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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The scoring averse New York Giants scored three touchdowns on their first three possessions. Quarterback Eli Manning threw for 252 yards in the first half alone, the most he’s ever had in the first half of his 214 regular-season starts, and 434 yards in the contest. Under most circumstances, this would lead to a positive result. Except these are the 2017 Giants. They find new and innovative ways to mess up just about anything. They did it again on Sunday in a 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, when they came up 11 yards short in the final seconds. They made backup quarterback Nick Foles look like injured MVP candidate Carson Wentz. They had an extra point blocked that later led to a missed two-point conversion, had a punt blocked, a field goal blocked and wasted Manning’s second 300-plus-yard passing game of the season. The Giants (2-12) are a bad team. And bad teams seemingly find new ways to lose every week, whether it be by a defensive collapse, special-teams blunder or final-minute fumble deep in their own territory. These Giants have done it all. They seem capable of just about anything, and Sunday was their latest work of art. “The special teams’ protection obviously got us in trouble,” interim coach and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “Defensive tackling was not good enough. I can remember one third down in particular that we’re off the field. That kills you. You guys know that and can’t turn the ball over against a good football team. They’ve proven that if you don’t turn the ball over against them, talking about the Eagles, you got a decent chance of winning.” This one in particular, the special teams were a major culprit, much like they have been most of the season. Brad Wing, who had a punt blocked Sunday, also had a key shank in the final seconds of a loss to the Eagles earlier this year. The Giants lost that contest on a 61-yard field goal as time expired. They lost this, in large part, because they couldn't kick or punt with any sort of effectiveness. Special-teams coordinator Tom Quinn watched his group take it to a new level of incompetence in meeting No. 2 with the Eagles. Kicker Aldrick Rosas had an extra point blocked after the Giants’ first touchdown of the contest. They then had a punt blocked in the second quarter that led to an Eagles touchdown and a field goal blocked in the fourth quarter that would’ve given them the lead. Both blocks of Rosas' kicks came from the right side of the Giants’ line, where tackle Ereck Flowers and tight end Rhett Ellison were stationed. It was something the Eagles seemed to have noticed entering the game. “We saw some things on tape that we had a couple guys that we could attack in that crucial spot,” said Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, who blocked the 48-yard fourth-quarter field goal attempt. “I’ve been close a few times over the years and just haven’t been able to get one. I was able to come through clean and get my hand on the ball.” It has been a continuation of a problem that has existed throughout this season. The Giants’ special teams haven’t been special at all. “Those type of things can kill us, too,” said wide receiver Sterling Shepard. “We just have to be great at the basics I feel. That’s what we went back to and it worked for the offense.” Neither has the Giants' defense or offense. Only this time their offense showed significantly more life than usual. The 29 points scored was a season high. They should've had more. The Giants had 299 yards of total offense in the first half alone, which was more than they accumulated in six other full games. They finished with 504 yards of total offense, their most in a game this season. Their previous high of 415 yards also came against the Eagles. It still wasn’t enough for the Giants to end their streak of 30 consecutive games without scoring 30 points. They haven’t reached that mark since the 2015 season. “Now that I think about it after it’s all over with, it’s surprising,” said Shepard who still hasn’t scored 30 points with the Giants since being drafted in the second round last year. “We have the guys that can put points on the board.” It was their special teams that prevented it from happening on Sunday.
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