Three takeaways from Giants' win over Cowboys

The Giants ended the 2025 season with their first winning streak since Tommy DeVito’s three-game run in 2023. A 34-17 win over the Cowboys ended a disappointing year on a high.

Here are three takeaways from the Giants’ season finale:

1. Tracy records 1,000 scrimmage yards in second season

Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s sophomore season didn’t start well. He suffered a dislocated shoulder in Week 3 and lost his starting job to Cam Skattebo, who had an energetic rookie year until his season-ending injury in Week 8.

Yet Tracy found a second gear the rest of the season. He had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season on Sunday and finished with 1,028 scrimmage yards. According to the Giants, he’s the third player in franchise history to do that in his first two seasons, joining Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley

“I think they knew what I needed going in. I knew what I needed going in,” Tracy said. “But to be honest, that wasn’t really on the forefront of my mind. Obviously I wanted to have a good game, but you can’t really press for the yards. You can’t press to make a play. You have to allow it to come to you.”

Now all eyes are on 2026 to see if Tracy and Skattebo can be a 1-2 punch. Devin Singletary also returns for the final year of his contract, so it’s a formidable running back room to help Jaxson Dart.

2. Draft pick fodder

The Giants essentially gave back the No. 1 pick last week by defeating the Raiders. After beating the Cowboys, they’ll pick fifth in the draft.

It was almost cruel, then, that the Raiders beat Kansas City, 14-12, on Sunday on a 60-yard field goal in the final seconds. A Raiders win and Giants loss would’ve given the Giants the No. 1 pick because the Seahawks and Falcons also won to help the Giants have a weaker strength of schedule. Then again, if the Giants had lost, maybe the Raiders would have played it differently.

The Giants still could call teams for possible deals even if a fifth pick is less valuable than a top-two pick. The Giants also could keep the pick and add another young player around Dart.

One can laugh at the Giants for failing to finish the job and lose out for the No. 1 pick. But they didn’t do that last year and still got Abdul Carter in the first round and traded up into the first round to get Dart. If they get a similar reward with this year’s pick — whether it be a player or draft assets that turn into productive players — it’ll be worth not having the No. 1.

3. All eyes on Schoen’s future

When Giants coach Brian Daboll was fired in November, general manager Joe Schoen got the backing that his job was safe. Assuming ownership hasn’t changed its mind, how will his job look preparing and building next season’s roster?

He’s expected to lead the coaching search, but how much say will ownership have? Will Schoen have total freedom to find someone? Will ownership restrict some of his power to show its displeasure with going 5-24 in the last 29 games and 13-38 since the start of the 2023 season?

For next season to be better, something must change. Schoen’s roster construction got the Giants into this mess. Ownership is trusting him to fix it, but safeguards might be needed to ensure that more hands are in the process.

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.