Saints 34, Giants 27: 34 Straight, Then MetLife Almost Took It Back

October 18, 2026 - East Rutherford - Twelve seconds. Fourth-and-1 from the New Orleans 14. J.J. McCarthy put it a touch high, the Giants wrote, and Isaiah Likely could not bring it down in the back of the end zone. Tyler Shough knelt. The New Orleans Saints left MetLife 34-27.

The New York Giants had led 10-0. They had not touched the ball while that lead turned into a 34-10 hole. Then McCarthy, in for Jameis Winston with 11:25 left, scored 17 in the last 11 minutes and still lost. New Orleans is 2-4 and snapped a three-game skid. New York is 3-2-1.

Shough went 16 of 30 for 144 yards, three touchdowns, no picks, and a 1-yard sneak. Winston was 14 of 26 for 152, one score, two interceptions, and four sacks. McCarthy was 11 of 21 for 243, one touchdown, one pick.

10-0, then 78 seconds that rewired the half

Tyrone Tracy Jr. opened it from 17, a catch-and-run, diving at the pylon with 5:14 left in the first. Dominic Zvada added 34. 10-0. The Giants said New Orleans' first four possessions were three punts and a missed field goal.

Daniel Carlson made up the miss from 58 with 1:09 left in the half, a seven-play, 16-yard drive. Isaiah Stalbird then popped the kickoff out of Charlie Jones' hands. Oscar Delp recovered. Shough scrambled 25 yards to the 3. Three stuffed runs. Kellen Moore went for it on fourth-and-goal with five seconds left. Bryce Lance, two yards, first NFL touchdown. 10-10. The Saints' scoring summary has that as a five-play, 28-yard drive.

New Orleans got the ball to start the third. Five plays, 79 yards. Alvin Kamara weaved 31 yards on a catch-and-run. 17-10. The Saints said the play pushed him past 5,000 career rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards, the sixth player in NFL history to do both. Shough sneaked from a yard. Carlson from 51. Chris Olave from 18. In a blink it was 34-10.

The Giants never got a clean second-half series from Winston. Martin Emerson intercepted him. Julian Blackmon intercepted him. Chase Young and Carl Granderson each had 1.5 sacks. Pete Werner had one. Colby Wooden later got McCarthy.

McCarthy's quarter, Emerson's two

John Harbaugh pulled Winston trailing by 24. McCarthy's first drive ended in Emerson's second pick. Two plays later New Orleans fumbled it back. Tracy scored from 5. McCarthy hit Likely for two. 34-18.

Charlie Jones, the same returner who had lost the kickoff, caught 49. Likely from 24. The two-point try failed. 34-24. Zvada from 41 with 2:04 left. 34-27. McCarthy then covered 57 yards in 57 seconds, NFL.com said, including a 28-yard scramble, and missed Likely on the last snap.

Malik Nabers caught 12 for 165. The Giants said it tied his career high in catches, was the third-most yards of his career, and was his third straight 100-yard game. They also said he passed Puka Nacua for the second-most receptions by a player in his first 25 career games (168), behind only Odell Beckham Jr. Likely had six for 99 and the 24-yarder.

Kamara finished with 7 rushes for 34 and 2 catches for 35, including the 31-yard score. Kendre Miller led the Saints with 20 carries. nflverse has him at 70 yards. The Saints wrap listed 74. New Orleans ran 38 times for 175, a season high, the club wrote. Olave caught four for 43 and the 18-yarder.

Four takeaways, then four empty drives

Emerson had two interceptions, one on each Giants quarterback, plus four passes defensed and seven tackles. The Saints said 22 different New Orleans players recorded a tackle. Werner led with 11. Carlson made 58 and 51 and missed 55. He was 4-for-4 on extra points.

The Saints also melted down late. NFL.com said their last four possessions, not counting the kneel, gained 20 yards and none lasted more than three plays or 1:07. That is how 34 unanswered becomes a one-score game. Gayle Benson had put the club on notice after three straight losses, NFL.com wrote. They won. They did not make it quiet.

Cam Skattebo played six snaps and did not get a carry, NFL.com said. Six other Giants ran at least once. Najee Harris started for the first time since January 2025. Tracy had six carries for 18 and both New York offensive touchdowns.

New Orleans goes to Paris next week against Pittsburgh. The Giants visit Houston.

AthX Engine on a 99-point corner

AthX Engine NFL scoring already has the Week 6 line in. Emerson's two interceptions and four breakups land at 99.50, the top total on the Sunday slate. Nabers is 47.25. Young is 46.50. Granderson is 44.50. Shough is 43.52. Blackmon is 43.00. Werner is 42.50. Likely is 41.75. New Orleans' team line is 79.25. New York's is 16.00.

Fantasy points measure the box. Price is what traders will pay for a Saints defense that forced four turnovers and still had to survive McCarthy, and for Nabers putting up 165 after the game was already lost. They move together. They are not the same number.

Track Olave, Kamara, Young, Nabers, and both clubs on the marketplace. The Saints play the Steelers in Paris on Oct. 25. The Giants visit Houston that afternoon.

*Sources: ESPN recap, Saints.com, Saints scoring summary, Giants.com, NFL.com Week 6. ESPN scoreboard, both clubs, and nflverse agree on 34-27. Saints wrap listed Kendre Miller at 20 carries for 74; nflverse has 20 for 70. AthX Engine Week 6 lines scored from nflverse weekly stats (CC-BY 4.0). Information only; not financial advice.*