AT A GLANCE

The Giants jumped out to a double-digit lead but proceeded to allow 34 unanswered points  in a 34-27 loss to the Saints.

Even though they committed four turnovers, the Giants didn't go down without a fight, and managed to make things interesting once again.

Fresh off a tie and two last-second victories in their previous three outings, the Giants stormed back with 17 unanswered points of their own in the final 11 minutes with J.J. McCarthy in for Jameis Winston at quarterback.

The defense, meanwhile, forced a turnover and three more punts as the offense had one final chance on fourth-and-one at the Saints 14 with 12 seconds left. But McCarthy's pass intended for tight end Isaiah Likely fell incomplete in the back of the end zone. Tyler Shough took over for New Orleans and kneeled down for the victory.

The Giants fell to 3-2-1 on the season, while the Saints broke a three-game losing streak and improved to 2-4.

UP NEXT

The Giants, who would have stayed atop the NFC East regardless of Sunday's outcome, have one more game before their bye week. They will travel to face the Houston Texans, who have won their last two games after starting 0-4. Houston defeated Jacksonville, 34-31, on Sunday with a last-second field goal in London.

NOTABLE

Since 1950, Sunday marked the only time the Giants had two players throw for at least 150 yards in the same game. McCarthy's 243 passing yards were tied for the most by a Giant in a single quarter since at least 1991. Eli Manning also had 243 yards in the fourth quarter of 2012 game against Tampa Bay.

WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE OFFENSE

Starters:

• WR Malik Nabers
• WR Malachi Fields
• LT Andrew Thomas
• LG Jon Runyan Jr.
• C Bryan Hudson
• RG Francis Mauigoa
• RT Marcus Mbow
• TE Isaiah Likely
• TE Thomas Fidone II
• QB Jameis Winston
• RB Najee Harris

Making his fourth consecutive start in place of Jaxson Dart, Jameis Winston completed 14 of 26 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. He also threw two interceptions in the second half, which led to 10 points as the Saints extended their lead.

Najee Harris started at running back for the first time since Jan. 11, 2025, when his Steelers fell to the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs. The Giants dressed all four running backs on Sunday. That group included Tyrone Tracy Jr., who opened the scoring not on the ground but through the air on a 17-yard catch-and-run. He dove at the front right pylon for a touchdown with 5:14 left in the first quarter. Tracy scored again on a five-yard run with seven minutes left in the game.

Six different Giants – three running backs, two quarterbacks and a wide receiver – had a rushing attempt on Sunday. Cam Skattebo was not one of them.

The Giants gained 84 yards on 20 rushing attempts, including a 28-yard scramble by McCarthy on the final drive. Tracy had a team-high six carries for 18 yards.

Malik Nabers (168) surpassed Puka Nacua (159) for the second-most receptions by a player in his first 25 career games in NFL history. Only Odell Beckham Jr. (176) has more.

Nabers finished with 12 catches (tied career high) for 165 yards (third-most of his career). It marked his third consecutive game with 100 receiving yards. Before Sunday, there had been only six instances of a Giant recording at least three consecutive games of 100+ receiving yards in the same season:

• Odell Beckham Jr.: 6 (2015)
• Odell Beckham Jr.: 4 (2014)
• Victor Cruz: 3 (2011)
• Mario Manningham: 3 (2010)
• Homer Jones: 3 (1968)
• Del Shofner: 3 (1963)

Trailing 34-10 at the time, McCarthy replaced Winston with 11:25 left in the game and threw an interception on his first drive for the Giants' fourth turnover of the afternoon. His second drive ended with Tracy's second touchdown and a successful two-point conversion on a pass to tight end Isaiah Likely.

Then things got interesting. A 49-yard completion to Charlie Jones led to a 24-yard touchdown pass to Likely, the tight end's fifth score in six games as a Giant. The Giants had a chance to cut it to one possession with 5:06 left but failed on the ensuing two-point conversion.

Overall, McCarthy completed 11 of his 21 passes for 243 yards with one touchdown and the interception.

"This team, since I got in the door, you could tell there was something special about them," said McCarthy, who was acquired in a trade with the Vikings on Sept. 28. "The way Coach Harbaugh just instills this kind of confidence, belief, but it's through the work and the preparation and it's not just talk. Just being able to be a part of this group is extremely special. They were going to keep having to build that resilience along the way. Just earlier in the year with (Brian) Burns and Jax (Jaxson Dart) going down, that's huge. But seeing how they responded, it's a really special group."

Right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor missed his first game of the season after sustaining a calf injury last week at Washington. Marcus Mbow, a second-year pro who played the remaining 45 snaps in Week 5, made his fourth career start. The fifth-round pick started three games (two at left tackle and one at right tackle) as a rookie.

Left tackle Andrew Thomas started the game after being questionable again with a groin injury. He then left in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion (he was cleared) and was replaced by rookie J.C. Davis, a sixth-round pick.

Bryan Hudson made his third consecutive start at center after taking over for John Michael Schmitz.

WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE DEFENSE

Starters:

• OLB Abdul Carter
• DL Shelby Harris
• DL DJ Reader
• OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux
• LB Tremaine Edmunds
• LB Arvell Reese
• CB Greg Newsome II
• CB Dru Phillips
• CB Deonte Banks
• S Jevón Holland
• S Jason Pinnock

The Giants held the Saints to three punts and a missed field goal on their first four possessions. New Orleans proceeded to score 10 points in the final 78 seconds to tie the game at halftime as part of 34 unanswered points overall.

It started with a 58-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson, followed by Charlie Jones' fumble on the ensuing kickoff to set up the Saints at the Giants 28. Quarterback Tyler Shough scrambled for 25 yards and eventually punched it in with a two-yard pass to Bryce Lance on fourth-and-goal with :01 left in the half.

The Saints received the ball to start the second half and picked up where they left off with a five-play, 79-yard touchdown drive in less than three minutes. Running back Alvin Kamara finished it off with a weaving 31-yard catch-and-run as New Orleans took its first lead of the day at 17-10.

In the previous two weeks, the Saints ran 36 times for 105 yards (2.9 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. On Sunday alone, they had 175 yards on 38 carries (4.6).

Shough, who threw three touchdowns and capped the 34-point outburst with an 18-yard toss to Chris Olave, also ran five times for 32 yards and a score.

Cornerback Greg Newsome II was ruled out with a concussion in the third quarter and replaced by Nic Jones. The Giants were already playing without rookie cornerback Colton Hood (concussion).

WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT SPECIAL TEAMS

Dominic Zvada made both of his field goal attempts, including a long of 41 yards to cut the deficit to 34-27 with 2:04 remaining in the game. It came a week after he became the first NFL rookie with four field goal attempts of 50+ yards in a single game – and just the second player overall to do it.

The first turnover of the game came when Isaiah Stalbird jarred the ball loose from Charlie Jones on a kickoff return, leading to the Saints' first touchdown to end the first half.

IN-GAME INJURY REPORT

NYG: CB Greg Newsome II (evaluated for concussion), WR Darnell Mooney (neck), LT Andrew Thomas (evaluated for concussion)

NO: RG Cesar Ruiz (knee)

INACTIVES

NYG: CB Colton Hood (concussion), QB Jake Haener (3^rd QB), S Tyler Nubin (neck), RT Jermaine Eluemunor (calf), TE Theo Johnson (neck), DL C.J. Okoye

NO: QB Zach Wilson (3^rd QB), EDGE Anfernee Jennings (knee), S Mike Reid, LB Kaden Elliss (calf), DL Nathan Shepherd (illness), DL John Ridgeway III

THE WEEKLY WIRE

NYG: OLB Trace Ford (standard elevation), OL Josh Gesky (practice squad addition), DL C.J. Ravenell (released from practice squad), LB Malik Harrison (signed to active roster from practice squad), OLB Dawuane Smoot (practice squad veteran addition)

NO: LS Zach Wood (activated from injured reserve), WR Cedric Tillman (standard elevation)

GIANTS GAMEDAY CAPTAINS

Week 6 vs. NO: QB Jameis Winston, WR Malik Nabers, CB Dru Phillips

Week 5 at WAS: LB Tremaine Edmunds, CB Nic Jones, CB Deonte Banks

Week 4 vs. ARI: DL D.J. Reader, RT Jermaine Eluemunor, LB Micah McFadden, RB Cam Skattebo

Week 3 vs. TEN: S Jevón Holland, FB Patrick Ricard, LB Zaire Barnes

Week 2 at LAR: OLB Abdul Carter, OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, QB Jaxson Dart, S Elijah Campbell

Week 1 vs. DAL: OLB Brian Burns, DL Chauncey Golston, P Jordan Stout, OT Andrew Thomas

Preseason 3 at NYJ: LG Jon Runyan, S Tyler Nubin, LB Zaire Barnes

Preseason 2 at MIA: QB Jameis Winston, LB Micah McFadden, CB Greg Newsome II

Preseason 1 vs. MIN: QB Jaxson Dart, P Jordan Stout, OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux