/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18382703/20130824_pjc_ae5_352.0.jpg)
New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin said during the week he was looking for improvement from his team Saturday night against the New York Jets. He didn't really get it as the Giants lost to the Jets in overtime, 24-21.
What Coughlin and the Giants got was a preseason game that didn't want to end.
The Jets finally won the game on a 32-yard field goal from Billy Cundiff with 8:04 left in overtime.
That was the second overtime chance to win for the Jets. Da'Rel Scott fumbled on the first play of overtime and the Jets recovered at the Giants' 26-yard line. Three plays later Nick Folk missed a 39-yard field goal that would have won the game.
[Gang Green Nation reacts to Jets' victory]
The Giants' offense was brutal in the first half. The Giants went 1-for-8 in third-down conversions. They went 0-for-1 in the red zone, failing to score any points despite having a first-and-goal at the Jets' 4-yard line.
The Giants did play well defensively in the first half. They intercepted Jets' rookie quarterback Geno Smith three times and held the Jets to just 18 yards rushing on 12 carries.
Terrell Thomas, trying to come back from his third torn ACL and from missing two straight seasons, played extensively at the slot cornerback position in the first half.
The only first-half offensive excitement was provided by David Wilson, who went 84 yards for a touchdown on the Giants' first offensive play.
Otherwise, the half was filled with poor blocking from the revamped offensive line. New center Jim Cordle appeared to have a difficult half as the Jets consistently got pressure up the middle, sacking Eli Manning once and hurrying him several times. Manning completed 8-of-20 passes for just 83 yards.
The Giants opened the scoring on their first play from scrimmage, with running back David Wilson exploding off left tackle for an 84-yard run.
The Jets responded with an eight-play, 86-yard drive aided by Giants' penalties on four consecutive plays. Geno Smith hit Ben Obumano for a 22-yard score with 9:08 remaining in the first quarter to cap the drive.
Giants' safety Stevie Brown was injured late in the first quarter when he intercepted a Geno Smith pass. He collapsed during the return and went down holding his left knee. Cornerback Jayron Hosley was also injured, suffering a sprained ankle. Laron Scott suffered a hamstring injury returning a kickoff on the first play of overtime.
For the Jets, Mark Sanchez suffered a right shoulder injury with 5:51 left in the fourth quarter when he was hit by Marvin Austin. Go ahead and ask why Sanchez was playing in the fourth quarter behind offensive linemen who probably won't make the Jets' team. Everyone else is.
After Brown's injury the Giants took over the ball at the Jets' 23-yard line. Their struggling offense went only one yard in four plays before Josh Brown hit a 40-yard field goal to give the Giants a 10-7 lead with 14:50 left in the half.
Brown missed a 53-yard field goal attempt later in the quarter, an effort that was wide left and possibly a touch short.
The Jets took a 14-10 third-quarter lead with a seven-play, 57-yard drive culminating in a 2-yard touchdown run by Bilal Powell.
The Giants, with Curtis Painter, at quarterback, drove 71 yards in 12 plays for a 33-yard field goal by Brown, making the score 14-13 in favor of the Jets with 3:03 left in the third quarter. Painter completed 5-of-6 passes on the drive. Overall, Painter completed 13-of-29 passes for 140 yards.
The Giants took a 15-14 lead with 12:30 left in the game when Smith stepped out of the end zone for a safety under some pressure from Mark Herzlich.
The Giants increased their lead to 18-14 with 6:32 left when Brown hit a 50-yard field goal. The Giants had taken over the ball when Sanchez, in relief of Smith, fumbled a shotgun snap from center and Herzlich recovered at the Jets' 39-yard line.
Matt Simms, the third Jets' quarterback, hit Ryan Spadola with a 22-yard touchdown pass with 2:02 remaining to give the Jets a 21-18 lead. That capped a four-play, 37-yard drive for a touchdown. The drive was set up by a short 35-yard punt by Steve Weatherford.
The Giants drove from their own 14-yard line to the Jets' 22 in 10 plays, where Brown made a game-tying 39-yard field goal with 14 seconds left.