Some clock management errors fall into a gray area. Maybe a timeout could have been called but wasn’t and that cost a team some time, but when errors are made they’re usually not completely obvious.
The New York Giants’ mistake at the end of the first half against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night was completely obvious.
The Giants lined up with 14 seconds left in the half at the Bills’ 1-yard line. They had no timeouts, but could have thrown it two or three times into the end zone and if they didn’t complete any of them, they could at least kick a field goal for 9-0 halftime lead. The only thing the Giants couldn’t do was run the ball.
Then, the Giants stunningly ran into the line. Saquon Barkley was stopped for no gain and the clock was running. The clock ran out before the Giants could line up and spike it. The half ended without the Giants scoring on that drive, despite moving it to the 1-yard line.
Even NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico blasted the Giants for the miscue.
“That’s a terrible, terrible clock management end of the half,” Tirico said. “That’s awful.”
Giants coach Brian Daboll was heated on the sideline and had an animated conversation with quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who was replacing injured Daniel Jones, on the way to the locker room. On the NBC broadcast, Cris Collinsworth pointed out that it seemed Taylor called an audible into the run play.
Whoever was at fault, it was an inexcusable mistake at the wrong moment for a struggling team.
