KANSAS CITY — One play both broke open a tight game and provided insult to the injury that would end in a 31-7 loss by the Giants to the Chiefs Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
With the Chiefs clinging to a 10-7 lead in the third quarter, their punt returner, Dexter McCluster, fielded a Steve Weatherford punt and took it 89 yards for a touchdown to give Kansas City a 17-7 lead that would eventually turn into a blowout, because the play broke the Giants’ will.
At the end of McCluster’s run, he broke into a salsa dance — a direct mock of Giants receiver Victor Cruz, whose end-zone salsa dance has become his staple celebration.
“Dex has been close on a couple of these, so it’s nice to see him bust one,’’ Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “I think he’ll probably sleep real well [Sunday] night.’’
The Giants, though, surely had nightmares about the play overnight.
Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie had the first crack at McCluster as one of the first players down where he fielded the ball, but it appeared on replay that Chiefs receiver Chad Hall blocked DeOssie in the back to misdirect him away from the play. McCluster blew it open from there, making a spin move around Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich around the Kansas City 35-yard line before he was home free.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin was seething after the game, indicating Weatherford’s punt was not directed far enough away from McCuster.
“He punted it right down the middle of the field and of course it came back,’’ Coughlin said.
Weatherford was very upset after the game, saying: “It’s just frustrating, because I worked so hard all offseason and had such big dreams and hopes to be a weapon for the team. I feel very frustrated and very humbled. I work so hard and I know I’m talented enough to do it. I’ve done it before. I’m just kind of speechless at the moment.’’
Giants linebacker Spencer Paysinger, who also had a shot at McCluster but couldn’t get close enough, said the play was the key to the game.
“It was a big momentum play,’’ he said. “The game was gridlocked out there and to give a team an opportunity like that to get their crowd hyped up and their players hyped up, you can’t let that happen. It’s happened too much this season. To give a team momentum like that … that’s death.’
DeOssie said he “felt like’’ he was blocked illegally in the back, but added: “We have to make our own breaks.’’
Added Paysinger: “At the end of the day, you can’t rely on the ref to make a call. You can make all the excuses you want, but there are 11 guys going after the ball and we didn’t do it.’’
This was McCluster’s take on the play: “Once I caught it, I had some great blockers and my instincts kicked in. It did kind of feel like a video game. I think it was a big spark to this team winning.’’