It wasn’t pretty, but the New York Giants came away with a 12-7 Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans.
In a rain-soaked slopfest at MetLife Stadium, the Giants offense struggled to get much of anything going after losing starting quarterback Jaxson Dart to a season-ending knee injury last week. However, a strong defensive effort and elite special teams play allowed Big Blue to survive and advance, improving to 2-1 for the first time since 2022.
After entering the fourth quarter up by 12, New York almost unraveled at the last minute. What looked like a comfortable victory quickly turned into a fight to survive, with Tennessee mounting a late-game comeback and threatening to steal the game in the final seconds. Fortunately, the G-Men made one final play when they needed it most, escaping with the win.
This game will undoubtedly make its way to the “never watch again” pile, but there was still plenty to take away from how the Giants got win No. 2.
4 Giants winners and 3 losers from ugly Week 3 win over Titans
Winner: Jevón Holland's All-Pro case
Perhaps we judged Jevón Holland a bit too quickly. After signing a three-year, $45 million deal last offseason, his first season with the G-Men didn't necessarily go great. However, Round 2 is off to a considerably better start.
On Sunday, the 26-year-old added another takeaway to his treasure chest, giving him four on the year already (three interceptions and one fumble recovery). Not only was Holland's interception his third in three games, but it was also the definitive play of the game.
With just 17 seconds remaining on the clock and the Titans threatening on first-and-goal from the seven-yard line, Holland picked off Cam Ward in the end zone to seal the victory and narrowly escape with win No. 2 on the season.
Winner: Arvell Reese
The rookie linebacker completely "sprang onto the scene," as head coach John Harbaugh put it postgame. Arvell Reese was an absolute heat-seeking missile against the Titans' offense, wreaking havoc in both the run and passing games.
The 21-year-old finished the afternoon with a game-high 13 tackles (including two for a loss) and a pass deflection. His flying-to-the-ball playstyle earned him a much-deserved game ball from the coaching staff.
Winner: Dominic Zvada
When the offense fails to find the end zone all game, sometimes a team will have to lean heavily on its special teams. Undrafted rookie kicker Dominic Zvada answered the call flawlessly.
Accounting for 100% of the Giants' scoring, Zvada showed ice-cold poise in brutal kicking conditions, drilling all four of his field-goal attempts to put all 12 of Big Blue's points on the board. The 22-year-old has yet to miss a kick all season (six field goals and four extra points). He's actually scored New York's last 18 points, making two field goals against the Rams last week.
Winner: John Harbaugh ball
Harbaugh deserves a lot of credit for how the G-Men handled this game after a brutal week of injuries. Playing through a nor’easter without Dart was never going to produce the prettiest offense, so New York leaned heavily on the run. They finished with 138 yards on the ground, controlling the time of possession for 34:26.
After the game, running back Cam Skattebo and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor both mentioned that this was the type of game the Giants would’ve lost last year. And considering last year’s head coach was standing on the opposite sideline as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator, that’s some pretty tasty shade toward Brian Daboll.
It’s only been three weeks, but Harbs already has his fingerprints all over this team.
Loser: Fans who like offense
If you’re a fan of high-flying, explosive modern football, this game was an absolute eyesore. The two teams combined for a meager 500 total yards of offense as constant rain and 40-mile-per-hour winds limited anything explosive. Big Blue also failed to capitalize on multiple red-zone trips, which is becoming an increasingly frustrating trend.
Loser: Giants' pass rush
While the defense as a whole held strong when it mattered most, the complete lack of a pass rush is becoming an increasingly alarming trend.
After recording their first and only sack of the season last week, the Giants' defensive front registered exactly zero sacks on Sunday. To make matters significantly worse, star pass rusher Brian Burns was helped off the field with what appeared to be a knee injury, leaving the immediate future of the pass rush in serious jeopardy.
Harbs said there was some hope that last year's NFC sack leader avoided the worst-case scenario, but fans will have to wait for further testing to breathe.
Loser: Quarterback changes
While Winston did enough to get a win in miserable conditions, he might not have done enough to earn the starting gig for the rest of the year. Or did he? Harbs wasted no time after the game declaring that Famous Jameis will be under center heading into Week 4 against the Arizona Cardinals. But life comes at you fast in the NFL.
According to a report from Jay Glazer on FOX NFL Sunday, New York's front office plans to be "pretty aggressive" and could add up to two quarterbacks as early as Monday to patch the hole left by Dart's season-ending injury.
The former No. 1 overall pick threw for 118 yards, completing 63.6% of his passes, and taking three sacks. In short, it was a total dud, and the Giants might not be able to trust him moving forward.
Glazer noted that New York has targeted free agent Jimmy Garoppolo and has checked in on a potential trade for Justin Fields, while explicitly ruling out names like Joe Flacco, Mac Jones, and Gardner Minshew. Winston might have next week locked up, but depending on what happens over the next few days, that could change.
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