Eli Manning on ManningCast called out the Giants' mistake that led to the Steelers' strip sack

The New York Giants made a crucial mistake at the line of scrimmage late in the fourth quarter of Monday's 26-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which led directly to a strip sack and fumble recovery for four-time All-Pro TJ Watt.

And two-time Super Bowl champion, former Giants quarterback and current ManningCast Co-host Eli Manning saw it coming as he watched from the couch.

When the Giants, trailing by eight points with about three minutes left in the fourth quarter, lined up for a third-and-7 play from the Steelers' 19-yard line, Manning wondered aloud why Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had sent tight end Theo Johnson moving to the right side of the line where Watt was lurking.

“You’ve got to get this tight end behind you,” Manning said. “No, he won't…”

To reinforce Manning's point, Watt exploded off the line and swept past Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor for the strip sack and fumble recovery.

“You called it,” Manning’s brother Peyton said as Eli threw his hands in the air.

And in fact, both Giants coach Brian Daboll and Jones himself later confirmed that the quarterback should move Johnson to the right side for a chip block against Watt.

“It wasn’t a check,” Daboll explained. “He wanted. … Pressure situation with the clock, we had a shift with the tight end to go back to Watt and we didn't get the shift. We talked about it in the locker room. DJ (Daniel Jones) feels terrible, to be honest. And I know it will be his.

“He came here and said it was his. It was a change that accompanied the piece. He looked, surveyed the coverage and decided what he wanted to do. And we didn’t understand the change.”

Daboll explained that it was a move the Giants used to counter the Steelers, who had been encroaching on Watt from both sides throughout the game.

New York fell to 2-6 after the loss to the Steelers.