False Start. Was this the Giants' 0-2 beginning? Or, the 17-17 First Half vs. Dallas? It surely was what happened too many times -- at home -- yesterday, false start penalties that is. And, overall, after beating the scrubs, the Giants lost against the big boys again. Brett Favre and Tony Romo continued to win, Eli Manning managed three points in the Second Half. Arizona showed up, which they have done off/on this season, another Wild Card hopeful (and also somewhat surprising winner) ... Detroit ... also lost. Are they for real? Perhaps, the match-up between the two next week will so determine.
Not that elder Manning had a good night -- the time when Eli and company truly came up small (down 31-20, they could not even manage a Fourth Quarter field goal, which would at least made the ending interesting) -- though it seemed like ala the Cowboys vs. the Bills (the Cowboys missed a two point to tie, but then recovered an onside kick and went for the win), they would manage to survive. In fact, it was San Diego -- underachieving but in a loser division -- that survived. They went ahead the injury laden Colts, perhaps still suffering a lingering hangover from blowing a late lead vs. the Pats, 23-0, but with two basic problems: defense and special teams were the prime reason they scored, and they missed a PAT. Well ... that was the score mid-Second Quarter.
SD scored nil for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, including via a ball lost in the end zone (up 23-15, deep in their own territory, SD failed to play it safe), the lead suddenly was 23-21. However, the Colts failed in their second two point try, so the Chargers hanged on -- very early in the Fourth Quarter (if in a rain storm) -- by their fingernails. Miraculously, neither team scored again in the next fourteen minutes. Former Pats steady kicker missed a 42yd try at the end of the First Half, but it was a rushed job apparently (didn't see it). He got a chance again ... and the SD had two bursts of luck. Out of time outs, a first and goal at the 6 was overturned by official review ... it was inches short. And, the Colts was called for a procedural penalty (perhaps questionable) while trying to probably get SD to go offsides. 4th and 6 now.
Still, around ninety seconds left, the Chargers doing nothing on offense, and it was a gimme under thirty yard field goal. Would Manning survive a five interception night? Nope ... though he would get the ball back one more time, the game ending on another interception. As the radio play by play noted with emotion -- Sunday Night football is actually better on the radio -- he missed! Manning, already looking stressed after the second interception, had a "why me" look on his face. SD did go three and out, leaving the Colts on around the 35yd line with twenty or so seconds left. On some other day, versus a different nemesis, that might have been enough time. Not last night. Thus, the elder Manning is in a bigger losing streak than his little brother.
Of course, unless disaster happens, he is likely to still have a first round bye. And, he is quite good in those commercials. Always good to have a back-up plan.