Giants beat Packers on last-second field goal for third straight win

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — The New York Giants continued their late-season surge as Randy Bullock kicked a game-winning field goal to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 24-22 win at MetLife Stadium.

After a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Malik Heath with 1:33 left put the Packers (6-7) up 22-21, undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito led a 57-yard run for the winner. But the Giants (5-8) didn’t back down and, after winning their third straight, now sit one game behind the Packers and four other teams for the NFC’s final wild-card spot.

New York Giants

Impossible to ignore at this point: The Giants are in the NFC playoff race following a win over the Packers at MetLife Stadium.

The Giants are a game behind five teams, including the Packers, who are coming off their third straight win, and Bullock has no time left. They do that with DeVito at quarterback and behind a defense that forces turnovers at an incredible rate. New York forced three turnovers again Monday night. The Giants have now forced 12 turnovers in their last three games — all wins.

DeVito’s magical run led the Giants 57 yards on seven plays for the winning field goal. He went 4-of-4 for 53 yards on the final drive.

Next week’s matchup in New Orleans makes sense for both teams in terms of the final playoff spot in a weak NFC.

QB Breakdown: It wasn’t a perfect performance, but DeVito made enough big plays (especially in the second half) to win for the third time in four starts. DeVito finished 17-of-21 for 158 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. He also ran for 71 yards.

DeVito has now thrown seven touchdown passes to just one interception and not lost a fumble in his four starts. He takes care of the ball, makes enough big plays and allows the Giants to ride their defense.

His recently adopted nickname, “Tommy Cutlets,” threw out his trademark pinched-fingers celebration late in the third quarter when he hit Isaiah Hodgins with a perfect pass and an 8-yard touchdown run to put the Giants up 21. -13. Let the DeVito craze continue.

Troubled trend: Poor special teams play. That’s been a problem early this season, and it reared its ugly head Monday night. The most costly mistake was a punt return midway through the third quarter on a short kick. Returner Gunner Olszewski didn’t seem to alert his teammates to the short kick until it was too late, when it bounced off Bobby McCain’s shoulder pad and was recovered deep in Giants territory. This eventually led to three free points for the Packers. These are the mistakes giants must avoid. And they have done it often this season.

Eye-popping next-gen status: 20.25 mph. That’s the pace wide receiver Von Dale Robinson has hit since he hit running back Saquon Barkley from the Wildcat for a 32-yard gain in the second quarter. It was the fastest hit by Robinson this season. Is coming off a torn ACL as a rookie. That run set up a 5-yard touchdown run by Barkley on the next play to make it 7–7 early in the second quarter. — Jordan Ranan

Next game: At Saints (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Green Bay Packers

The previous two games showed that the Packers can beat anyone, even some of the best teams in the NFL in the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs.

Monday night showed they can still be beaten by anyone, even a Giants team whose four-game winning streak came against the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots and Washington Commanders (twice).

That’s why everyone who wanted to put the Packers in the playoffs after last week’s upset of Kansas City got them back to .500 at 6-6 and has so many young players who haven’t experienced a playoff push before.

Monday night’s loss dropped the Packers to 6-7 in the six-team bracket and dropped their playoff chances to 47%, according to ESPN Analytics. A win would keep their playoff chances at 76%. The schedule still works in their favor with only one team remaining with a winning record (Minnesota 7-6) among their Final Four opponents.

Describe the game in two words: Unreal ending. It looked like the Giants had won before Barkley fumbled in Packers territory on a 33-yard gain with 3:34 left. The Packers then looked like they had won when Love threw a 6-yard touchdown to Heath with 1:33 left. Then the Giants actually won with a field goal as time expired.

Problematic trend: Keisean Nixon’s third-quarter fumble was the Packers’ seventh lost fumble on a punt return since Matt LaFleur became Packers coach in 2019. That’s second only to the Titans (with eight) in that span. It was the Packers’ third turnover of the game. The previous time this season they had three giveaways was a Week 5 loss at the Raiders, also on “Monday Night Football.”

Complex trend II: The Packers have yet to have a 100-yard rusher or 100-yard receiver in a game this season. They are one of two teams without (the Patriots being the other). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time since 1934 that the Packers did not have a 100-yard rusher or receiver in their first 13 games.

Promising Trend: Rookie Jayden Reed knows how to find the end zone. It doesn’t matter if it’s a ball carrier or a receiver. The 16-yarder in the first quarter was his seventh touchdown of the season, tied for second behind Dolphins running back De’Von Achan (with nine) along with Bijaon Robinson, Jordan Addison and Tank Dell. . Reid (with two) and DeBeau Samuel (five) are tied for the league lead with as many rushing touchdowns this season. — Rob Demowski

Next game: vs. Buccaneers (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)