Antonio Pierce, the Giants’ emotional leader, had vowed to take yesterday’s game like a Super Bowl after seeing his struggling defense turn into what he called a laughingstock.
That beleaguered defense was no joke for 59 minutes, but San Diego still got the last laugh after Big Blue allowed a late TD in a 21-20 loss.
The Giants had just taken a 20-14 lead with 2:07 to play, but for this slumping defense, that wasn’t enough.
San Diego marched 80 yards, with wide receiver Vincent Jackson beating cornerback Corey Webster in the right corner of the end zone for an 18-yard score with just :21 left, handing the Giants a fourth straight loss.
“I’d love to be in that position right there, but I’d want to make it. I have to give credit,” said Webster, who also got beaten by Jackson on a 29-yard pass-interference penalty to the 1 to set up a third-quarter TD.
“You always want to stop those plays toward the end, knock that ball away. But they made a good throw and catch.”
PHOTOS: GIANTS LOSE TO CHARGERS
“We didn’t do enough on defense,” said cornerback Terrell Thomas. “We have to make those plays at the end. We’re a lot better than that.”
Even with a makeshift secondary — CB Aaron Ross is still out, and strong safety C.C. Brown got benched for Aaron Rouse — the Giants had pressured San Diego into three-and-outs on the previous two drives, with a sack and two tackles-for-losses.
But they sat back on the final drive, playing pressure just three times and coverage five times.
“When it all boils down to it, we have to get better at the end. We didn’t make the plays that we needed to make at the end,” said LB Michael Boley, who returned after knee surgery.