New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants picked up their first road win of the season as they defeated the Houston Texans, 27-21 in overtime.
It was a game where something had to give. The Giants entered the game winless on the road, and the Texans were winless at home. But when Devin Singletary broke off a 30-yard walk-off touchdown run in overtime, New York had its first road win of the year, and will head into the bye 4-2-1.
The Giants came into this game undermanned on defense, and J.J. McCarthy was making his first start with the team. But they made fools of the oddsmakers who had them as a 10.5-point underdog, and pulled off an impressive victory.
We’ll dive into the biggest takeaways from the Giants’ fourth win of the season.
It Was A Redeeming Performance By Cam Skattebo
NFL: New York Giants at Houston Texans5
Oct 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (44) runs with the ball during overtime against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
After appearing in just six snaps last week as punishment for his fumble issue, Cam Skattebo had a redeeming performance on Sunday. He carried the ball 17 times for a career-high 124 yards and a touchdown. His 42-yard run in overtime was the longest of his career and set up Singletary’s game-winning run on the next play.
Skattebo suffered a leg injury on the run, but he’ll have the bye week to recover from it. It was a redeeming performance by the 24-year-old running back, who will now get back to his usual workload, prior to being punished last week.
The Defense Disrupted The Texans’ Offense All Day
NFL: New York Giants at Houston Texans5
Oct 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) looks for an open receiver during the first quarter against the New York Giants at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
After surrendering 34 points to the New Orleans Saints last week, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson called out his defense for their lackluster effort. They responded by holding Houston’s offense to just 237 yards and 15 first downs.
Cornerback Deonte Banks and the rest of the secondary deserve credit for holding Texans star receiver Nico Collins to just two catches for six yards. Big Blue’s defense limited Houston’s ground game to just 84 yards on 25 carries.
Although the only sacked quarterback, C.J. Stroud once, the twenty-five-year-old quarterback did not have success throwing the ball downfield. He finished the game completing 17 out of 28 passes for just 153 yards with two touchdowns.
If the defense can perform like this week in and week out, they’ll be the heavy favorites to win the division.
Starting J.J. McCarthy Was The Right Decision
NFL: New York Giants at Houston Texans5
Oct 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy (18) shouts out a call at the line of scrimmage during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Some felt it would have been best to make the switch at quarterback after the bye week. But J.J. McCarthy showed today why naming him the starter was the right decision.
He completed 20 out of 28 passes for 252 yards and, more importantly, had zero turnovers. McCarthy’s ability to make plays downfield was one of the reasons why he was inserted as the starter. He displayed this early in the game as he had two 40-yard completions in the first quarter.
The 23-year-old quarterback should thrive even further now that he’ll have more time to grasp the playbook and get more practice reps with his pass catchers.
Malik Nabers Is Playing As Well As Any Receiver In The League
NFL: New York Giants at Houston Texans5
Oct 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) makes a reception as Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter (3) defends during the first quarter at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Over the past month, Malik Nabers is playing as well as any receiver in the NFL. He finished Sunday’s contest with a game-high seven receptions for 111 yards. It marked the fourth consecutive game in which he’s had at least six catches for over 100 yards. Based on how he’s playing, you would have never guessed he’s had two knee surgeries within the last year.
Despite defenses knowing Nabers is the number-one option, nobody has been able to stop him. He’s quickly developed a rapport with McCarthy, and there’s no reason to believe his streak of 100 receiving yards will end any time soon.
The Team Needs To Bring In A New Kicker To Compete With Dominic Zvada
NFL: New York Giants at Houston Texans5
Oct 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Giants placekicker Dominic Zvada (34) reacts after missing a field goal attempt during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
It wasn’t all good for New York on Sunday as Dominic Zvada missed field goals of 56 and 44 yards. Through the first four games, he’s connected on all nine of his field goal attempts. But since then, he’s converted on four out of nine attempts.
Head coach John Harbaugh has shown during his tenure with the team that if a player is not producing to expectations, there will be consequences. To maintain consistency with his message, the team needs to bring in another kicker to at least compete with the undrafted rookie for the job.