Giants show how they can survive without Jaxson Dart in win over Titans

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It's not going to look pretty. Not anymore.

Remember 2022? Picture that. All over again. Only with more competence and less reliance on the horseshoe the Giants stashed under their bench that season.

Jaxson Dart is gone. Maybe he'll be back for the playoffs, but unlikely. For New York to win without him, it must drag its opponents to the deep end and see if they can swim.

That's what the Giants did with the Titans. And with the game on the line, Cam Ward drowned. His egregious end-zone interception, which Jevon Holland gleefully snatched from the air, sealed New York's 12-7 win .

If the Giants are to survive the post-Dart era, this is the recipe to do so.

"They're never perfect," said John Harbaugh . "They need to be us doing what we need to do to win games."

The Titans are not good. Robert Saleh has his hands full in Year 1, and old friend Brian Daboll is doing very little to endear himself to those in Nashville, Tenn.

It took the Titans until the final possession of the first half to get their first first down. They didn't reach the red zone until the penultimate possession of the game. They had just 81 yards on the ground, averaging 3.9 per carry.

Then there was Ward. He missed throws high and missed them low. If he looked left, he missed someone open right. If he looked right, he missed the guy left.

This game is not close if the Giants have their quarterback.

The Titans began Sunday with five straight three-and-outs. New York's second-year quarterback, who was close to perfect in the season opener against the Cowboys, buries them if spotted that many opportunities.

But that's no longer the reality the Giants live in. It's all about ending with more points than your opposition, and leaving the style points to others.

"Let me ask you something," said Jameis Winston . "Would the old New York Football Giants have won (this) game? They said no. So it's good when you're able to find way to have one of those days."

Winston rebounded slightly from Monday night's disaster in L.A. He completed 14 of 22 passes (63.6 percent) for 118 yards. He didn't turn it over.

The Giants ran for 138 yards on the ground, led by Cam Skattebo (60) and Najee Harris (52). They moved the ball -- three times getting to the Tennessee 21 or close -- all possessions ending with Dominic Zvada field goals.

It was enough. Barely. Because the Titans finally broke through, going 91 yards in 13 plays to pull within five. They had a chance to win it after a brief four-play Giants drive.

But then New York did something it failed too so many times a season ago. It slammed the door shut.

As long as Harbaugh roams New York's sideline, the Giants will be more physical, or as physical, as the other team. They'll have the stamina and mental endurance to go 15 rounds. They'll be prepared -- an alien concept in East Rutherford. The three, four moments that dictate the outcome of close games will go in their direction.

It was first-and-goal for the Titans at the Giants seven yard line with 24 seconds left when Ward flushed left. This pass last year finds Wan'Dale Robinson , or Carnell Tate or Calvin Ridley . The Giants blew double-digit, fourth-quarter leads five times in 2025.

But this one didn't. Holland knew, with Ward headed left in a scramble drill, receivers would follow. Holland held his position at the middle of the field and drifted with Ward. Holland readied to come up if Ward ran. When Holland saw Ward cock his arm, Holland held firm.

The ball floated. Holland jumped. Game over.

"The ball is just coming my way," said Holland, who now has a league-leading three interceptions this season.

The Giants have the Cardinals next week. Then the Commanders, who may still be without quarterback Jayden Daniels . Both games are winnable following the script they deployed against the Titans.

It will get harder down the stretch when the competition stiffens. The same could be said in 2022, when the Giants took down the Lamar Jackson -led Ravens, the Aaron Rodgers -led Packers , and eventually the Vikings in the first round of the playoffs.

They'll add another quarterback to the room -- either by trade ( J.J. McCarthy ) or free agency ( Jimmy Garoppolo ) -- this week in case Winston falters. But this season is not lost -- not yet. The Giants showed on Sunday they're going to fight.

"This is what it's all about," Harbaugh said. "Finding a way to win a rough game."

They don't care if it's pretty. They just want to find ways to win.