The New York Giants headed down to Atlanta in Week 16 in hopes of breaking their nine-game losing streak and avoiding setting a new franchise record for consecutive losses.
They would have to do it against a Falcons team that was starting their top draft pick, Michael Penix Jr., at quarterback to help jumpstart their offense.
The Falcons entered the game with a 7-7 record and in the thick of the NFC postseason picture and were 8.5-point favorites over the listing Giants.
Here’s how things played out Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Final score: Falcons 34, Giants 7
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Giants | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Falcons | 0 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
Keys to the game
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- Two pick-sixes by Giants quarterback Drew Lock gave the Falcons 14 easy points. For a team that’s averaged just 14.9 points per game this season, that put them in an insurmountable hole.
- The Giants needed to establish a ground game on offense but playing from behind and averaging 3.5 yards per carry on the 13 attempts they did have didn’t allow that to happen.
- The Giants’ inability to drive the football continued. Nine of their 11 drives consisted of just five plays or less.
It was over when…
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Falcons defensive end Matthew Judon picked a tipped pass by Drew Lock out of the air and returned it for a touchdown 40 seconds into the second half to give the Falcons a 24-7 lead. There was no conceivable way the Giants could overcome that deficit.
Players of the Game
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- LB Darius Muasau made 11 total tackles (seven solo, one for a loss) and had a QB hit.
- WR Malik Nabers caught seven of his 14 targets for 68 yards and had several other receptions called back due to penalties.
- S Jason Pinnock had eight total tackles — three solo and one for a loss.
Injuries
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Linebacker Micah McFadden came out of the game late in the first half with a neck injury. He was replaced by Ty Summers. Darius Muasau assumed the defensive play calling in McFadden’s absence.
Safety Jason Pinnock had to come out of the game early in the third quarter after getting poked in the eye. He returned shortly after.
Left tackle Jermaine Eluemunor got rolled up on and appeared to injure his ankle but stayed in the game.
Wide receiver Malik Nabers was evaluated for a stinger but cleared.
What’s next?
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Head coach Brian Daboll will hold a Zoom call with the team’s beat writers on Monday afternoon before a few players are also made available.
Big Blue will return to practice on Tuesday ahead of a Week 17 game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, December 29 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Kickoff is 1:00 p.m. ET.
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