The New York Giants fell 27-20 to the Green Bay Packers in a competitive game on Sunday where the Giants out-gained Green Bay 336-296 yards, and had the ball more than 10 minutes longer. Still, New York fell in the wacky and windy conditions at MetLife Stadium. Both teams missed extra points and the kicking was a problem for each squad; this prompted first-time head coach Mike Kafka to go for four total fourth-down attempts – three on the same drive with the final one ending incomplete at the Green Bay 10-yard line.
The Jameis Winston experience was predictable, albeit the conditions slightly limited the deep passing attack. Winston converted 7 of 14 third downs and three-of-four attempts on fourth down. He was also nearly intercepted on four occasions before finally being intercepted in the final minute with the Giants driving for a potential winning score.. Winston wasn’t spectacular, but he did enough to give the Giants a chance to win against a superior opponent that has struggled the last two weeks. Here are the grades for the Giants in this Week 11 loss against the Green Bay Packers.
Quarterback
The Giants ran the football in the windy conditions of MetLife Stadium with Winston operating a fun – but precarious – passing attack. Winston was clutch in crucial situations, but he also put the football in harm’s way several times. However, the football that was secured by Green Bay’s defense may not have been the fault of Winston; Jalin Hyatt – who was in witness protection prior to today – seemed to forfeit on the route, leading to the pick with just over 30 seconds left in the game.
Winston did enough to make the game entertaining and competitive in windy conditions. He was 19/29 for 201 yards with a pick and a strip sack fumble (by Micah Parsons on final play). He also had a rushing touchdown.
Grade: B-
Running Back
The Giants ground game stabilized their offensive attack. Kafka continued to diversify the rushing attack and both Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary responded. The Giants maximized the quality blocks – it was easily both the backs best games of the season. Tracy finished with 19 carries for 88 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and Singletary was 16 for 44 yards with two rushing touchdowns (2.8 YPC). Tracy added four catches on four targets for 51 yards.
The rushing attack allowed the Giants’ offense to possess the football for over 10 more minutes than Green Bay. The Giants had the football for 35:56 to Green Bay’s 24:04.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver
Darius Slayton missed the game, leaving an already weak wide receiver corps without a team captain. Isaiah Hodgins rejoined the Giants and immediately became part of the offense. He secured a clutch 20-yard catch on the Giants’ opening touchdown drive and later contributed in the quick game for Jameis Winston, grabbing a pair of critical fourth-down conversions in the second half.
Hodgins finished with five receptions on six targets for 57 yards. Wan’Dale Robinson added four catches on nine targets for 36 yards, and Jalin Hyatt hauled in two of four targets for 18 yards. Winston also targeted Hyatt on a red-zone corner route, but the young receiver appeared to stop his route prematurely. It’s unclear why, but the miscommunication led to what was essentially the game-sealing interception.
Grade: B-
Tight End
Theo Johnson was excellent. He drew a pass interference on an underthrown seam ball that set up Devin Singletary’s second touchdown rush of the game. Johnson secured an important third-and-7 for 14 yards at the beginning of the fourth quarter as well and then a third-and-5 with under four minutes to go in the game. He finished with three catches for 36 yards on four targets.
The tight ends had a crucial role in the rushing attack with key blocks that allowed the Giants to stay ahead of the chains and possess the football. The Giants used a lot of 12 and some 13 personnel to establish the run.
Grade: A-
Offensive Line
The Giants offensive line dictated throughout the entire game, as Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary ripped off quality run after quality run. Jameis Winston was afforded several in-tact pockets; he was only sacked twice and one of them was the last play of the game on a Hail Mary. Overall, the offensive line did a very good job against a quality defense.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
Jordan Love was often on the run in the pocket. Dexter Lawrence narrowly missed two sacks and was providing quality interior pressure all game. The Packers weren’t hitting massive runs to the interior, but runs on the outside were available for the Green Bay offense. Matt Lafleur’s squad averaged a healthy 5.6 yards per carry, but that’s including an end-around to Bo Melton that went for 17 yards and a Malik Willis 16-yard rush. Emanuel Wilson averaged just 3.6 yards per carry but Josh Jacobs averaged 5.7 yards on seven carries before he left the game.
Grade: B
Edge
Tomon Fox started over Abdul Carter in a disciplinary move by interim head coach Mike Kafka. Carter returned and earned several quick pressures off the edge, which was coupled with good interior pressure from Lawrence. Brian Burns continues to be a sack artist with an immense impact on the game. The Giants sacked Love twice, both of which were Love falling after attempting to evade sacks – Burns was the recipient of both sacks.
Grade: B+
Linebacker
Both Bobby Okereke and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles made impact plays and brought necessary physicality. The latter punched the football out of Luke Musgrave’s hands with less than a minute left in the first half; it appeared like a football move by Musgrave, but replay review ruled it incomplete – that could have been a massive play for the Giants’ defense in a tie game.
Flannigan-Fowles appears to be an upgrade as a run defender over Darius Muasau, but the former San Francisco 49er – and predominant special teams’ player – is still a work in progress in coverage; he was culpable for Wilson’s two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter.
Grade: B-
Cornerback
Paulson Adebo was expected to return, but he experienced knee discomfort during pregame warm-ups—an unfortunate setback for the Giants. Even so, the defense opened the game playing some of their best man coverage of the season. Love struggled to find answers against the interior pressure and tight coverage from the Giants’ corners, including Tae Banks. However, Banks remains a significant liability in the run game, and Green Bay targeted him with designed plays that forced him to set the edge—something he continues to struggle with.
Christian Watson capitalized on the Giants’ coverage during the Packers’ late touchdown drive. Isolated against Korie Black, Watson hauled in a beautiful far-hash throw from Love. Black’s coverage was solid, but the placement was perfect. Cor’Dale Flott delivered several important moments—most notably a physical peanut-punch that forced a fumble out of bounds in the first half—but he also surrendered some plays, including the third-and-10 conversion to Savion Williams late in the fourth quarter. Overall, the coverage on many of the Giants’ surrendered completions wasn’t poor; the Packers simply executed at a higher level when it mattered.
Grade: B –
Safety
Tyler Nubin missed the game and Dane Belton joined Jevon Holland in the starting lineup. Holland was picked by Christian Watson at the line of scrimmage on the Josh Whylie touchdown early in the second half. That came two plays after Belton was guilty of pass interference versus Matthew Golden on an underthrown pass; it’s pretty difficult for defensive backs to guard these underthrown deep balls. Regardless, that was a bad sequence for the safety tandem.
Grade: C
Special teams
Brian Daboll is no longer with the New York Giants but peculiar special teams play continues to be a storyline with the 2025 New York Giants. A chop block penalty on Austin Schlottmann on the Giants’ second extra-point attempt negated a converted point and Younghoe Koo missed the extra point from 48 yards on the next play. Jamie Gillan punted the football twice with a 45-yard average; he didn’t do anything poorly, per se, but Daniel Whelan – the Packers’ punter – had two difference making punts with two that were pinned inside the twenty yard line. Whelan was a difference maker for the Packers. Tae Banks averaged 27 yards on four returns. The wind was an issue for both teams.
Grade: C
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