The question of who won New York Giants game isn't just a matter of checking a box score anymore. It’s about whether you’re looking at the scoreboard or the long-term health of a franchise that has spent the last decade stuck in the mud. On January 4, 2026, the New York Giants closed out their 2025-2026 NFL regular season at MetLife Stadium against the Philadelphia Eagles. It was cold. It was gray. It was exactly the kind of atmosphere you'd expect for a team that has been hovering around the basement of the NFC East for far too long.
The Eagles walked away with a 24-17 victory. That’s the short answer. Philadelphia took the win, secured their seeding, and left East Rutherford with another notch in their belt. But if you ask a Giants fan who actually "won," you might get a complicated answer involving draft picks, front-office job security, and the existential dread of another rebuilding year.
Breaking Down the Philadelphia Victory over New York
Philadelphia didn't play their best football, honestly. Jalen Hurts looked a little hesitant in the first half, and the Giants’ pass rush—which has been one of the few bright spots this season—actually got home twice in the opening quarter. Dexter Lawrence remains a human wrecking ball. He’s basically the only reason the interior of that line doesn't collapse every single Sunday.
The Giants actually led at halftime. 10-7. It felt weird. The crowd was half-cheering and half-muttering about how a win here would probably drop them three spots in the April draft. This is the purgatory of being a Giants fan in 2026. You want the win because losing to Philly sucks, but you want the loss because this roster needs a blue-chip quarterback more than it needs a moral victory in Week 18.
The Second Half Collapse
Things fell apart in the third quarter. It usually does for this iteration of the G-Men. A fumbled snap, a missed assignment in the secondary, and suddenly Saquon Barkley—now in an Eagles jersey, which still feels like a personal insult to most of North Jersey—was dancing into the end zone. Barkley finished with 92 yards on the ground. It wasn't a "revenge" game in the sense that he had already played them multiple times, but he still runs with a certain level of violence when he sees Big Blue across the line.
The Giants' offense, led by a rotating door of quarterback play that has defined their 2025 campaign, couldn't keep pace. They struggled to convert on third downs. They looked tired. When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard confirmed it: Eagles 24, Giants 17.
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Why the Question of Who Won New York Giants Game Matters for the Draft
If you are obsessed with the NFL Draft, you know that who won New York Giants game carries massive implications for the 2026 rookie class. By losing this game, the Giants secured a top-5 pick. In a year where the quarterback class is considered "top-heavy" by scouts like Daniel Jeremiah and Mel Kiper Jr., that loss is actually a massive strategic win.
It’s a weird way to watch sports. You’re sitting there in the stands, freezing your butt off, hoping your team fails just enough to get a savior in four months. The Giants finished the season 5-12. That puts them in the driver’s seat for a potential trade-up or a guaranteed shot at one of the elite signal-callers coming out of the SEC or the Big Ten.
The Quarterback Conundrum
The Daniel Jones era is effectively over. We all know it. Even the front office seems to have moved on emotionally, if not yet financially. The dead cap hit is still a monster, but the performance on the field has made the decision for them. Throughout the 2025 season, the lack of explosive plays was staggering. Malik Nabers is a superstar, no doubt about it, but you can’t bake a cake if you don't have an oven. Nabers spent half the season running brilliant routes only to have the ball sail over his head or bounce at his feet.
In the game against the Eagles, Nabers was targeted 12 times. He caught 6 passes. That's not on him. That's on a system that can't protect the passer long enough for a deep ball to develop.
Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen: Are They Safe?
The atmosphere around the facility is tense. Rumors have been swirling for weeks about whether John Mara has the patience for another year of this. However, the word from insiders like Jordan Raanan and Ralph Vacchiano suggests that the "stability" argument might win out. The Giants have spent the last decade firing coaches every two years. Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge—it’s a graveyard of coaching careers.
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Daboll has shown he can win with the right pieces. 2022 wasn't that long ago, even if it feels like a different lifetime. The consensus among the "smart" football people is that Schoen and Daboll get one more shot with a quarterback of their choosing. This loss to the Eagles—the answer to who won New York Giants game—actually gives them the ammunition they need to convince ownership that the "plan" is working, even if the wins aren't showing up yet.
Key Stats from the Season Finale
- Total Yards: Eagles 385, Giants 260.
- Turnovers: Giants 2, Eagles 0.
- Time of Possession: Philadelphia held the ball for 34 minutes.
- Sacks: The Giants defense managed 4 sacks, showing that the front four is still the core of this team.
Numbers don't lie, but they don't tell the whole story either. The Giants were competitive for three quarters. They didn't quit. In the NFL, "didn't quit" is the participation trophy for teams that are headed to the draft lottery.
Looking Ahead: What Giants Fans Should Do Now
The season is over. The Eagles are headed to the playoffs, and the Giants are headed to the scouting combine in Indianapolis. If you're a fan, the result of this game should be a signal to stop looking at the 2025 highlights and start looking at college tape.
Honestly, the best thing you can do is ignore the "moral victory" talk. The Giants lost. They are a 5-12 football team. That is the reality. But the path forward is clearer now than it was in September.
Actionable Steps for the Offseason
First, keep a close eye on the medical reports for the offensive line. Andrew Thomas has been a warrior, but the injuries are piling up. Without a healthy blindside protector, it doesn't matter if they draft Arch Manning or a resurrected John Elway; the kid will get killed.
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Second, watch the coaching carousel. While Daboll is likely safe, the defensive coordinator position and several position coaches could be on the move. A new voice in the locker room might be what’s needed to jumpstart the development of the younger players.
Third, look at the free-agent market. The Giants have a decent amount of cap space heading into 2026. They won't be "big game hunting" for a quarterback since they’ll likely use the draft, but they need veteran leadership in the secondary. The way the Eagles' receivers carved them up in the fourth quarter was proof enough of that.
The 2025 season didn't end with a trophy or a playoff berth. It ended with a quiet locker room and a lot of unanswered questions. But in the NFL, the end of one season is just the start of "Draft Szn." For a team like the Giants, that’s where the real winning happens.
Stop worrying about the 24-17 loss. Start worrying about who is going to be under center in September. The work starts now. Check the mock drafts, follow the senior bowl, and prepare for another transition. The Giants are a work in progress, and the progress is slow, frustrating, and occasionally painful to watch. But the foundation—Dexter Lawrence, Malik Nabers, Kayvon Thibodeaux—is actually there. Now they just need the most important piece of the puzzle.