee got flagged for a holding penalty to cost the Giants 10 yards. The Chargers went into a dime, Big Blue settled for a field goal and 20-14 lead, and in a single-score game eventually gave up the winning touchdown with 21 seconds remaining.
“I didn’t execute the block, and therefore it was a penalty. I let the team down, and I’ll have to deal with it the whole week,” Snee said. “If you don’t put yourself in a good position you’re going to get the call. It was called. It probably was a good call, and something I’ll have to deal with.
“It shouldn’t even have come to that [final drive],” Snee added. “It should’ve been over. First-and-goal at the four and my play pushed us back. It shouldn’t have come to that.”After a short pass and two Brandon Jacobs runs, the Giants never took a shot into the end zone, scared of an interception after the holding penalty.
“Oh, it definitely hurts. It was first-and-goal from the four,” Coughlin said. “We had the penalty, so we were behind the eight ball and we took our loss and they stuck back and defended the goal line. We didn’t want to be in a position like that.”
PHOTOS: GIANTS LOSE TO CHARGERS
In all the Chargers had five sacks, six more hits on Manning and a half-dozen tackles-for-a-loss. The offensive line had a false start, two holds, and Ahmad Bradshaw got flagged for a chop block, so there was plenty of blame to go around.
“There are a lot of players that feel bad. By no means is Chris to blame. He was it there fighting his butt off. So was Brandon; he would’ve liked to have scored there,” center Shaun O’Hara said. “But even with the penalty I thought we had a chance to score. . . . We still should have been able to punch the ball in.”