It took the New York Giants all of one play with good field position to tie Thursday night's game at 7-7 in the first quarter at the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants did it with a tough, contested catch by Golden Tate down the seam that turned into a 39-yard touchdown.
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones gave his wide receiver a chance to make a play. He saw Tate, working out of the slot, matched against Eagles cornerback Cre'Von LeBlanc, and let it fly despite 0.39 yards of separation, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
But Tate, who is also known as the YAC (yards after the catch) King, leapt over LeBlanc on the play to make the grab. LeBlanc didn't turn his head and was unable to make the tackle after the catch.
Tough grab for @ShowtimeTate on the 39-yard touchdown! #TogetherBlue
— NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2020
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Tate ran the final 16 yards into the end zone. It evened the score with 4 minutes, 13 seconds remaining in the first quarter. It was Tate's first receiving touchdown of the season and Jones' fourth touchdown pass.
It was Jones' eighth "dime" throw for a TD since the start of last season, the most by any QB in the NFL. NFL Next Gen Stats defines a "dime" as a pass with 30-plus yards of air distance that was thrown into a tight window (less than one yard of separation).