The Giants’ defensive strategy comes back to haunt them against the Broncos

DENVER – In hyperbolic terms, the Giants left their season to Nick Jones and Bo Brad at the expense of Dexter Lawrence and Abed Carter.

Things have gone badly, it seems.

Head coach Brian Daboll was right on repeat Sunday, blowing a 19-point fourth-quarter lead and allowing 33 points in the fourth quarter. In a 33-32 loss to the Broncos It doesn’t boil down to one play.

But the play — and the call made by coordinator Shane Bowen — that was toughest for the defense to take was the decision to send only Roy Robertson-Harris, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeau to quarterback Bo Nix and drop eight into coverage with 33 seconds remaining. Pro Bowler Lawrence and first-round pick Carter watched from the sideline.

Linebacker Bobby Okereke sank in midfield.

With big-money Jevon Holland and Paulson Adepo both out with knee injuries, the defensive back seven included Jones (playing his second defensive snap of the season) and Pride (playing his first).

Not to mention Deonte Banks, a former first-round bench pick who is targeted by quarterbacks as soon as he gets on the field.

Marvin Mims Jr. caught a 29-yard pass with Drew Phillips draped over his back and five Giants corralling the ball, Mims Jr. and receiver Courtland Sutton.

“Leave that to the coaches,” Lawrence said after a long pause to gather thoughts when asked about not being more aggressive at the end of the game.

An angry Burns shouted down the tunnel After the loss in the “Drop Eight” pick in coverage. Those feelings turned to sadness when Burns shed tears in his locker.

Would he have liked to see the Giants more aggressive?

“I don’t know about all that,” said Burns, who seemed calmer. “We were up three, down eight.”

When asked to expand on his opinion on that strategy, Burns pursed his lips and did not answer.

It was reminiscent of when the Giants were in a similar spot in the final seconds and deployed a similarly sloppy pass in Week 2 against the Cowboys, giving up field position for the tying goal and then an overtime victory.

Not the same play call — as coach Brian Daboll pointed out in Bowen’s defense — but the same negative approach that Bowen came to regret at the time.

“I wish we were more aggressive (in coverage),” Bowen said on September 18. “Just like all those calls that didn’t work out, (you’re) guessing that maybe you wish you had gone in a different direction.”

After killing the clock, the Knicks went to Banks for a 22-yard catch by Sutton that turned a potential 61-yard field goal into a quick punt. The Giants fielded four tacklers on that play, but it was too late at that point.

“I make plays that come to me,” Banks said. “I got picked on on the second play — it was a great play for Sutton. Other than that, I feel fine.”

Burns blamed the loss on the execution of the players and tried to soften up Daboll, but did not mention (or absolve) Bowen one way or the other.

“It put us in a position where we could have won, but we gave it back to them. I put it all on us. We have to play better,” Burns said. “Dabis will take the blame – his mistake and this and that. No. At the end of the day, we’re playing and we have to play that game. It’s our fault.”

Burns and Lawrence both credited Bowen for calling a great play last week against the Eagles, after they said they urged him to be more aggressive.