Jameis Winston kept answering, and the Giants kept hanging around until the Cardinals finally ran out of rope.
Winston threw for three touchdowns Sunday as New York beat Arizona 36-24 in East Rutherford, N.J., a game that swung back and forth before the Giants seized control late. He finished 18 of 29 for 250 yards, and the numbers came with some baggage: two interceptions, four sacks, and a handful of tense moments. Still, when New York needed the biggest throw of the day, Winston delivered an 11-yard touchdown to tight end Theo Johnson late in the third quarter for the go-ahead score.
The Giants (3-1) were forced to dig out of an early 14-3 deficit in a game that featured three lead changes and six combined turnovers. Their comeback started to take shape with Winston touchdown passes to Malachi Fields and Malik Nabers, coming after the second of three Dominic Zvada field goals. By halftime, New York had nudged in front 19-17 after Chad Ryland drilled a 60-yard field goal as time expired for Arizona.
Arizona briefly took back the edge in the third quarter when Jacoby Brissett hit Elijah Higgins on a 2-yard touchdown pass over the middle to make it 24-19. But that was the Cardinals’ last trip to the end zone, and they never found another answer.
Brissett completed 21 of 35 passes for 166 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, including the pick-6 that sealed it at the end. The Cardinals had won their opener on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers, but this one sent them to a third straight loss at 1-3.
New York’s offense did just enough in the closing minutes to close the door. Cam Skattebo picked up a crucial first down with a little more than three minutes left, helping the Giants drain the clock before Zvada added a 52-yard field goal with 2:11 remaining.
Arizona still had one more crack. A pass interference call on Deonte Banks against Marvin Harrison Jr. moved the Cardinals to the Giants’ 4-yard line with 22 seconds left. But Brissett then threw three straight incompletions, and on fourth down Banks made up for the penalty with a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown to end it.
The Cardinals also took hits in the trenches and on the back end. Starting offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. left with an injury, right guard Isaiah Adams was carted off, and safety Andrew Wingard was carted away with a knee injury early in the game.
In Other News...
Trey McBride Was At The Center Of A Brutal Cardinals Officiating Controversy
A tense moment late in the Cardinals-Giants game put Trey McBride at the center of an odd and ugly sideline scene in Week 4. In the fourth quarter, a sideline official was recorded using profane language directed at the Arizona tight end, turning an ordinary in-game exchange into something that quickly spilled across social media.
McBrides teammates stepped in and held him back on the sideline after the interaction, underscoring how quickly the moment escalated. The viral video added another layer to a game that already had plenty of emotion attached to it, and it left Arizona with another officiating flashpoint to sort through after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Fans Are Demanding Accountability After A Trey McBride Flashpoint
The Cardinals-Giants game ended up drawing attention for a moment that had little to do with the play on the field, as a referee was seen shouting obscenities at Arizona tight end Trey McBride. It quickly became the kind of sideline flashpoint that can overshadow an otherwise routine NFL Sunday, especially when it involves a player as visible to Cardinals fans as McBride.
Arizona supporters wasted little time pushing for accountability online, with criticism of the official spreading fast and calls mounting for the league to fine, suspend or even fire him. The NFL has not announced any discipline yet, but the episode has put pressure on the league to address what happened, and a statement still feels like the next shoe to drop. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Loss To Giants Turned On One Brutal Late Flag
The Cardinals Week 4 loss to the Giants had plenty of reasons attached to it, but one late flag loomed especially large. A holding call on defensive lineman Dante Stills during a critical moment late in the third quarter kept New Yorks drive alive, and the Giants made the most of the extra chance by punching in a touchdown that flipped the lead.
For Arizona, the frustration was about more than a single play. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur pointed to the teams penalty issues afterward, underscoring how the little mistakes have to get cleaned up if the Cardinals want to avoid letting games tilt on self-inflicted moments like that one. [Read more 🡒]