The Giants’ inspiring showing on offense in Week 2 was nowhere to be found in primetime, as Russell Wilson struggled badly while the Chiefs earned their first win of the season.
Wilson threw two interceptions, one in the end zone, and while both teams provided ugly first half performances, KC settled in and pulled away while the Giants continued to find little on offense in the 22-9 defeat.
Injuries, struggles in the secondary, and a big step back for Wilson all led up to another primetime loss and an 0-3 start for the Giants, whose home fans chanted for Jaxson Dart to take over as Wilson threw up a pair of costly picks in an effort that looked more like the team’s Week 1 dud than the high-scoring shootout against Dallas.
A late red zone trip with less than three minutes to go in the fourth turned into three straight goal-to-go passes being heaved well out of the back of the end zone by Wilson, including one that was flagged for intentional grounding as the boos grew louder with each incomplete pass.
Wilson threw for 160 yards while completing 18 of 32 passes in the losing effort.
The Giants moved into Chiefs territory on their opening drive but stalled after going for it on 4th-and-3 at the Chiefs 28-yard-line. Kicker Graham Gano was suddenly ruled questionable just minutes before kickoff with a groin injury after going through pregame warmups. The absence of a true kicker led Brian Daboll to keep the offense on the field on fourth down, but Wilson’s pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage.
Punter Jamie Gillan was New York’s emergency kicker as a Gano injury once again put Big Blue in a special teams bind, an issue the team dealt with last season as well.
The Chiefs responded with a 54-yard field goal that banged off the upright and in to open up the scoring with a 3-0 lead, and doubled it in the second quarter when Harrison Butker connected from 48 yards out following another New York drive that stalled in Chiefs territory.
The Giants were dealt more injury concerns late in the first quarter when Tyrone Tracy took a heavy hit on the sideline, immediately grabbing at his right shoulder. He was ruled questionable to return with a shoulder injury, and eventually ruled out.
Looking to respond after KC’s second field goal, Russell Wilson was picked off on a deep ball as he tried to connect with Wan’Dale Robinson in double coverage on 3rd-and-7. It was an easy interception by Chris Roland-Wallace, and a step back for Wilson after throwing for 450 yards against the Cowboys in Week 2.
The interception didn’t bite the Giants as the defense held despite good field position for the Chiefs, and Butker missed wide right from 40 yards out to keep it a one possession game late in the first half.
Big Blue responded with a prolonged drive aided by two costly Chiefs penalties, and ended with a 13-yard touchdown run by Cam Skattebo, whose hard running throughout the drive put the Giants in position to tie the game. It remained tied as Gano’s absence was felt on the PAT attempt, as backup holder Gunner Olszewski took Gillan’s typical spot with Gillan kicking for Gano. The operation was a bit slower to develop, and the kick was blocked to keep the score at six apiece.
The Giants got the ball back in the final minute of the half, but left tackle Andrew Thomas did not take the field with the offense in his season debut. The star lineman had been out while recovering from foot surgery since last season, and he did not return to the game as he continued to work his way back from an extended absence. Nevertheless, the Giants continued to move the ball with some help from the Chiefs, as a facemask penalty after an interfering with the punt returner penalty moved New York well into Kansas City territory. But Wilson sought Malik Nabers in the end zone in one-on-one coverage and underthrew the ball for an easy interception for Jaylen Watson with 49 seconds left in the half.
It was one of the few targets for Nabers on the night, as the star wideout was the focal point for the Chiefs defense, and New York could not adjust.
Wilson’s second turnover led to some scattered “We want Dart” chants at MetLife Stadium, as fans began to clamor for rookie Jaxson Dart.
The Giants couldn’t get to the locker room tied due to a massive 52-yard penalty from Dru Phillips. Mahomes was flushed out of the pocket and nearly brought down, but escaped multiple Giants pursuers before heaving a prayer downfield to Hollywood Brown, who was grabbed by Phillips for a pass interference call in the final seconds of the half. The result was a chip shot by Butker to put Kansas City ahead 9-6, a fitting ending to a mainly ugly half of football on both sides.
The Chiefs continue to seize momentum with an 11 play, 74-yard drive to open the second half, capped off by a vintage Mahomes throw in tight coverage on 3rd-and-3 to Tyquan Thornton for KC’s first touchdown of the night after the drive worked nearly seven minutes off the clock.
New York cut into the deficit when a hobbled Gano took the field for a chip-shot field goal, which he drilled before doubling over in pain as he played through the groin injury that kept him out of the first three quarters. The field goal pulled the Giants within a touchdown with 10:12 to go in the fourth.
Big Blue’s optimism was short lived as Mahomes and the Chiefs delivered the knockout blow on the following drive. A deep ball to the end zone was initially ruled a catch and a touchdown by Thornton, but video assist reversed it to an incomplete pass. On the very next play, Mahomes went deep to Thornton again, who won a 50/50 ball with a catch at the 1-yard line, and Kareem Hunt finished the job with a touchdown run to put the game out of reach for the Giants, who are now staring at another lost season before the calendar turns to October.