New York Giants: Takeaways From Electric Thursday Night Win

The biggest takeaway from this game is the impact the rookies had. Dart went head-to-head with the Super Bowl MVP, completing 17/25 passes for 195 yards and one touchdown, with another score on the ground. He’s brought a spark to Big Blue that they desperately needed.

Cam Skattebo played the best game of his career so far, rushing 19 times for 98 yards and three touchdowns. The Eagles were without star defensive tackle Jalen Carter, and Skattebo powered right through the line.

Dart and Skattebo had some huge plays, powering through defenders for essential gains. They were 11-16 on third down in this game, while Philly was 1-9 in the same situation. The Giants finally have that big-play ability they were missing.

Despite a win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4 and a loss to the Saints on Sunday, this felt like the turning point for the Giants. Dart and Skattebo have shifted this team from painfully bad to one of the most exciting to watch.

Defense Wins Games

Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s playcalling is still questionable, and the Giants’ secondary struggled for most of the game. The talent and hard work shone through here. The Giants shut down the run, limiting Saquon Barkley to just 58 yards on 12 carries.

New York forced Jalen Hurts to throw the ball, something he’s been facing criticism for recently. The Eagles’ QB completed 24/33 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown. He did, however, make some extremely questionable throws.

Hurts overthrew what could’ve been a game-changing deep ball to DeVonta Smith, then threw a costly interception in the red zone to Cor’Dale Flott. The Giants’ defensive line showed up, and Brian Burns added two more sacks to his 2025 total, now tying the lead league with seven.

The defense wasn’t perfect here. Allowing 283 air yards is an indictment of how bad the secondary has struggled, but they showed up in the big moments. Bowen appears to be getting things figured out with his talent, but he still has a long way to go.

Wide Receivers Stepped Up

The Giants executed a smart game plan without Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton, but the former’s skills were still sorely missed. Wan’Dale Robinson led the team with six receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. Lil’Jordan Humphrey was finally elevated from the practice squad and showed up with four catches for 55 yards.

Theo Johnson hauled in two receptions for 27 yards, and Jalin Hyatt caught three passes for 17 yards. Skattebo broke 100 yards from scrimmage with two catches for 12 yards. New York deployed a committee receiving corps, and it worked against a Philly secondary missing Quinyon Mitchell. 

Humphrey should be a member of the active roster moving forward. At 6’4”, 225 pounds, he brings a jump-ball ability the team is missing without Nabers. He has a chemistry with Dart going back to the preseason, and needs to be on the field every week.

End Of My Giants Rant

This was a huge win for the Giants ahead of a 10-day break. It’s hard to stay excited considering the fall off between their win over LA and the loss to New Orleans . This game, however, felt like the true arrival of the Jaxson Dart era. New York faces off with the Denver Broncos next, then heads to Philadelphia for a rematch with the Eagles. 

The wins are nice, but it’s important to remember what this season is really about: the development of Dart. He’ll have experience when his top receiver is back next year. If he continues to play at a high level, and the Giants build on that in the offseason, they can give the NFC East a run for its money.