Giants 2024 season mercifully ends with 20-13 loss to Eagles, set up for No. 3 pick at 2025 NFL Draft | amNewYork

The New York Giants’ centennial season is over, forever remembered as one of the worst the franchise has ever experienced. 

In what could very well be Brian Daboll’s final game as head coach, Big Blue limped to a 20-13 loss over the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles, which was resting the majority of its big-name players in anticipation of the playoffs. The Giants finish with a 3-14 record — tied for the fewest losses during at least a 16-game season in franchise history and the most losses ever — which is tied for the worst mark in the NFL this season and will ultimately usher in an offseason of major changes. 

The New England Patriots’ upset victory over the Buffalo Bills allowed the Giants to move up into the No. 3 spot of the 2025 NFL Draft behind only the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns. It sets them up to potentially draft a quarterback like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward, or Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who excelled at both cornerback and wide receiver with Colorado this season.

A pair of ill-timed penalties ultimately helped secure the Giants’ spot in the top three at the draft. Down four in the final minutes with the Eagles trying to run the clock out, Boogie Basham jumped offside on a 4th-&-3 to give Philadelphia a first down at the two-minute warning. Just nine seconds later, on a 3rd-&-11, Kayvon Thibodeaux roughed up McKee to give the hosts another fresh set of downs. 

It allowed the Eagles to kick a field goal with 47 seconds left to make it a seven-point game.

Sydney Brown picked off quarterback Drew Lock with 36 seconds remaining to clinch the loss. The Giants went 0-6 against NFC East opponents this season, making it the first time in franchise history that they failed to win a game against a divisional opponent. 

Lock, who passed for over 300 yards and four touchdowns last week against the Indianapolis Colts in a win that ultimately destroyed the Giants’ chances of getting the No. 1 overall pick at the draft, completed 22 of 29 passes for 138 yards with a touchdown and that pick.

His lone score came four-and-a-half minutes into the fourth quarter when he connected with Malik Nabers on a 45-yard touchdown. It provided a highlight-reel-worthy play on an afternoon in which the rookie wide receiver set a Giants franchise record with 109 receptions this season.

Lock was outdueled by Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee, who completed 27 of 41 passes in place of Jalen Hurts for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He hit Anais Smith for a 15-yard score with 6:51 to go in the first quarter to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

While the Giants accrued just 84 yards of total offense in the first half, the Eagles could only tack on a field goal before the halftime break for a 10-0 lead. 

New York kicker Graham Gano tacked on his team’s first points of the day with a 25-yard field goal — the only scoring of the third quarter — to make it a seven-point game. McKee answered five seconds into the fourth quarter when he hit EJ Jenkins for a seven-yard score. 

Lock’s long touchdown to Nabers provided an unnecessary lifeline for the Giants, who stood to benefit more from a loss, with 10:32 left in the game. A quick stop by the defense set up a 38-yard punt return by Ihmir Smith-Marsette to put the Giants back in business, but they settled for a 53-yard field goal by Gano with 7:21 remaining to make it a four-point game.

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