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

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

Undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito led a 57-yard run for the game-winner after the Packers (6-7) took a 22-21 lead on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Malik Heath with 1:33 left. But the Giants (5-8) were undeterred and, after a third straight victory, are now one game behind the Packers and four other teams for the NFC's final wild card spot.

New York Giants

It's impossible to ignore at this point: the Giants are in the NFC playoff race after their victory against the Packers at MetLife Stadium.

The Giants are one game behind five teams, including the Packers, from their third straight victory, thanks to a game-winning field goal by Bullock with time remaining. They do it with DeVito at quarterback and behind a defense that forces turnovers at an incredible rate. New York forced three more turnovers Monday night. The Giants have now forced 12 turnovers in the last three games – all wins.

DeVito's magical run included leading the Giants 57 yards in seven plays for the game-winning field goal. The undrafted rookie completed 4 of 4 passes for 53 yards on the final drive.

Next week's game in New Orleans now becomes significant for both teams when it comes to the final playoff spot in the 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 completed 17 of 21 passes for 158 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also ran for 71 yards.

DeVito has now thrown seven touchdown passes to just one interception without a lost fumble in his four starts. He takes care of the ball, makes enough big plays and allows the Giants to drive their defense.

“Tommy Cutlets,” the nickname he recently accepted, even got a chance to celebrate his trademark pinched fingers when he hit Isaiah Hodgins with a perfect running pass for an 8-yard touchdown at the late in the third quarter to give the Giants a 21 lead. -13. Let the DeVito craze continue.

Troubling trend: Special teams playing poorly. This was an issue earlier this season, and it reared its ugly head Monday night. The costliest mistake occurred on a punt return midway through the third quarter on a short kick. Returner Gunner Olszewski didn't appear to alert his teammates of the short kick until it was too late, and it hit Bobby McCain's shoulder pad and was recovered deep in Giants territory. This ultimately led to three free points for the Packers. These are the kinds of mistakes the Giants need to avoid. They've done them too often this season.

Mind-blowing next-gen stat: 20.25 mph. That's the speed receiver Wan'Dale Robinson achieved on his handoff from running back Saquon Barkley away from the Wildcat for a 32-yard gain in the second quarter. It was the fastest speed Robinson has reached this season following a torn ACL as a rookie. That run set up Barkley for a 5-yard touchdown on the very next play to make it 7-7 early in the second quarter. — Jordan Raanan

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, the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs.

On Monday night, they showed they could still be beaten by anyone, even a Giants team whose four wins before this game had come against the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots and the Washington Commanders (twice).

This is why everyone who wanted to put the Packers in the playoffs immediately after last week's loss to Kansas City got them down to .500 at 6-6 should have understood what can happen in the final month of a season to a team that has so many young players who have never had a playoff push before.

Monday night's loss put the Packers in a six-team bracket at 6-7, and cut their playoff chances to 47 percent, according to ESPN Analytics. A win would have increased their playoff chances to 76%. The schedule still works in their favor, as there is currently only one team left with a winning record (Minnesota at 7-6) among their last four opponents.

Describe the game in two words: Unreal ending. The Giants appeared to have won before Barkley fumbled at the end of a 33-yard gain into Packers territory with 3:34 remaining. Then the Packers appeared to have won when Love threw a 6-yard touchdown to Heath with 1:33 left. Then the Giants actually won it with a field goal as time expired.

Disturbing trend: Keisean Nixon's fumble in the third quarter was the Packers' seventh lost fumble on a punt return since Matt LaFleur became the Packers' coach in 2019. That's tied with the Titans for second in this period behind only the Chiefs (with eight). It was the third turnover of the game for the Packers. The only time they had three giveaways this season was the Week 5 loss to the Raiders, also on “Monday Night Football.

Disturbing Trend II: The Packers still don't have a 100-yard rusher or 100-yard receiver in a game this season. They are one of only two teams not to do so (the Patriots are the other). According to Elias Sports Bureau, this is the first time since 1934 that the Packers have not had an individual 100-yard rusher or receiver in their first 13 games.

Promising trend: Rookie Jayden Reed knows how to find the end zone. And it doesn't matter whether it's as a ball carrier or a receiver. His 16-yard run for a score in the first quarter was his seventh touchdown of the season, tied with Bijan Robinson, Jordan Addison and Tank Dell for second among all rookies behind Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (with nine) . Reed (with two) and Deebo Samuel (five) are the only receivers in the league with multiple rushing touchdowns this season. — Rob Demovsky

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