He found an opening and darted through with the speed of a bullet, only slowing down once he knew he had the clear path to the endzone.
On the opening kickoff of the second half on Sunday, Giants return specialist Ihmir Smith-Marsette exploded for a 100-yard touchdown return to give his team the 28-13 lead over the Colts.
The sparse crowd erupted — they haven’t had much to cheer about this season — but soon, the grim reality will set in for them:
This touchdown killed the Giants’ chances at the No. 1 pick.
The Giants wound up beating Indianapolis, 45-33. The Colts — desperate for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive — looked primed to make a comeback (and fought hard in the second half), but Smith-Marsette’s return was exactly the kind of spark the Giants needed to cling onto their second home lead this season.
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In the small picture, this win means very little outside of organization pride. The Giants’ 3-12 record is still abysmal, but at least they snapped their franchise-record 10-game losing streak and avoided becoming the first team in franchise history to go winless at home since 1974.
The big-picture implications are franchise-altering.
Entering the day, the Giants controlled their destiny to own the top pick in 2025. Had they lost out the final two games, it would have been theirs. Obviously, they didn’t — and now their chances at it are basically nil.
Pending Sunday’s results, the Giants will finish Week 17 with the No. 3, 4 or 5 pick. With quarterback-needy teams like the Titans and Browns still at three wins (for now), the Colts win could very well have cost them the ticket to a new franchise face for years to come.
Yes, much like Tommy Cutlets’ magical run in 2023 ruined 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 cost them Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward.
According to TankAThon, the Giants have the best strength of schedule among three-win teams (they face the Eagles in their final game next week), so it’s highly unlikely they’ll leapfrog teams like the Browns, Titans or Patriots, who now own the No. 1 pick, next week.
Now, the Giants are at a crossroads. Should they trade up for the No. 1 pick to ensure they get one of Ward or Sanders? Or should they reach on 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, which position need should they address with their first rounder instead?
These are just some of the questions general manager Joe Schoen (or his replacement) must answer before entering a critical offseason.
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Ryan Novozinsky may be reached at rnovozinsky@njadvancemedia.com. You can follow him on X @ryannovo62.
