EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Snapping a franchise-record 10-game losing streak, winning for the first time at home this season and ending the Indianapolis Colts' slim playoff hopes Sunday didn't salvage the season for the New York Giants.
The main positive in the 45-33 win that Drew Lock led with four touchdown passes and a late TD run was the Giants (3-13) got to walk off the field with smiles for the first time in months after a season of misery that will could lead to major changes.
Another factor from the win: New York no longer has control of the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Giants coach Brian Daboll, who has had two straight losing seasons following a playoff berth in 2022 in his first year, said that he was happy the team got a chance to celebrate after losing eight straight at MetLife Stadium.
“Those guys put a lot into it. They come out, they grind every day. They have good attitudes,” Daboll said. “It’s never easy when you when are losing. But I’m proud of the character and all the people in the building, and I’m mostly happy for them.”
Lock, who threw two pick-6s in the loss to Atlanta a week ago, sandwiched touchdown passes of 31 and 59 yards to Malik Nabers around TD passes of 32 yards to Darius Slayton and 5 yards to Wan'Dale Robinson in leading the Giants (3-13) to their first win since beating Seattle on Oct. 6.
“I've won a lot in my life,” Slayton said. "I wouldn’t say I ever forget the feeling of winning, but, you know, obviously it’s nice to get that feeling back today.”
Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a 100-yard return on the second-half kickoff on a day the league's worst offense set a season high for points.
Jonathan Taylor scored on runs of 3 and 26 yards for Indianapolis (7-9), while Joe Flacco, subbing for the injured Anthony Richardson, threw touchdown passes of 13 yards to Alec Pierce and 7 yards to Michael Pittman, the last bringing the Colts within 35-33 with 6:38 left in the fourth quarter.
Lock, who finished 17 of 23 for 309 yards, clinched the game by leading a nine-play, 70-yard drive that he capped with a 5-yard run.
“It’s kudos to him,” said Nabers, who now has 104 catches for 1,140 yards and six touchdowns. “He looked over the film, found some things that he could get better on and did all that through the week, and it showed how good he can be.”
The 45 points were the most for New York since putting up 49 in a 52-49 loss to the Saints in 2015. It’s the Giants most in a win since a 45-14 rout against Washington in 2014 and most at home since a 52-27 win against the Saints in 2012.
The No. 6 overall pick in the draft, Nabers finished with seven catches for a career-high 171 yards.
“That’s why we drafted him, where we drafted him,” Daboll said. “I’ve been asked about it since training camp and I think the response has been, ‘He’s a pretty good football player.’”
Flacco was 26 of 38 for 330 yards with two interceptions, the second by rookie Dru Phillips shortly after Lock's TD run. Taylor, who rushed for 218 yards in a win over Tennessee last week, finished with 125 yards on 32 carries. Pierce had six catches for 122 yards.
The Colts came into the game needing to win their final two games and also get help to make the playoffs.
“We had something to play for today and obviously we didn’t get it done," Flacco said.
The Colts haven't made the playoffs since posting an 11-5 record in 2020.
“It's hard to explain,” said Colts coach Shane Steichen, who led the team to a 9-8 record in his first season in 2023. “We had to play a complete game. We haven’t done it all year. We have to be on the same page, and to go out there like that is obviously not good enough.”
Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy become the third pair of rookies to have more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in the same season. The previous duo was running back Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston of the Saints in 2006.
Colts: Richardson was inactive with foot and back injuries sustained against Tennessee.
Giants: DL Armon Watts (knee) was ruled out in the first half.
Colts: Finish the regular season by hosting Jacksonville next Sunday.
Giants: At Philadelphia to face Saquon Barkley and the Eagles next Sunday.
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