It's quite easy to count out the New York Giants as a playoff contender. The Dallas Cowboys took them down, 37-18. To make things worse, Pat Shurmur's pass interference challenge — when the game was still close and the Giants were in the Cowboys' red zone — was disregarded in spite of video evidence proving that Shurmur was right to contest the errant call.
Jordan Raanan and other members of the media were present when the head coach talked about the failed challenge. He said that he was hoping for a better turn after getting the call.
Pat Shurmur on his failed challenge: "I'm a hopeful guy when it comes to that." https://t.co/6ZeLLkPrGT
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) November 5, 2019
It seemed that Shurmur was looking for a way to improve his situation after the Cowboys outclassed them in a lot of the game's key aspects. The Giants trailed 23-15 at the time of the challenge and had a realistic chance to tie the game.
The non-call of defensive pass interference led to a stalled drive. The Giants kicked a field goal to trail 23-18. When Dallas scored on its next possession, New York was down 30-18 and had very little chance to come back.
Daniel Jones did what he could, throwing for 210 yards and a touchdown. Saquon Barkley gave him 67 yards but could not provide the edge the team needed to overwhelm Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.
This hasn't been the first time Pat Shurmur made a pass interference challenge. He continues making those calls despite the league making it crystal clear that such challenges won't be considered. He explained his logic to NJ.com's Darryl Slater:
“Because I think it still makes sense in situations like that — where those are large chunks of yardage — to give it a shot,” he said. “I guess I am going to continue to do it.
Giants fans hope that he will stop making useless challenges and instead draw up plays that would make this disappointing season a little more tolerable for them.
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