Uh-oh. The pathetic Giants somehow defeated the Colts and ruined their chances of finishing in first place

He found a gap and shot through it at the speed of a bullet, only slowing down when he knew he had a clear path to the end zone.

In the opening kickoff of the second half on Sunday, Giants return specialist Ihmir Smith-Marsette scored a 100-yard touchdown return to give his team a 28-13 lead over the Colts.

The sparse crowd erupted – they haven’t had much to cheer about this season – but the grim reality soon dawns on them:

This touchdown ended the Giants’ chances of finishing in first place.

The Giants ultimately defeated Indianapolis 45-33. The Colts – desperate for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive – seemed primed for a comeback (and fought hard in the second half), but Smith-Marsette’s return was just the spark the Giants needed needed to hold on to their second home leading this season.

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In the grand scheme of things, this victory means very little other than the pride of the organization. The Giants’ 3-12 record is still abysmal, but at least they ended their franchise-record 10-game losing streak and avoided becoming the first team in franchise history to go winless at home since 1974.

The bigger picture impact changes the franchise.

At the start of the day, the Giants had their destiny in their own hands to be the first pick in 2025. If they had lost the last two games, it would have been theirs. Apparently they didn’t – and now their chances of doing so are virtually nil.

Depending on Sunday’s results, the Giants will finish Week 17 with the No. 3, 4 or 5 seed. With quarterback-needy teams like the Titans and Browns still at three wins (for now), the Colts’ victory could well have cost them the ticket to a new face of the franchise for years to come.

Yes, much like Tommy Cutlets’ magical run in 2023 killed their chances of drafting Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Caleb Williams, Smith-Marsette’s touchdown and the brilliant play of Malik Nabers, who finished with 171 yards and two touchdowns, could , they cost Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward.

According to TankAThon, the Giants have the best schedule strength among three-win teams (they face the Eagles in their final game next week), so it’s highly unlikely that they’ll overtake teams like the Browns, Titans or Patriots, who now owned are the No. 1 pick, next week.

Now the Giants are at a crossroads. Should they trade for the No. 1 pick to ensure they get one of Ward or Sanders? Or should they turn to a prospect like Jalen Milroe or Quinn Ewers?

If not, which bridge quarterback should they sign or trade for? And if they go that route, what positional need should they address with their first-rounder instead?

These are just a few of the questions general manager Joe Schoen (or his successor) must answer before entering a critical offseason.

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Ryan Novozinsky can be reached at [email protected]. You can follow him on X @ryannovo62.