The NFL doesn’t hand out trophies for almosts. On Sunday in Denver, the New York Giants nearly authored their signature win of the season — and instead walked off the field knowing they let one slip away.
For three quarters, they weren’t just beating the Broncos, they were dismantling them in front of a sold-out Empower Field crowd and a Ring of Fame ceremony honoring Demaryius Thomas. Jaxson Dart was slinging strikes, Brian Burns was terrorizing quarterbacks, and the Giants were up 19–0 late in the third quarter.
Then came the fourth quarter, when Bo Nix and the Broncos outscored New York 25–6 and stole a 33–32 victory on Wil Lutz’s walk-off 39-yard field goal.
It was, in every sense, a heartbreaker. But it was also something else: proof that the Giants might finally have the offensive spark they’ve long been missing.
Quarter One: The Statement Drive
The Giants opened fast, something this franchise hasn’t always done. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart dropped back and found Daniel Bellinger streaking through coverage for a 44-yard touchdown. The tight end’s grab was the longest of his career and the longest Giants tight end score since Evan Engram’s 75-yarder in Tampa Bay back in 2019.
Bellinger, a reliable chain-mover for most of his young career, called it bittersweet:
“At the end of the day, it’s tough to even think because my mind is just on us not finishing the game,” he said afterward. “But those plays show the versatility of our offense… it allows us to run, pass, create mismatches. We’ve just got to keep building.”
Quarter Two: Dart Spreads It Around
Midway through the second, Dart went back to work. He found running back Cam Skattebo on a short 13-yard pass to stretch the lead. Even after Jude McAtamney’s missed PAT, the Giants had a commanding 13–0 edge with Denver showing no rhythm.
The story was the calmness of Dart. He looked decisive and poised in one of the league’s toughest environments, playing against a defense that entered the week leading the NFL in sacks.
Left tackle Andrew Thomas said the huddle told the story:
“Two-minute drive to win the game, tough environment — I thought he did a good job executing. You wouldn’t think he’s a rookie with the way he carries himself. He’s poised.”
Quarter Three: Tracy Turns Loose
If Bellinger’s touchdown showed New York’s vertical ability, Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s third-quarter gallop proved their backfield punch. The rookie back exploded for a 31-yard touchdown — the longest Giants run of the season.
At 19–0, the scoreboard looked almost surreal. Denver, honoring Super Bowl 50 alumni and a beloved Ring of Fame inductee, hadn’t found the end zone. Giants defenders were flying to the football. Burns had already notched two sacks. Safety Dane Belton and linebacker Abdul Carter delivered tone-setting hits.
Inside linebacker Bobby Okereke recalled:
“We came out in the first three quarters and we played very physical, we played with great urgency. Once momentum shifted, that’s where we’ve got to grow as a team and stop the bleeding.”
That bleeding came quick.
Quarter Four: Collapse at Altitude
Football is a 60-minute game. The Giants learned that the hard way.
Bo Nix — jittery and ineffective through three quarters — suddenly morphed into a playmaker. He engineered touchdown after touchdown, using his legs and quick-strike throws. Denver cut it to 19–8, then 26–16, then 26–23.
When Nix scored on an 18-yard scamper with five minutes left, the Broncos took their first lead at 30–26.
To Dart’s credit, he didn’t flinch. He marched the Giants 65 yards in seven plays, capping it with a one-yard QB sneak to reclaim the lead, 32–30. McAtamney’s second missed PAT would loom large.
“Resilient,” Bellinger said of his quarterback. “The one word I can describe Jaxson as is resilient and a leader. He’s feeling tough right now, but I think he played great. You wouldn’t think he’s a rookie the way he carries himself.”
The poise was real. But so was Denver’s final drive. Nix found Courtland Sutton on a back-shoulder strike — a play Sean Payton admitted was installed just the day before. Sutton’s catch set up Lutz for the game-winner.
“It just sucks,” Dart said. “I hate losing. It’s just a bad feeling.”
The Interception That Lingered
The turning point, though, came earlier. With the Giants up late, Daboll dialed up a pass on third-and-five. Dart dropped back, but his feet tangled, and the throw never cleared the linebacker. Interception. Denver scored quickly, and the avalanche began.
Daboll defended the decision:
“I have confidence in Jaxson… I thought we had a good play called. Credit Denver, they made a play.”
Dart didn’t make excuses:
“My feet got a little stuck in the ground. That’s just unacceptable. I can’t do that.”
Thomas put it bluntly:
“There’s no secret sauce to winning. It’s execution in moments that matter. When the game is on the line, execute, do your job, and that’s how you win.”
Burns and the Defense: Dominant Then Disrupted
If the offense gave fans a glimpse of the future, the defense gave them déjà vu. Burns recorded 2.0 sacks for the second straight week, pushing his total to 9.0. He joined Dexter Lawrence, Michael Strahan, and Leonard Marshall as the only Giants since 1982 with that many through seven games.
But the fourth quarter raised questions. With Denver surging, coordinator Shane Bowen called a “rush three, drop eight” look. Players noticed.
Okereke admitted:
“Obviously frustrations boil over in a tough emotional loss like that. But it’s not one player, one coach, one position group. Everybody really had their hands in the pot in this loss. It’s just that aggressiveness of having the details to finish.”
Asked about Bowen’s scheme, Okereke added:
“100 percent we’re all bought in. From a team perspective, it’s better to point the thumb and figure out what I can do better as an individual.”
The Kicking Game: Margins That Matter
McAtamney’s two missed PATs were glaring. Afterward, the young kicker didn’t hide:
“I missed vital points at vital times today. The snap and hold was good. It was just my lack of execution. I’m not going to shy away from my mistakes and letting the team down.”
On the final miss, he thought it was good:
“Honestly, when it came off the foot, I thought it was good. Went for it, looked up and it was wide right. I was as shocked as everyone else.”
Daboll confirmed the operation was clean. It was simply a miss — and it changed the game’s math.
Denver’s View: Respect for New York
From the other sideline, there was admiration. Payton:
“Tip your hats to New York, those guys have found a new juice about them. You can see that on tape.”
Nix echoed:
“We just saved all our good ones for the fourth quarter. But give credit — they played a great game. They had us.”
Courtland Sutton, who delivered the final dagger, praised the Giants’ fight:
“They had a great game plan. They played a great game. Until that clock says 0:00, you’ve got a chance. They made us earn it.”
The Rookie QB Conversation
Dart’s numbers put him in historic company. He became the first Giants rookie QB since Charlie Conerly in 1948 to throw three touchdowns and rush for another in the same game. He also joined Justin Herbert and Deshaun Watson as the only rookie quarterbacks since 2000 responsible for 10 total touchdowns in their first four starts.
For all the mistakes, the kid is producing.
Bellinger framed it best:
“In that huddle, you wouldn’t think he’s a rookie the way he carries himself. He’s going to have a lot of success in this league.”
Daboll, who has been careful not to anoint too early, still praised the poise:
“Tough environment, he played his butt off. A lot of mental toughness and ability to execute under pressure… there are things to learn from, but he’s doing everything he can to put us in good positions.”
The Accountability Thread
In the aftermath, no one pointed fingers. Thomas spoke of technique. Okereke of detail. Bellinger of resilience. Dart of mistakes he can’t make. McAtamney of kicks he has to hit.
Daboll summed it up:
“It’s not about one play, one player, one position. It’s collective. We’ve all got to do a better job. It starts with me.”
That’s what you want to hear after a loss like this. Because accountability is the first step to finishing.
Big Picture: What’s Next?
The Giants have a short week before seeing Philadelphia again. And as Thomas noted, divisional games are about adjustments, not surprises. “We know them, they know us,” he said. “It’s about execution.”
Execution — that word again.
The Giants aren’t just losing games; they’re losing opportunities. The offense is showing real juice. The defense has an elite pass rusher at the peak of his powers. The quarterback is ahead of schedule in some ways. The locker room is saying the right things.
Now it has to translate.
Thomas: “When the game is on the line, execute, do your job, and that’s how you win.”
Okereke: “Fourth quarter, both teams are tired. It comes down to details and execution.”
Dart: “We have to be able to finish the game.”
They’re all saying the same thing. The challenge is doing it.
Final Word
In Denver, the Giants found their spark — vertical plays, rookie poise, a defense capable of dictating games. They also found out just how fragile leads are in the NFL.
If they keep the juice and add the finish, this won’t just be remembered as a game they lost. It’ll be remembered as the game they grew up.
For now, it’s a painful lesson. But it’s also an opportunity.
The Giants showed who they can be. Now it’s about who they will be when the clock hits zero.
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