The New York Giants (5-10) played host to the Los Angeles Rams (8-7) at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon in a clash between two of the NFC’s most storied franchises.
The Rams entered the game winners of five of their last six while the Giants came in losers of their last two games.
The Giants were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16 while the Rams came in as the NFC’s sixth seed.
No one knew what to expect but what they got was one of the most entertaining football games of the year — even if it was rather ugly and ended poorly for the Giants.
Final score: Rams 26, Giants 25
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Giants | 0 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 25 |
| Rams | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 26 |
Keys to the game
- The Rams went 3-3 in the red zone while the Giants were 0-2.
- The Rams had just three accepted penalties for 28 yards in this game. The Giants had seven for 65 yards and several negated big gains.
- Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw for 319 yards, the highest total by Big Blue this season. Daniel Jones threw for 312 yards against Arizona in Week 2.
- Execution continued to be an issue for all three units. Missed tackles and blocks, missed kicks, dropped passes, etc. plagued the team again.
- Matthew Stafford passed for 317 yards. It was just the fourth time the Giants have allowed a 300-yard passer this season. They are now 0-4 in such games.
It was over when...
Giants kicker Mason Crosby hocked a 54-yard field goal wide left with 34 seconds remaining to seal the Rams’ 26-25 victory.
The Giants had plenty of opportunities to win the game. Crosby missed a field goal and a point after and the Giants also blew a two-point conversion when Tyrod Taylor missed a wide-open Saquon Barkley on what would have been a certain score.
Players of the game
- Safety Dane Belton had two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
- Wide receiver Darius Slayton had four catches for 106 yards, which included an 80-yard touchdown catch.
- Quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw for 319 yards on 27 of 41 passing. He also rushed for 40 yards on six attempts.
- Punt returner Gunner Olszewski scored on a 94-yard punt return in the fourth quarter. It was the Giants’ first punt return for a touchdown since Dwayne Harris’ 80-yard return versus the Jets in Week 13 of the 2015 season.
- Linebacker Bobby Okereke led the Giants with 10 total tackles and recorded 1.5 sacks.
Injuries
With rookie cornerback Deonte Banks (shoulder) out, Nick McCloud got the start.
Saquon Barkley went into the medical tent in the second quarter but returned the following possession.
Right tackle Tyre Phillips injured his left leg in the first series of the game and left the field to be evaluated. He was replaced by Matt Peart and returned on the Giants’ next possession. Phillips was knocked out of the game for good with a knee injury in the second half.
Safety Jason Pinnock limped off the field in the first quarter with an ankle injury and headed toward the locker room. Dane Belton came in for him. Pinnock was ruled out for the rest of the game in the second quarter.
What's next?
Head coach Brian Daboll will hold a Zoom call with the team’s beat writers on Monday afternoon before a few players are also made available.
Big Blue will return to practice on Wednesday ahead of a Week 18 game against the Philadelphia Eagles on a day that is TBD at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Kickoff is also TBD.
