The New York Giants finished their season with a 34-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, losing draft position while winning a game for the second straight week. Let’s review with our unique ‘Kudos and Wet Willies’ for the final time during the 2025-26 season.
Kudos to …
Gunner Olszewski — Before Sunday, Olszweski had never had more than two receptions in a game, and his career high in yards was 39. Without Wan’Dale Robinson and Theo Johnson the Giants needed someone to catch passes, though, and the six-year veteran return man stepped up. He caught eight passes in nine targets for 102 yards. Olszewski had only two receptions on four targets before Sunday.
Tyrone Tracy — Tracy entered the game needing 131 yards from scrimmage to pass 1,000. He ended up with 103 yards rushing on 18 carries and 56 yards receiving on eight receptions for 159 total yards and has now surpasses 1,000 total yards from scrimmage in both of his NFL seasons. He finishes the year with 1,028 total yards. Tracy was overshadowed by Cam Skattebo earlier in the season, but he is an excellent player. His only blemish Sunday was a third-quarter fumble.
Bobby Okereke — The veteran linebacker had a first-quarter fumble recovery and a fourth-quarter interception. The interception was his second in as many weeks. The fumble rec. overy led to a Ben Sauls field goal, the interception to a Devin Singletary touchdown. That’s two interceptions in two weeks for Okereke. He also chipped in with six tackles and a pass defensed.
John Mara — The Giants co-owner catches a lot of flak from fans because of the team’s struggles. Everyone, though, can agree that cancer sucks and we wish Mara well in his battle against it. The Giants gave Mara a game ball after Sunday’s victory.
Mara got his flowers from several players in the locker room after the game.
Art Green — Green made two big plays for the Giants’ beleagured special teams. He downed a Jamie Gillan punt at the 1-yard line, and ran down Kavonte Turpin of Dallas on an 84-yard kickoff return. The first set up a Bobby Okereke fumble recovery. The second was an excellent hustle play, but Dallas ended up scoring a touchdown anyway.
Ben Sauls — The rookie placekicker was 4 of 4 on field goals Sunday, making kicks from 45, 35, 23, and 30 yards. He finishes the season 8 of 8 on field goal attempts and 7 of 7 on extra points.
Jaxson Dart — The rookie quarterback went 22 of 32 for 230 yards and two touchdown passes, with a passer rating of 110.2. Dart’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Bellinger was a creative flip to Bellinger under pressure, with Bellinger doing the rest.
Mike Kafka — He finishes the year 2-5 as the Giants interim head coach. Kafka did a couple of things I am sure players appreciated on Sunday, getting the ball to Tyrone Tracy often enough to get him past 1,000 yards from scrimmage for a second straight year and getting a shovel pass to Gunner Olszewski late in the game to push him past 100 receiving yards for the first time in his career.
Kafka probably is not getting the Giants full-time head coaching job, but he did a number of good things after being handed a mess when the Giants fired Brian Daboll. Kafka is a class act, and I do hope he gets a head-coaching opportunity one day.
Related
Wet Willies to …
Brian Schottenheimer — The Dallas coach gets this one for not playing to win. He pulled quarterback Dak Prescott at halftime. Blame or credit Chris Pflum for this one. His idea.
The Giants, for getting things backwards — The Giants the season losing games they should have won, then they won two games at the end of the year when many felt they would have been better served to lose and get a higher draft pick.
Olszewski’s passing — As great a day as Olszewski had receiving, his passing left a lot to be desired. Olszewski threw a touchdown pass to quarterback Jameis Winston earlier in the season. In the fourth quarter on Sunday the Giants dialed up a reverse pass and Olszewski short-hopped blocking tight end Chris Manhertz on what should have been a walk-in touchdown.
Kwillies to …
xx
See More:
