Week 17 Grades: Aaayyyy! Giants Finally Look Like a Competent Football Team

The Giants emerged victorious in a 45-33 scoring shootout with the Colts.

Dec 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) signs an autograph after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

East Rutherford, N.J. - Grading the New York Giants’ 45-33 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Offense. W17: Offense. A. Where has this production been?.

Where has this been for the last five years? The last time the Giants put 40+ points on the board was in Week 16 of the 2019 season. This week, quarterback Drew Lock looked like Eli Manning in his prime, completing 17 of 23 passes for 309 yards and–count ‘em–four touchdown passes while also running in a fifth one. 

If it were not for Eagles running back Saquon Barkley doing Saquon Barkley-esque things, Lock would almost certainly be this week’s NFC Offensive Player of the Week award winner.

Tyrone Tracy Jr and Malik Naberts made history as only the third pair of rookie teammates to crack 1,000 yards from scrimmage in the season, the mark last set by Reggie Bush and Marques Colston of the Saints in 2006. Nabers’ 171 receiving yards marked a new single-game high–not bad, considering he was questionable with a toe injury.

Just the 3rd rookie duo EVER to hit 1k apiece 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SsRQI3WReN

— New York Giants (@Giants) December 29, 2024

Can we also talk about the offensive line, which was missing starting center John Michael Schmitz this week, which forced them to move Greg Van Roten over to center?

Zero sacks and only one quarterback hit were allowed during the entire game. Pro Football Focus had the unit down for five pressures allowed all game. 

The run blocking wasn’t as solid–even with Tracy’s 40-yard rush, the Giants still finished averaging 2.7 yards per attempt. But no matter.

The passing game came to play and kept this team in a scoring shootout with the Colts that ended with the most combined points scored by both teams in the series' history.

W17: Defense . B. Solid enough and came through when it mattered most.. . Defense

Yes, the Colts scored 33 points while recording five big chunk plays of 20+, two of which went for 30+ yards. 

However, thanks to the offense finally showing some explosiveness, it didn’t matter at the end of the day, nor did it matter that the Colts racked up 446 yards of total offense in this game or that receivers Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce each finished with 100+ yards receiving, or that Jonathan Taylor finished with 125 rushing yards. 

New York Giants safety Dane Belton (24) celebrates after catching an interception during a game between New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. / Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What did matter were three takeaways–a fumble recovery and two interceptions of passes by Colts starter Joe Flacco, including one on the opening drive deep in the end zone.

What also mattered were two sacks, six tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, four quarterback hits, and only five missed tackles.

Brian Burns continues to be like VISA on the field–he was everywhere. Burns posted six tackles, three tackles for loss, and a quarterback hit. 

His partner in crime, Kayvon Thibodeaux, had a mostly quiet game for three-plus quarters, but when it mattered most, he rose to the occasion with a huge strip sack that came inside of the game’s final two minutes on 2nd-and-10 from the Colts 30-yard line to seal the seal for the Giants.

And how about Dru Phillips and Dane Belton, each of whom came up with an interception to snuff out the Colts’ scoring drive? 

W16: Special Teams. A. Wow!. . Special Teams

It was just a matter of time before Ihmir Smith-Marsette would take it to the house. He did that on the opening kickoff to start the second half, executing it just like it was probably drawn up on the chalkboard when he split the front line of blockers and ran untouched for 100 yards to give the Giants a 28-13 lead. 

Dec 15, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (87) reacts during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jamie Gillan had another solid day of punting, with only one of his three punts being returned for seven yards. Ditto for Graham Gano, whose eight kickoffs all went for touchbacks. Gano’s lone field goal attempt of 30 yards was spot-on, as were all his PATs.

W17: Coaching. A. Persistence paid off.. . Coaching

For those who thought the players were starting to tune out Daboll amid the 10-game losing streak, they sure did play hard for the coach. Daboll also did a pretty good job with his play-calling this week.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll walks out of the tunnel prior to the start of the a game between New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. / Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While it’s too soon to say if he saved his job (assuming it was hanging by a thread, as has been believed to be the case), he showed moxie in getting this team ready and cleaning up many of the problems that doomed it in recent weeks.

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