Giants Meltdown Lets Broncos Win 33-32 With Last-Second Kick/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The New York Giants suffered a historic collapse Sunday, blowing a 19-0 lead in the fourth quarter as the Denver Broncos stunned them 33-32 with a last-second field goal. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart’s late interception triggered the meltdown. Denver scored 33 points in the final quarter, the most in franchise history.
Giants Collapse in Denver Quick Looks
- Giants led 26-8 with under 6 minutes left
- Broncos scored 33 points in the fourth quarter
- Wil Lutz nailed game-winning 39-yard field goal as time expired
- Rookie QB Jaxson Dart threw costly late interception
- Dart finished with 283 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
- Giants defense allowed 227 yards in the fourth quarter alone
- McAtamney missed two PATs, including one after go-ahead TD
- Giants fall to 2-5 and lose ninth straight road game
- Bo Nix led comeback with TD run and key passes
- Broncos improve to 5-2 in dramatic home win
Deep Look: Broncos Stun Giants With Epic Fourth-Quarter Comeback
DENVER (Oct. 19, 2025) — What began as a near-perfect road performance by the New York Giants unraveled into one of the most shocking fourth-quarter collapses in NFL history. Leading 19-0 heading into the final quarter, and 26-8 with less than six minutes left, the Giants allowed 33 fourth-quarter points as the Denver Broncos stole a 33-32 win with a walk-off 39-yard field goal from Wil Lutz.
It was a crushing loss for New York, now 2-5 on the season, and an emotional gut punch for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, whose late-game interception sparked Denver’s stunning surge.
“It sucks,” Dart said postgame, visibly frustrated. “We were in control of the game. I hate losing.”
From Shutout to Shock
The Giants appeared poised to end an eight-game road losing streak, having not won away from MetLife Stadium since October 6, 2024. For three quarters, they dominated both sides of the ball, keeping Denver off the scoreboard and building a seemingly insurmountable lead.
But then came the collapse.
After a pair of touchdowns cut the lead to 26-16, Dart threw a crucial interception while trying to escape pressure. Linebacker Justin Strnad picked off the pass and returned it deep into Giants territory. Two plays later, Bo Nix hit RJ Harvey for a short touchdown, making it 26-23 with 3:51 remaining.
Dart acknowledged the error:
“I can’t do that. We had control. That’s on me.”
Late Drama and Lead Changes
With the crowd at Empower Field roaring to life, Denver capitalized again. Nix scrambled into the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown run to give the Broncos their first lead, 30-26, with just under two minutes to play.
To their credit, the Giants responded. Aided by three defensive penalties, including a controversial unsportsmanlike conduct call on Broncos coach Sean Payton, Dart led New York back downfield. He capped the drive with a 1-yard QB sneak, giving the Giants a 32-30 lead with just 37 seconds left.
But disaster struck again: kicker Jude McAtamney, who had already missed one extra point, missed another — leaving the door open for Denver.
Nix calmly completed two long passes to put the Broncos in field goal range, and Lutz drilled the game-winner as time expired.
Historic Collapse
According to CBS, NFL teams had won 1,602 straight games when leading by 18 or more points in the final six minutes — until Sunday. The Broncos’ 33 fourth-quarter points were the most in franchise history in a single quarter.
New York’s defense, which had shut out Denver through three quarters, surrendered 227 of the Broncos’ 407 total yards in the final 15 minutes alone.
“They made some plays. We didn’t finish,” said head coach Brian Daboll. “It’s a tough loss. The guys gave it everything.”
Special Teams and Self-Destruction
McAtamney’s two missed PATs, combined with a failed two-point conversion earlier in the game, proved to be the difference. The kicker took responsibility after the game:
“I missed vital points at vital times today,” he said. “That’s on me.”
Dart, despite throwing for 283 yards and 3 touchdowns, admitted the late interception swung the momentum permanently.
“It’s just a loss that shouldn’t have happened,” he said.
Next Challenge: Philadelphia on the Road
With the loss, the Giants dropped their ninth consecutive road game, adding more pressure heading into their Week 8 matchup at Philadelphia. New York defeated the Eagles at home on October 9, but will now be tested to regroup mentally and emotionally.
“We have to bounce back,” Dart said. “We’ve got good players and leaders. We have to finish games.”
The rookie’s composure and accountability were evident, but Sunday’s loss may haunt the team for weeks — especially if playoff hopes continue to slip away.
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