The New York Giants had every reason to lose, and the Indianapolis Colts had every reason to win. But in a December football twist, the two teams pulled off a unexpected surprise.
The Giants beat the Colts 45-33 on Sunday, improving to 3-13 on the season and entering a three-way tie with the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans for the worst record in the NFL.
The 3-12 Cleveland Browns are playing a late afternoon game today.
A Tale of Two Franchises
The Giants’ victory, fueled by a season-high 45 points, jeopardizes their chances to secure the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Colts, meanwhile, were on the playoff bubble, chasing the 9-7 Denver Broncos for the final AFC spot. The stakes for Indianapolis were clear: win to stay alive or lose and see their playoff hopes vanish.
The Colts showed resilience for much of the second half, matching the Giants’ scoring, even after New York’s Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned the second-half kickoff for a stunning 100-yard touchdown. Things fell apart for Indianapolis in the fourth.
Malik Nabers Shows What He Can Do
The star of the game was the Giants’ 2024 first-round pick: wide receiver Malik Nabers.
Nabers, who had seven catches for two touchdowns and 171 yards, was a workhorse over all four quarters. He and quarterback Drew Lock made for a great pairing, with the third-string quarterback throwing 17-23 for 309 yards and four touchdowns.
In the first quarter, quarterback Drew Lock connected with Malik Nabers for a 31-yard touchdown. Nabers also pulled off this incredible catch in the second quarter:
The two connected again for a touchdown pass in the fourth with 8:39 to go, with Nabers breaking two tackles before racing off to the end zone.
A Win Is a Loss?
The win means the Giants could drop as low as eighth in the draft and lose out on the race to draft one of two potential star quarterbacks: Cam Ward of Miami and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado.
However, two factors favor the Giants.
One, they play the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18, who remain quite formidable even without quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
And two, the Patriots, who drafted Drake Maye this year, don’t need a quarterback. If the Giants get the second pick behind the Pats, they could still be able to choose between Sanders and Ward. The Patriots will probably select Sanders’ teammate Travis Hunter — a two-way player and standout wide receiver.
The bad news for the Giants: the Browns, Titans, and Las Vegas Raiders all have quarterback holes to fill.
As for today’s game, there may be at least one individual winner: Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who — with his job on the line — has shown what his offense can do with a competent quarterback. That’ll bolster his standing with the Giants’ front office.
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