By Matt Schneidman, Dan Duggan and Devon Henderson
The Green Bay Packers and New York Giants faced a third opponent in their Week 11 matchup in East Rutherford, N.J. The swirling wind, measured as high as 17 mph midway through the fourth quarter, proved a major participant as there were three total missed extra points in the Packers’ 27-20 win on Sunday.
The Packers moved to 6-3-1, while the Giants dropped to 2-9 in their first game under interim head coach Mike Kafka after the franchise fired Brian Daboll earlier this week.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love briefly exited the game late in the first quarter with a stinger but returned on the next drive and finished 13-for-24 for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Christian Watson, playing in just his fourth game this year, caught his first and second touchdowns of the season. His last was a jump ball catch over two Giants defenders with a little more than four minutes remaining in the game that gave Green Bay the lead.
The Giants’ run defense came into Sunday ranked second-worst in the league, and it was especially permeable in the first half, allowing Green Bay 106 rushing yards. Packers Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs exited the game early in the second quarter with a knee injury and did not return. The Packers only gained 22 yards on the ground in the second half.
With Giants starting quarterback Jaxson Dart out with a concussion, Jameis Winston got his first start with the Giants. He was 19-for-29 for 201 passing yards. He also added a rushing score midway through the fourth that put New York up 20-19. The Giants relinquished the lead on the ensuing drive.
Winston threw an interception in the end zone with 40 seconds left as the Giants lost their fifth straight game.
Packers star edge rusher Micah Parsons had 1.5 sacks. Parsons, formerly of the Giants’ rival, the Dallas Cowboys, extended his personal win streak against New York to nine games.
Kafka’s aggressive debut as interim coach
Kafka set an aggressive tone from the outset of his first game as interim coach, electing to receive the opening kickoff after winning the coin toss. The bold move paid off as the Giants marched down the field to score a touchdown on a 5-yard run by Devin Singletary.
Kafka kept the foot on the gas on fourth down in the second half. Kafka rolled the dice on three fourth downs on one drive in the third quarter, including on fourth-and-1 from New York’s 36. The Giants converted the first two gambles, but Winston was sacked on fourth-and-3 from Green Bay’s 10-yard line.
Undeterred, Kafka went for it on fourth-and-2 from Green Bay’s 22-yard line on the next drive. Winston zipped a 13-yard completion to receiver Isaiah Hodgins to move the chains. Winston scored on a 1-yard sneak two plays later to give the Giants a 20-19 lead with 7:22 remaining.
The aggressive approach didn’t produce a different result, however. The Giants still failed to come through with the game in the balance, as was the case under Daboll. —Dan Duggan, Giants beat writer
Signature Winston style
Winston displayed his signature gunslinger style, as there wasn’t a pass the veteran was afraid to let rip. He flirted with danger all game, benefitting from multiple dropped interceptions by Packers defenders.
Winston’s luck ran out late, as he forced a pass to Jalin Hyatt that was picked in the end zone by safety Evan Williams. The Giants trailed 27-20, so a touchdown would have put them in position to tie the score or take the lead with under a minute remaining.
Even with the late interception, it was hard to understand how Winston was buried behind Russell Wilson on the depth chart all season.
Winston will likely return to the bench next week, with Dart expected to return from a concussion. — Duggan
CHRISTIAN WATSON ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/neLjeU1zvJ
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 16, 2025
More Packers injury woes
Another week, another injury to a pivotal Packers playmaker.
Two weeks ago, they lost tight end Tucker Kraft for the season to a torn ACL. On Sunday, it was Jacobs. After the game, head coach Matt LaFleur stuck to his standard line — there’s always concern when a guy leaves and doesn’t return — when asked about the potential severity of Jacobs’ injury.
Jacobs still finished tied as the Packers’ leading rusher with seven carries for an efficient 40 yards (Emanuel Wilson had 40 yards on 11 carries). With 16 carries for 106 yards at halftime, Green Bay ran only seven times for 22 yards in the second half. — Matt Schneidman, Packers beat writer
Another unconvincing win
The Packers have now lost to the Cleveland Browns, who entered Sunday with a 2-7 record, barely beat the 3-6 Arizona Cardinals, lost to the 5-5 Carolina Panthers and squeaked by the previously 2-8 Giants. On Sunday, they couldn’t get out of their own way with a handful of brutal drops on both sides of the ball (Williams finally intercepted Winston in the end zone late in the fourth quarter to all but seal the game). They were poor situationally on defense, too, allowing the Giants to convert 7 of 14 third downs and 3 of 4 fourth downs. The result was another game in which the Packers looked nothing like a Super Bowl contender, let alone a team worthy of making the postseason. — Schneidman
Watson’s explosive return
We saw today how valuable Watson is when healthy. In his fourth game back from a torn ACL, Watson caught four passes for 46 yards and two touchdowns, the second of the spectacular variety in the back-right corner of the end zone over cornerback Korie Black to give the Packers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. It’ll be paramount for Watson, especially without Kraft in the lineup, to keep rolling down the season’s home stretch. — Schneidman
