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Big plays made and not made can make all the difference.
Bobby Okereke learned another lesson about this the hard way.
The Giants and Chiefs were tied at 6-6 late in the second quarter last Sunday night when Brian Burns sacked Patrick Mahomes for a 7-yard loss.
The ball came loose and Okereke, a starting inside linebacker, was in the right spot for a scoop-and-score fumble recovery for a touchdown.
It could have been a game-turning moment. It was not.
Okereke got his hands on the ball, but Mahomes, hustling to the max, pursued the play, punched the ball out of the unsuspecting Okereke’s grasp and fell on it at the Kansas City 7-yard line.
The Giants went on to lose, 22-9.
“He made a great play,” Okereke told The Post. “And you see the urgency he plays with. Just tracking it all the way and making a great play on me. I thought my reaction was good. You’re coached in practice, city fumble, country fumble, so to me it feels like a country fumble, a lot of open space around me so scoop it up. Just have to have a faster reaction to tuck it because you got great players like him coming out to punch it kind of right as you grab it.”
Okereke said he believes Mahomes is the only quarterback in the NFL who would have made that play on him.
Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen bemoaned the lack of “four or five” potential opportunities for turnovers in the past two games that the Giants did not come up with and he hopes the tide can turn Sunday against the Chargers.
As for Okereke’s missed chance, Bowen saw it the same way his player did.
“I don’t fault Bobby for trying to scoop and score it,” Bowen said, “There’s space. He’s there. He actually does get it scooped. I actually thought it was a really, really good play by Mahomes. Just the effort and to be able to take it away from him. But we’ve got to find ways to take advantage of those situations and come away with the football.”
There are expected to be two and perhaps three planes flying over the MetLife Stadium airspace prior to kickoff flying banners critical of Giants co-owner John Mara. This happened twice last season. The cost of renting an advertising plane is around $2,000.
“If that’s what they want to do with their money, then go right ahead,” WR Wan’Dale Robinson said. “I hope I’m not getting put up there, I hope I’m not worthy of getting put up there. Shoot, I plan to make sure I’m never up on that flying plane unless it’s for something good.”
The Chargers will be without their starting right guard, as former Jet Mekhi Becton remains in concussion protocol.
With victories over the Chiefs, Raiders and Broncos, the Chargers in their 3-0 start became the third team since realignment in 2002 to beat division opponents in each of its first three games.
The Vikings in 2003 and Bears in 2006 previously accomplished this feat.
