DETROIT LIONS 34 – NEW YORK GIANTS 27 (OVERTIME)…
The 2025 NFL season has been a series of gut punches to the New York Giants and their fans and Sunday’s game against the heavily-favored Detroit Lions was no different. An undermanned Giants team lost another heart-breaker, this one 34-27 in overtime at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. It was the fifth time this year the Giants have lost a game in which they held a double-digit lead in the 4th quarter. The Giants have lost six games in a row and are now 2-10 on the season. They are the first team to be officially eliminated from playoff contention.
For the eighth time in the last nine seasons, the Giants have lost at least 10 games.
In terms of team stats, the Giants held advantages in first downs (25 to 23), total net yards (517 to 494), net yards passing (395 to 257), and time of possession (37:11 to 28:30). The Lions out-gained the Giants 237 to 122 in rushing yards. The turnover battle was tied at one apiece.
With Jaxson Dart still sidelined with a concussion, Jameis Winston started at quarterback. It took the Giants just four plays to score on their opening drive. Winston threw a 23-yard pass to wide receiver Darius Slayton on the first play. Three plays later on 3rd-and-2, the Giants ran a flea flicker where running back Devin Singletary received a toss, threw it back to Winston, who then connected deep to a wide-open wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson for a 39-yard touchdown.
After two punts by the Lions and one by the Giants, New York added to their lead with 10-play, 87-yard drive that resulted in a 21-yard field goal by place kicker Younghoe Koo. While the Giants were up 10-0, they did blow their red zone opportunity after having a 1st-and-goal from the 8-yard line.
Detroit’s third possession of the game began at the start of the 2nd quarter. It took them seven plays to drive 65 yards and cut the lead to 10-7 when quarterback Jared Goff threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. However, the Giants responded with a quick, 6-play, 69-yard scoring drive of their own. Winston threw a short pass to a wide-open running back Tyrone Tracy, who gained 42 yards. Five plays later, on 3rd-and-8, Winston threw a 12-yard strike to wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins for a touchdown. The Giants were now up 17-7.
After an exchange of punts, the Lions made it a 3-point game again after a 3-play, 61 drive. The killer was a 49-yard run by running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who ran for 219 yards on 15 carries against the Giants (14.6 yards per carry). The scoring play was a 3-yard pass from Goff to Gibbs.
Each team managed a field goal in the final two minutes of the first half. The Giants gained 56 yards in six plays to set up a 44-yard field goal by Koo. After allowing a 44-yard kickoff return, the Lions were able to get into field goal range despite only having 31 seconds to work with. A 30-yard pass helped set up a 37-yard field goal.
At the half, the Giants led 20-17.
Despite picking up some first downs, both teams punted to start the third quarter. On Detroit’s second drive of the half, the Lions reached the New York red zone, but sack by defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches and an interception by safety Jevon Holland stopped the threat. Momentum really shifted as the Giants then drove the field in nine plays. The key moments being a 20-yard run by Tracy on 3rd-and-3, an 8-yard run by Tracy on 3rd-and-4, and then another spectacular flea flicker for the touchdown. On the play in question, wide receiver Gunner Olszewski received an end around from Winston. Despite being under immediate duress, Olszewski threw deep down field to Winston, who broke a tackle for a 33-yard score. With 12 minutes to go in the game, the Giants were up by 10 points, 27-17.
But as Giants’ fans have learned, no lead is safe. It took Detroit just three plays to travel 81 yards with Gibbs breaking off another 49-yard run, this one for a touchdown. Giants 27 – Lions 24. On the first offensive snap of the ensuing drive, Winston was picked off at the New York 45-yard line. However, the defense held and the Lions punted.
Then came a pivotal drive that came darn close to sealing the deal for the Giants. Starting at their own 8-yard line with less than 10 minutes to play, the Giants began a 14-play, 86-yard drive that ate up almost seven minutes of game clock. The big plays were a 30-yard pass from Winston to Hodgins on 3rd-and-10 from the 8-yard line and a 39-yard pass to tight end Theo Johnson on 3rd-and-17 to the Detroit 18-yard line. Two Tracy runs brought the ball to the 4-yard line, but New York could not get the ball into the end zone. Worse, the Giants went for it on 4th-and-goal from the 6-yard line and failed.
The turnover on downs gave the Lions the ball at the 6-yard line with 2:54 left in the game. It took the Lions 13 plays, but they gained 53 yards. Nevertheless, they would need a 59-yard field goal to tie the game. Of course, the kicker nailed it. With just 24 seconds left, two incomplete passes ended any chance for the Giants to win the game in regulation.
New York won the toss and elected to defend. On the first offensive play of overtime, Gibbs broke off a 69-yard touchdown run. The Giants now had to score a touchdown or lose the game. On 4th-and-10, Winston gained 11 yards on a scramble to the New York 41-yard line. The Giants picked up two more first downs and reached the Detroit 27-yard line. But on 4th-and-5, he was sacked by defensive end Aidan Hutchinson to end the game.
The Giants gained 517 yards of offense. Winston was 18-of-36 for 366 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also caught a 33-yard touchdown. The top receivers were Robinson (9 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown), Johnson (3 catches for 77 yards), andTracy (3 catches for 68 yards). Tracy also carried the ball 20 times for 62 yards while Singletary gained 47 yards on 14 carries.
Defensively, the Giants allowed 494 total yards and 234 rushing yards. As mentioned, Gibbs gained 14.6 yards per carry, and had three runs of 49 yards or more. The Giants only had three pass defenses. Defensive lineman Darius Alexander did have two sacks and two tackles for losses. Outside linebacker Abdul Carter had three of the Giants’ seven quarterback hits.
GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.
ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ELEVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants placed TE Thomas Fidone (Foot) on Injured Reserve and activated RB Eric Gray (Knee) from the Reserve/Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List.
The Giants also activated (standard elevation) WR Dalen Cambre and ILB Swayze Bozeman from the Practice Squad.
Inactive for the game were QB Jaxson Dart (Concussion), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (Shoulder), CB Paulson Adebo (Knee), CB Deonte Banks (Hip), S Tyler Nubin (Neck), and James Hudson.
Injury-prone ILB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (neck) left the game and did not return. CB Andru Phillips (unknown) also left the game.
POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Brian Daboll and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:
- Interim Head Coach Mike Kafka (Video)
- QB Jameis Winston (Video)
- WR Wan’Dale Robinson (Video)
- WR Isaiah Hodgins (Video)
- WR Gunner Olszewski (Video)
- TE Daniel Bellinger (Video)
- DL Darius Alexander (Video)
WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Interim Head Coach Mike Kafka will address the media on Monday by Zoom.