Three takeaways from Giants' first victory of season
Brian Burns #0 of the New York Giants reacts against the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Sep 28, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Giants got their first win of the season Sunday, but it came with a cost, as Malik Nabers possibly was lost for the season. Here are three takeaways from the 21-18 win over the Chargers:
1. Without Nabers, the offense is in trouble
Nabers had two catches for 20 yards, both on the Giants’ first drive, but the knee injury he suffered in the second quarter was devastating if reports are true that the team fears it’s a torn ACL.
It’s a blow for Nabers, a finalist for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last season. He is the Giants’ best downfield playmaker since Odell Beckham Jr. He had dreams of an even stronger sophomore campaign, and that would have been possible catching passes from Jaxson Dart.
The Giants attacked the Chargers with short passes on Sunday, and Dart’s longest completion was 18 yards to Darius Slayton. That won’t always work.
Dart’s rookie season just got a lot more difficult without his best receiver. Sunday’s joy was dampened by Nabers not being around to celebrate. The Giants know replacing him won’t be easy.
“Obviously, it’s going to be a group effort,” Slayton said. “But we’ll be able to get the job done.”
2. This is what the Giants envisioned with their pass rush
In the second quarter, the Giants lined up Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux and rookie Abdul Carter up front on third down. Carter got around Thibodeaux and forced Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert into an intentional-grounding penalty.
It was that type of day for the defensive front. Carter had five quarterback hits, Burns had four and Thibodeaux had three. According to NextGen Stats, the trio totaled 20 pressures.
At the center of it was Lawrence playing his best game. He had a tackle for loss on the game’s first play, was disruptive in the middle to free up his linebackers and had the sideline fired up for his first career interception.
“I saw it on the screen afterward. I was in there fighting,” Burns said. “I didn’t see what happened. But Dex is amazing, bro.”
Sunday was the first game in which all four pass rushers felt impactful. Yes, the Chargers were missing right guard Mekhi Becton, and left tackle Joe Alt was injured early in the game. But it’s still a positive step.
3. The crowd was a positive factor for once
The Giants’ home opener was filled with boos, thanks to a terrible performance. That’s what happens when you lose eight of nine home games.
That’s why it was refreshing to hear the fans roar when Dart entered. They chanted “Let’s go Giants!” in the second half with the team clinging to a narrow lead. They roared when Slayton urged them to cheer at the final two-minute warning.
It’s the hope that Dart, Cam Skattebo and the defense brought with their play.
Even with Nabers hurt, there’s a spark that fans can cling to after Sunday. Now the Giants have to keep feeding it with wins so the crowd can feel as if something is different.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
