For a brief moment, it looked like the New York Giants were finally turning their season around. Then, everything unraveled in spectacular fashion.
The Giants blew a 19–0 lead in the fourth quarter on Sunday night, surrendering 33 points to the Denver Broncos and losing on a last-second field goal, 33–32. It was the kind of loss that sticks — not just because of the collapse itself, but because of the damage that came with it.
Two major defensive injuries compound the disaster
As if giving up 33 points in a single quarter weren’t enough, the Giants also lost two key members of their secondary — and two of their most expensive offseason investments.
Safety Jevon Holland, who signed a three-year, $45.3 million contract, and cornerback Paulson Adebo, who inked a three-year, $54 million deal, both left the game with knee injuries. Losing both in the same game felt like a gut punch for a defense that had started to find some rhythm.
Holland had struggled early in the season adjusting to the Giants’ scheme but had recently emerged as a stabilizing force at free safety. His ability to read plays and close quickly on the ball had started to pay off, and his absence will be felt immediately.
Adebo’s season, on the other hand, had been a mix of promise and frustration. He’d allowed 308 yards and a touchdown in coverage but showed flashes of strong play with three pass breakups and improved technique in press situations. For a defense that has already been inconsistent but is building momentum, losing both starters in the secondary is like removing the hinges from an already rattling door.
The schedule ahead offers no mercy
The timing couldn’t be worse. The Giants’ upcoming stretch might be the most brutal of their schedule — a rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles next week, followed by games against the 49ers, Bears, and Packers. Those teams feature a mix of top quarterbacks, creative play-callers, and high-powered offenses that will test even a healthy defense.
At 2–5, the Giants were clinging to faint postseason hopes, but Sunday’s collapse could be the turning point that buries them. They had a chance to breathe life into their season — to steal a road win and build momentum heading into a difficult stretch. Instead, they walked off the field stunned, short-handed, and searching for answers.
The emotional toll of an all-time collapse
Losing is one thing. Losing like this is something entirely different. It wasn’t just that Denver outplayed them in the end— it was how quickly the floodgates opened. Momentum shifted, confidence evaporated, and the defense that had carried them through much of the game looked unrecognizable by the end.
For head coach Brian Daboll, this loss will test his leadership more than any other during his Giants tenure. The locker room has to find a way to recover — physically and mentally — after watching a winnable game slip through their hands in such dramatic fashion.
Sometimes, the worst losses aren’t defined by the scoreboard but by what they take out of you. For the Giants, Sunday night may have cost more than a single game — it may have cost them their season.