It is not easy to finish a game with negative passing yards. Even in the NFL where sacks count against the team total, this high-passing environment tends to have at least some passing yards in a game.
That was not the case on Sunday for the Giants. In a rainy MetLife Stadium clash against the Jets, the Giants finished the game with a total of minus-9 net passing yards. It was the fewest net passing yards since 2000, and it was the first time a team finished in the negatives since Jan. 2, 2022. That too involved the Giants, who netted minus-6 passing yards against the Bears.
And still, this time around, the Giants had a chance. It wasn’t until the final seconds of regulation that the Jets tied the game at 10, and it took overtime to win 13-10.
There were certainly plenty of contributing factors. For one, it was a rainy game. For another, the Giants, who were already starting their backup quarterback against the Jets, had to turn to a third-string quarterback when Tyrod Taylor was hurt.
Still, minus-9 feels like an astronomically low number, especially consider there were only four sacks for 16 yards.
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How did the Giants finish nine yards below zero on Sunday?
Giants passing yards vs. Jets
The injury to Taylor could be looked at as a major factor in why the Giants finished with minus-9 net passing yards. He suffered a rib injury midway through the second quarter, and did not return to the game.
Still, even by that point, the Giants had not been throwing the ball much. Taylor left having completed 4-of-7 passes for eight yards, and had lost seven yards on two sacks.
Giants coach Brian Daboll said after the game he expected the team’s plan regardless of the quarterback would be to run the ball heavily. He said the reason for the lack of passing yards was because the team “ran it almost every play.”
“Weather, control the game, thought our defense was going to play well,” he said of the reasons for why they attempted only 14 passes total. “Figured it would be a close game. [Running back Saquon Barkley] had some good runs, we had some opportunities. Just trying to win the game a little bit of an old-school way today.”
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Enter Tommy DeVito. DeVito was an undrafted free agent signed to the Giants practice squad after he missed making the 53-man roster to begin the season. He battled through injuries while at Syracuse and transferred to Illinois for his final year of college football. He completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 2,650 yards with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions, and led the Fighting Illini to an 8-5 record.
But DeVito was hardly expected to play on Sunday, and it showed. He finished the game going 2 for 7 for minus-1 yard. He was sacked twice for a loss of nine yards.
DeVito, for his part, did not question the play, saying that he just does what he’s told.
“Play’s called and my job was just to go out there and execute and help lead the offense.”
The Giants tried to dial up more passes in overtime, but only attempted screen passes to Barkley, despite a holding penalty that made it an early first-and-20 for the Giants. The screen passes went 2-for-3 for a loss of a yard.
Fewest passing yards in a game
It used to be not as rare for teams to have negative passing yards, though it still was at least a bit uncommon. During the Super Bowl era, Stathead reports the fewest passing yards came in 1967, when the Broncos had minus-53 passing yards in a 51-0 drubbing at the hands of the Raiders.
But the Giants at least made some relatively modern history, being one of just six teams to have negative passing yards. Here’s a look at the fewest passing yards in a game since 2000:
Team Date Opponent Result Passing yards Giants Oct. 29, 2023 Jets 13-10, Jets -9 Browns Dec. 3, 2000 Jaguars 48-0, Jaguars -9 Titans Oct. 18, 2009 Patriots 59-0, Patriots -7 Giants Jan. 2, 2022 Bears 29-3, Bears -6 Texans Dec. 3, 2006 Raiders 23-14, Texans -5 Browns Dec. 12, 2004 Bills 37-7, Bills -3
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