Giants 12, Titans 7: Holland Ends It From the 7

September 27, 2026 - East Rutherford - First-and-goal from the 7. Seventeen seconds. Cam Ward broke the pocket, stayed lateral, and threw for Elic Ayomanor in the right corner. Jevon Holland was already there.

The New York Giants beat the Tennessee Titans 12-7 in rain and wind at MetLife Stadium. It was New York's first game without Jaxson Dart, whose left-knee surgery will keep him out at least the rest of the regular season, per the club. Jameis Winston started. Dominic Zvada kicked four field goals. That was the whole scoring sheet until Wan'Dale Robinson, back in the building he used to play in, caught a 4-yard touchdown with 5:35 left.

New York is 2-1 and 2-0 at home under John Harbaugh. Tennessee is 0-3. The Titans had first-and-goal and four shots. They used one.

Three-and-out, then another, then another

Harbaugh said it was going to be field position, turnovers, and the run. Robert Saleh saw the same game. Officially it was 62 degrees and a 10 mph wind at kickoff, with a steady light rain, per Tennessee's postgame notes. The Giants called it a nor'easter. The ball stayed on the ground.

Chimere Dike fumbled the opening kickoff. The Titans defense bailed him out. Then Tennessee's offense did nothing for a half. The Giants forced three-and-outs on the Titans' first five possessions, the club's longest such streak in a game since at least 1991. Tennessee did not record a first down until 1:18 left in the first half. One first down, 54 yards, and a 59-yard miss from Joey Slye that sailed wide. That was the visiting half.

Zvada made 39 in the first quarter. Twenty-seven in the second. Thirty-nine again before the break. 9-0. Thirty more early in the third, from 30 yards, and it was 12-0. All four makes were from 39 or closer. He is 6 for 6 to start his career after two makes against the Rams a week earlier, per the Giants. Jordan Stout punted six times, including a 74-yarder. The club said he is the first Giant with multiple 70-yard punts in the same season, let alone in back-to-back games.

Winston completed 14 of 22 for 118 yards. No touchdowns. No picks. Three sacks for 18 yards lost. He ran twice for 14. The Associated Press recap on ESPN listed him at 12 of 18 for 117. The ESPN box and the nflverse weekly line both have 14 of 22 for 118.

Cam Skattebo carried 20 times for 60 and caught three for 40. Najee Harris added nine for 52. New York finished with 138 rushing yards, 238 total, and no turnovers. Malik Nabers caught five for 26. Isaiah Likely had two for 13. It was ugly on purpose. Center John Michael Schmitz said everybody saw how wet the ball was.

12-0, then Robinson, then Holland

Tennessee outgained New York 262-238 and piled up 208 yards after halftime, its most in a second half since December 2025 against Kansas City, per the club. Three second-half drives each lasted at least 12 plays and reached the Giants' 10.

The one that counted was 13 plays and 91 yards. Ward completed all eight throws on the scoring series for 54 yards. Robinson, a Giant last year, finished with seven catches for 57 and the 4-yard score. It was his first touchdown as a Titan. Tony Pollard ran 17 times for 74 and caught four for 22. Carnell Tate had six for 58. Ward went 23 of 36 for 181, one score, one pick. He was not sacked. Before Holland, he had thrown 208 consecutive passes without an interception, a franchise record, per Tennessee.

Saleh told him to keep his head up. Last week the defense lost it late against Philadelphia. This week the offense could not finish. Ward said he should have thrown it higher, or thrown it away. He did not think it was reckless. He thought it was a bad ball.

Holland had already intercepted a pass in each of the first two weeks. The Giants said he is the fifth player in franchise history since 1960 to open a season with picks in each of the first three games. He thought Ward might run. He stayed in front of the end zone instead. Winston had told him Friday that when the play was on the line, he was going to make the biggest one.

Simmons wrecked the middle. Burns left.

Jeffery Simmons had 10 tackles, a sack, and two tackles for loss. Career high. Seven of those tackles came in the first half. He dropped Winston for seven yards in the second quarter. He dropped Skattebo for three in the first. Skattebo called him an animal. Simmons did not want to hear growing pains. He said the Titans have to say less and do more. They are 0-3.

Keldric Faulk got his first career sack, 10 yards, on third down in the fourth. Alontae Taylor sacked Winston on the last play of the first quarter. Tennessee finished with eight tackles for loss and did not allow a touchdown for the first time this season. It still lost.

Arvell Reese, the No. 5 pick, had 13 tackles in the nflverse line (10 solo), a tackle for loss, and a pass defensed. Harbaugh gave him a game ball. Tremaine Edmunds had 10 tackles. Dru Phillips had 11. The Giants never sacked Ward. They did not need to once Holland was standing in the end zone.

Brian Burns left with 11:02 remaining with a knee injury. He had already been playing through an ankle. Harbaugh wanted an MRI that night and said there was some hope. Fernando Carmona, Tennessee's starting right guard, exited on the first offensive play with an ankle. Tyjae Spears hurt an ankle in the second half.

Harbaugh is the seventh Giants head coach to start 2-0 at home in his first season, first since Tom Coughlin in 2004. He said before kickoff they were going to find out a lot about themselves. They found out they can win 12-7 without Dart. Arizona visits next. Tennessee visits Baltimore.

AthX Engine on a four-field-goal night

AthX Engine NFL scoring already has the Week 3 lines in. Simmons' sack and tackle volume land at 52.00, the top total in this game. Reese is 47.00. Holland's interception is 43.00. Faulk is 41.00. Edmunds is 33.00. Zvada's four makes are 28.00. Skattebo is 26.50. Pollard is 26.00. Robinson is 23.75. Ward is 18.98. Winston is 12.94. New York's team line is 49.25. Tennessee's is -6.50.

Fantasy points measure the box. Price is what traders will pay for a Giants defense that just won without its starting quarterback, and for a Titans front that held New York to 12 and still walked off 0-3. They move together. They are not the same number.

Track Dart, Nabers, Ward, Simmons, and both clubs on the marketplace. New York hosts Arizona on Oct. 4. Tennessee visits Baltimore that afternoon.

*Sources: Giants.com, Titans.com, Titans postgame notes, AP recap (ESPN), ESPN box. AP recap copy listed Winston at 12 of 18 for 117 yards; ESPN box and nflverse weekly stats are 14 of 22 for 118. AthX Engine Week 3 lines scored from nflverse weekly stats (CC-BY 4.0). Information only; not financial advice.*