Drew Lock matched his career high of four touchdown passes and also rushed for a score and the New York Giants snapped their franchise-record 10-game losing streak with an entertaining 45-33 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.
Malik Nabers had seven receptions for a career-best 171 yards and two touchdowns to exceed 100 receptions and 1,000 yards during his strong rookie campaign. New York (3-13) registered a season best for points scored by more than tripling its league-worst season average of 14.3 per game.
The setback eliminated the Colts (7-9) from the AFC playoff race.
Lock completed 17 of 23 passes for 309 yards and Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Stayton also had receiving scores for the Giants, who won at home for the first time this season. Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Joe Flacco started for Indianapolis with Anthony Richardson (back/foot) sidelined and completed 26 of 38 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns. But he also was intercepted twice and lost a fumble.
Jonathan Taylor rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries, Michael Pittman Jr. had nine receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown and Alec Pierce caught six passes for 122 yards and a score.
Indianapolis pulled within 35-33 on Flacco’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Pittman with 6:38 remaining.
The Giants answered with Lock’s 5-yard scramble with 2:57 left to push the lead to nine. After Flacco was picked off by Dru Phillips, Graham Gano tacked on a 30-yard field goal 37 seconds later to put it away.
New York held an eight-point halftime lead before Smith-Marsette fielded the opening kickoff of the second half and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown to give the Giants a 28-13 advantage.
The Colts answered with Taylor’s 26-yard run to move within eight with 11:03 left in the third quarter.
Flacco threw a 13-yard touchdown catch to Pierce with 10:53 remaining in the game to move Indianapolis within two. A trick play on the two-point conversion failed.
New York increased its lead to nine just more than two minutes later when Nabers caught a short pass at midfield and easily shed two tacklers before sprinting down the right sideline for a 59-yard score.
Lock tossed three first-half touchdown passes as the Giants led 21-13 at the break.
Nabers caught a short pass in the right flat and raced 31 yards for a score to give New York a 7-3 lead with 1:05 left in the opening quarter. He finished the day with 104 receptions for 1,140 yards.
Lock tossed touchdown passes of 32 yards to Slayton and 5 yards to Robinson while increasing the lead to 21-6. Taylor scored on a 3-yard run with 20 seconds remaining.
–Field Level Media
