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Cover 3

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Cover 3: Final takeaways from Detroit

COVER-3-THEO-JOHNSON

The Giants.com crew members give their final takeaways from the team's 34-27 overtime loss to the Lions in Detroit.

John Schmeelk: The Giants lost another game on Sunday where they held a fourth-quarter lead, but that issue has hidden another streak for Big Blue.

The Giants have scored at least 20 points in seven straight games. It's the first time they have done that in a single season since 2011, and only the third time since 1990. It is also the fourth-longest active streak behind the Colts, Patriots, and Cardinals. The Giants' offense has been remarkably consistent this season since Jaxson Dart established himself as the starting quarterback, and it has continued in the past two games when Jameis Winston took over while the rookie recovers from his concussion.

The Giants' offense is up to 11th in the NFL in yards per game. Their 29th-ranked red zone touchdown rate (47.6 percent) and second-to-last goal-to-go touchdown rate (55 percent) are holding them back from averaging more than 22 points per game, which ranks 18th in the NFL. Their inability to score a touchdown after having it first-and-goal is a good example of those struggles.

It should not take away from how well Winston has thrown the football. Even his miss to Wan'Dale Robinson on the final drive might have been on target if Robinson didn't have to hesitate just a little bit at the top of his route to avoid running into Isaiah Hodgins. Winston did throw an interception, but it didn't end up hurting the team as the Lions failed to score on that drive.

Winston has been consistently quick to read the defense, find the right target, and deliver it on time. He throws with great decisiveness and anticipation, often letting the ball go before his receiver is out of his break, or even before he begins to break down at the top of the route. It is a good skill Dart can work on emulating as he watches a veteran quarterback navigate the offense.

Winston has also been able to create explosive plays on a consistent basis. He had five completions of 30 or more yards on Sunday, and another of 26. In his two starts, he has 10 completions of 20 or more yards. His aggressiveness is something already in Dart's repertoire, and something he will try to continue once he is healthy enough to be the starting quarterback.

If the Giants' defense can figure out a way to get to the middle of the pack, the team should be able to walk away with some wins in their final five games.

Dan Salomone: The Giants' fourth and most recent Super Bowl ring has the word "FINISH" engraved inside. There is a reason for it. Teams that make the plays when they matter most will go far in this league. The 2025 Giants, for a variety of reasons, are not one of them. The trip to Detroit was the latest example.

After building a 27-17 lead in the fourth quarter, the Lions scored 17 unanswered points, none more devastating than Jahmyr Gibbs' 69-yard touchdown run on the first play of overtime. Still having a chance to respond, Jameis Winston and the Giants drove into Lions territory but gave up their first and only sack at the worst possible time on fourth down.

Once the dust settled, the Giants were looking at a league-high 133 points allowed in the fourth quarter this season. Kafka announced the morning after the game that defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was relieved of his duties and that outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen will take over.

"I just had an opportunity to watch the tape, look back at a few weeks, watch a lot of the defense, watch a lot of what was going on, the communication, and just felt like this was the right time to do it," Kafka said two weeks after he took over for Brian Daboll. "When I got the job, I didn't want to make a lot of rash decisions and jump to anything really quick. I wanted to have some time to sit back, evaluate it, look at it and kind of figure out what the best thing to do was. So, I wanted to be calculated in how I handled it and I thought today was the right time."

View photos from the Week 12 matchup between the Giants and Lions.

Matt Citak: In the NFL, teams will continue to attack weaknesses until proven otherwise. For the Giants, that has been the run defense. Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs put up the best performance of his young NFL career against the Giants. The third-year back carried the ball just 15 times and gained 219 yards, good for an astonishing 14.6 yards per carry. He broke loose for two huge touchdown runs, one for 49 yards and the game-winner from 69 yards on the first play of overtime, while adding 11 receptions for 45 yards and an additional touchdown. Both of his rushing touchdowns, along with 184 of his yards on the ground, came on carries between the tackles. This was the most yards any player across the NFL has gained between the tackles this season.

Since Week 7, the Giants have allowed an average of 185.5 yards on the ground per game. Heading into Week 13, the Giants have given up a league-high 157.2 rushing yards per game and 5.9 yards per carry, and are tied for the most rushing touchdowns allowed at 17.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, the defense will now move forward with Bullen. The outside linebackers coach is in his second season with the Giants. Prior to his one season at Illinois, he also spent time with both the Dolphins (2012-18) and Cardinals (2019-22). During those stints, Bullen learned under Vance Joseph and Matt Burke, both of whom are considered across the league to be up-and-coming coaches as the Broncos and Texans are two of the top defenses in the NFL. Bullen is a charismatic coach who will now call plays for the first time.

"I have a lot of faith in Charlie and the things that he's brought from the pedigree that he brings coming into this defense," Kafka told reporters Monday. "I think he's a smart coach. I think he's detailed, he's aggressive and his room has had a lot of production, and I think he's ready for the task and I know he's ready for the task. And so he's going to jump in, he's meeting with the staff right now and these guys will get rolling for him."

View every move made by the New York Giants during the 2025 cycle.

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