Giants Winners and Losers: Holland, Skattebo, Zvada Shine in Gritty Win Over Titans

Amid the dreary, wet conditions that enveloped MetLife Stadium, the New York Giants made a few more scrappy plays, outlasted a late comeback, and defeated the Tennessee Titans 12-7 to improve to 2-1.

Given the sloppy weather in East Rutherford, it was a muddy battle for both teams, both hungry to grab a rebound victory after brutal Week 2 losses. Still, the Giants gained control early through the ground game before turning up the pressure and trying to force the Titans into mistakes.

A huge error by a young Tennessee opponent made the ultimate difference as the matchup dwindled to the buzzer, and Big Blue avoided what could have been a humiliating loss after holding the Titans scoreless for three quarters and change.

That said, clean or ugly, a win is a win, and here are the winners and losers from a Giants nail-biter in Week 3.

Winners

SAF Jevon Holland

Arguably the biggest winner of Sunday’s victory came from the final defensive possession of the afternoon as safety Jevon Holland became the Giants' savior with their backs against the end zone.

Holland’s second season in New York has gotten off to a hot start. He’s limited opposing receivers in his area to nearly zero aerial production and has forced three turnovers in the Giants' first three contests.

The Giants’ defense finally gave way to the Titans’ offense, allowing a 13-play, 91-yard drive that spanned just over 7 minutes of game clock and ended with a 4-yard touchdown catch by former Giant receiver Wan’Dale Robinson to trim their deficit to 12-7.

Tennessee forced the Giants to punt four plays later and took back the ball with 3:03 left in the fourth quarter and a chance to win the game with a touchdown.

They continued the momentum on another 13-play, 70-yard drive that included three big late-down conversions and got to the Giants’ 7-yard line.

On the biggest play, Titans quarterback Cam Ward forced a throw into the middle of the Giants' defense, where Holland picked it up and intercepted it in the back of the end zone to shut the door on a potential game-winning score by the visitors.

RB Cam Skattebo

Sep 27, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (44) carries the ball during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Skattebo, who told Giants fans to show up for the team on Sunday, gave them reasons to cheer as he trucked over whoever dared to step in front of him. He powered the rushing attack with 20 carries for 60 yards, including two carries of 10+ yards and 55 yards after contact.

In addition to his rushing efforts, Skattebo reeled in all three targets from Jameis Winston for 40 yards to lead the Giants through the air. The best catch was a 30-yard wheel route that helped get New York into field goal range for Dominic Zvada’s first boot and an early 3-0 advantage.

LB Arvell Reese

Three games into his NFL career, Arvell Reese had a breakout day in the middle of the Giants' defense, leading the unit with 12 total tackles (nine solo), one tackle for loss, and one pass breakup.

Reese’s impact was greater in the trenches, where he made four run-game tackles to help stunt a Titans rushing attack that collected only 81 yards (3.9 yards per attempt).

The rookie’s contributions earned him his best grades in tackling, run defense and coverage, where he was responsible for two catches on three targets for three yards.

K Dominic Zvada

Sep 27, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants kicker Dominic Zvada (34) celebrates with punter Jordan Stout (15) after a field goal during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Zvada had his footprints on all of the Giants’ scoring on Sunday afternoon and was perfect once again on his field goal attempts. He went 4-for-4, including a 39-yarder.

The rookie kicker has been a refreshing weapon after a few years of kicking woes marring several of New York’s grueling losses.

He leaves Week 3 with a perfect resume on both field goals and extra point tries, with a 52-yarder as his longest, and the NFL spotlight clearly isn’t bothering him.

P Jordan Stout

The Giants should have zero complaints about the weapon they’ve secured at punter in Jordan Stout, who might boast one of the strongest legs in the entire league.

That leg was active and powerful, helping pin the Titans offense deep in their own territory on numerous occasions. Stout was called upon six times, averaging 50.5 yards per attempt, with a 74-yard bomb and three punts dropped inside Tennessee’s 20-yard line.

It was another impressive example of the special teams department’s impact on the Giants' win, an observation that wasn’t made often before Harbaugh brought Stout over from Baltimore.

LB Zaire Barnes

Barnes has been buried in the depth chart along the Giants’ defensive edge, but he has made up for it with solid contributions on special teams, where he opened Sunday’s game with a bang.

That was a huge fumble that Barnes forced on the opening kickoff after Titans’ return man Chimere Dike muffed the ball at the 36-yard line. The recovery by linebacker Malik Harrison set New York up with their first possession in excellent field position.

The bummer came after Barnes’ big play, when Winston and the offense couldn’t go the distance and punch in six points, settling for Zvada’s first field goal attempt to prolong an issue that has followed them year to year: finishing drives.

Losers

LB Tremaine Edmunds

Sep 27, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49) watches play against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On the final drive of the game, as the Titans were seeking the winning touchdown, the Giants got the Titans into a 4th-and-1 at the New York 24.

But Edmunds moved early and drew an offside penalty, giving the Titans a fresh set of downs and the ball at the Giants' 18-yard line with 50 seconds left. It didn’t hurt the outcome, but it was still an ill-timed penalty.

DT Shelby Harris

Harris grabbed Cam Ward's facemask, the penalty nullifying a sack and giving the Titans a first down at their own 46.

They wound up completing a 13-play, 91-yard touchdown drive, which included that one penalty. Seven minutes later, the score was 12-7, making it a nail-biter.

DB Elijah Campbell

Sep 27, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants defensive back Elijah Campbell (28) walks off the field after the game against the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the fourth quarter, the Giants had 4th-and-10 from the Tennessee 46. With 3:12 to go, Jordan Stout punted 38 yards to the Tennessee 8, and Dike called for a fair catch.

For reasons unknown, Elijah Campbell decided he wanted to try to catch the ball, bumping into Dike, who had called for a fair catch. The result was fair catch interference and a 15-yard penalty.

That mistake forced the Titans to start their drive on their 23-yard line instead of their 8-yard line with 3:03 to go.

C John Michael Schmitz

For the most part, the offensive line was solid, but that opening drive was ugly. New York recovered the opening kickoff following a Titans fumble. Two plays later, they had first down at the Tennessee 27-yard line.

Cam Skattebo ran for 11 yards, but center John Michael Schmitz was called for holding, the yardage wiped out and the Giants now facing 1st-and-20 from the Tennessee 37-yard line.

The Giants never made back the lost yardage, so they had to punt instead of risking a 56-yard field goal in the elements.

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