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The referees officiating the Thursday Night Football matchup between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys were less than stellar. One of the more egregious calls came at the expense of Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger. He was flagged for face masking, even though replays showed that Bellinger didn’t grab Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown’s facemask. Instead, Overshown grabbed Bellinger’s facemask. The mistake penalty was a significant swing for the Cowboys and played a massive part in Dallas winning.
After the play, the Giants were forced backward to a second-and-18 instead of a third-and-short. While they did gain some of the yardage back, they settled for a 52-yard field goal from kicker Greg Joseph. After the game, Bellinger said he didn’t know how that mistake happened, and the officials didn’t answer when he asked.
“I tried to ask for an explanation. But I didn’t get any,” Bellinger said. “I just saw the video, he grabbed my facemask. But it’s up to them. It’s their call. Hopefully, they get it right.”
Refs throw a flag on Giants player Bellinger but on the replay it looks like he is the one who gets his facemask grabbed. #DALvsNYG pic.twitter.com/IVfGHRvdxe
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) September 27, 2024
It was a costly blown call for New York. It raises the question of why the NFL doesn’t allow coaches to challenge blown face-masking calls. Giants coach Brian Daboll would have challenged and won if he could. Instead, the Giants were left wondering how the officials could make such an obvious mistake.
Are the Giants okay after starting 1-3?
The Giants played well against the Cowboys but could not finish drives. Even though they had more first downs, total yards, and passing yards, and they held the ball for 35 minutes, they had to settle for field goals each time they reached Cowboys territory.
This conservative approach predictably didn't result in points, as the Giants scored only three points in the second half. There was an instance where New York had gotten to the three-yard line but kicked a field goal over going for it on 4th-and-goal. It amounted to nothing, with the Giants losing their seventh straight game to the Cowboys. It's disappointing since this game was winnable for New York. But for whatever reason, their offense would tighten up whenever near the red zone.
Clearly, the Giants are not in a good place right now. The turmoil and frustration have caused fans to call for change. They might get their wish, whether it's firing Brian Daboll or benching Daniel Jones. The undefeated Seattle Seahawks are next for the Giants (as of Week 3).
