GIANT NOTES
When the Giants were scrambling in the closing minutes to put together a scoring drive, they were operating with only one timeout. They should have had two, but they lost one as the result of a replay challenge by Jim Fassel that was not overturned.
“I have to call the league because I don’t understand a lot of this right now,” an exasperated Fassel said.
Fassel’s challenge came with 14:06 on a kickoff following a Giants touchdown that closed the deficit to 24-12. Cary Blanchard’s kick bounced and was clearly touched at the Colts’ 2-yard line by return man Terrence Wilkins, who appeared to help guide the ball into the end zone, where he downed the ball for a touchback. The Giants, believing Wilkins batted the ball into the end zone, tackled him for an apparent safety.
The officials ruled the play was a touchback, Fassel challenged the call, which was not overturned after a replay review, costing the Giants a timeout. The ruling on the field was that Wilkins touching the ball did not impact the impetus of the ball into the end zone, a contention Fassel dismissed.
“If he knocks it into the end zone, my understanding is that it’s a safety,” Fassel said. “[Referee Bob McElwee] said he just touched the ball and it went in there. I thought it was pretty clear. I could be wrong. Maybe I didn’t see the replay really well.”
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In his first season as head coach back in 1997, Fassel said he would never again call for a two-point conversion until it was absolutely necessary. Well, he went against his promise yesterday. A TD with 14:17 left cut the Giants’ deficit to 24-12, and Fassel, wanting to pull within 10 points, went for two, but Kent Graham’s pass failed. The decision would have been a huge factor if the Giants scored on their final possession to pull with 27-25 and needed a successful conversion to force overtime.
“My feeling’s always been in the third quarter I won’t try it, but where the numbers shook out right then I thought our best chance was to try it right then,” Fassel said.
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The Giants are now 2-9 all-time — and 0-3 under Fassel — after their bye week … FS Brandon Sanders, making his second NFL start in place of injured Percy Ellsworth, was beaten twice on TD catches of 19 and 57 yards to Marvin Harrison. Sanders and CB Phillippi Sparks were both involved in the two plays.
“It was my fault, all of it,” Sparks said. “Those touchdowns, put the blame on me, because I’m a veteran, I should have known certain things were happening, certain things were coming, so I’ll take it.”
Sparks, though, was covering for the inexperienced Sanders, who said he lined up too tight on the first TD and mis-read where Peyton Manning was throwing the ball on the second. “Both of ’em, I take full responsiblity,” Sanders said. “I let these guys down. I feel I gave the game away. You make one mistake and that would cost you the game and unfortunately I made two.”
