Giants 27, Texans 21: Singletary finishes an 81-yard overtime answer

Devin Singletary ran 30 yards for the touchdown that ended it. The Giants beat the Texans 27-21 in overtime Sunday in Houston, turning a defensive stop into an 81-yard winning possession.

Cam Skattebo supplied the break that put the end zone within reach. His 42-yard run carried the ball from the Giants' 28 to Houston's 30. Singletary then took a handoff up the middle and covered the remaining distance. Two runs, 72 yards, and no further possession for the Texans.

From their own 19 to the end zone

Houston had punted on its first overtime possession. Starting at their own 19, the Giants opened their answer with J.J. McCarthy's short completion to Malik Nabers for nine yards. Skattebo's burst came next, followed by the timeout and Singletary's winning run recorded in the NFL's play-by-play.

That sequence is the clearest explanation of the finish. The first completion moved New York away from its goal line. Skattebo changed the field position in one snap. Singletary turned an opportunity to score into the touchdown that settled the game.

Neither team had scored in the third quarter after reaching halftime tied at 14. Each added seven points in the fourth, leaving the game level at 21 before overtime. The extra period required both halves of the Giants' team to deliver: the defense had to get the ball back, and the offense had to make that stop count.

The finish New York needed

New York did not need a long pass to finish the job. The decisive gains came on the ground, with two different runners doing the damage. That is not a verdict on the entire afternoon, but it is the reason the final possession ended with a win rather than another exchange of punts.

The Giants had lost the previous Sunday and tied the week before that. This time, they supplied a conclusive ending. Singletary crossed the goal line, and the 27-21 final belonged to New York.