The Giants didn't crumple to the ground, to steal a phrase from Jack Harbaugh about facing adversity, like a sack of sour apples.

Instead, they found a way to defeat the Titans, 12-7, in a game that came down to the final seconds.

"Football is really – it's crazy," coach John Harbaugh said in his postgame press conference. "It's crazy out there. So, that's what it's all about. It's finding a way to win a rough game. It's just – they're never pretty. They're never perfect. But they need to be us doing what we need to do to win games."

The tenor of the Giants' season changed six days ago when Jaxson Dart went down with a knee injury seven plays into their second of back-to-back primetime games to start the Harbaugh era. Upon returning from their West Coast trip, tests revealed that the quarterback would not return for at least the rest of the regular season.

Regardless of the Giants' injury report, the Titans were still coming to MetLife Stadium hungry for their first win of the season. A nor'easter heightened the drama, lending to a game plan centered on ball security and special teams.

"I think both teams understood that," Harbaugh said. "(Titans) Coach (Robert) Saleh, I could tell he looked at it in a similar vein. I mean, it was going to be a field position game. It was going to be a turnover game, takeaway game, run-the-ball game. Try not to put the other team in a short field. That was really the way the game was played. And that's the way it played out."

THE GAME WAS OVER WHEN…

Safety Jevón Holland intercepted Cam Ward's pass intended for Elic Ayomanor on first-and-goal from the seven-yard line with 17 seconds remaining. The Giants had shut out the Titans until wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson caught a four-yard touchdown with 5:35 remaining in his return to MetLife Stadium.

"All of a sudden, they're at the seven-yard line, they're going to get four shots at this, four cracks at this," Harbaugh said. "You still have an opportunity to make the next play no matter what happened on the last play. For our guys to step up in that situation and do that, I think, and see it pay off, is a big step towards where we want to go as a football team."

Holland thought Ward might run the ball.

"Actually, lowkey (I did)," Holland said when asked how he reacted to what was transpiring in front of him, "I saw him break the pocket and I was like, I'm the free player, so I was going to hold them up, basically. If he sees me running at him, he might stop and try to let the ball go, but then I saw him step to stay lateral and find people. He does scramble with his eyes downfield, and I just stayed around the front of the endzone."

NOTABLE

Undrafted rookie kicker Dominic Zvada accounted for all the Giants' scoring with four field goals. Including two against the Rams, he has now made six consecutive field goal attempts to start his career.

Jordan Stout is the first Giant ever to have multiple punts of 70 yards or more in the same season, let alone in back-to-back games. The 2025 All-Pro booted a 74-yarder in the second quarter on Sunday, six days after he had a 78-yarder against the Rams.

Holland is the fifth Giant since 1960 to record an interception in each of the first three weeks of the season, joining Michael Boley (2012), Terry Jackson (1978), Pete Athas (1973) and Carl Lockhart (1970).

The Giants forced a three-and-out on the Titans' first five possessions. It was the Giants' longest such streak in any game since at least 1991. The Giants also forced five consecutive three-and-out possessions in 2006 vs. Tampa Bay, 2003 at New England, and 2001 at Washington.

Tennessee did not record a first down until 1:18 left in the first half. It was the fourth time the Giants held their opponent to one first down or fewer in any half since 1991.

The Titans were unsuccessful on their first six third-down attempts. They did not convert a third down until 4:13 remaining in the third quarter.

Linebacker Arvell Reese's 12 total tackles tied multiple players for the most by a Giants rookie since 1994, when tackles were officially tracked. The most recent Giants rookie prior to today's game to record 12 tackles was Tyler Nubin at Dallas on Nov. 24, 2024.

QUOTABLE

"I felt enough of (Reese) to give him a game ball. He had 14 tackles, maybe 10 or 11 unassisted tackles. He was definitely all over the field today. He sprang onto the scene today." – Harbaugh

"Friday, I told him, I said, when the play is on the line, you're going to make the biggest play." – Jameis Winston on predicting Holland's game-sealing play

"Jordan Stout got (a game ball), and then he gave it to me. So, I appreciate that from Jordan. He had an excellent game, too. He kicked the crap out of the ball, but he wanted to give it to me, so I really appreciate that."

"As a running back, you kind of pray for days like these because you know you are going to touch the football a lot. It's awesome. I felt great, I was ready to go, and (we're) moving onto the next game." – Cam Skattebo after rushing 20 times for 60 yards and catching three passes for 40 yards

INJURY REPORT

Outside linebacker Brian Burns, who was already playing through an ankle issue, left with 11:02 remaining in the game due to a knee injury. The three-time Pro Bowl selection will undergo an MRI.

"We're trying to get that scheduled for tonight," Harbaugh said. "There is some hope there, but we won't know until we see the MRI."

WHAT THE WIN MEANS

The Giants' season could have gone one of two ways following Dart's injury. But they improved to 2-1 with both wins coming at MetLife Stadium. Harbaugh is the seventh head coach in Giants history – first since Tom Coughlin in 2004 – to start 2-0 at home in his first season with the franchise.

"Even before the game, I mentioned on the phones to a couple of people, we're going to find out a lot about ourselves as a football team right now in this game," Harbaugh said. "I didn't really expect it to go the way it did, but it never goes the way you expect it to go. So, it was a big plus. It was an A-plus type of a game in that sense. Handling the adversity and overcoming the challenges. There's something to be said about that."