Giants topple Colts 45-33 to eliminate Indy from the playoff race

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Snapping a franchise-record 10-game losing streak, winning for the first time at home this season and ending the Indianapolis Colts' slim playoff hopes Sunday didn't salvage the season for the New York Giants.

The main positive in the 45-33 win that Drew Lock led with four touchdown passes and a late TD run was the Giants (3-13) got to walk off the field with smiles for the first time in months after a season of misery that will could lead to major changes.

Another factor from the win: New York no longer has control of the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

Giants coach Brian Daboll, who has had two straight losing seasons following a playoff berth in 2022 in his first year, said that he was happy the team got a chance to celebrate after losing eight straight at MetLife Stadium.

“Those guys put a lot into it. They come out, they grind every day. They have good attitudes,” Daboll said. “It’s never easy when you when are losing. But I’m proud of the character and all the people in the building, and I’m mostly happy for them.”

Lock, who threw two pick-6s in the loss to Atlanta a week ago, sandwiched touchdown passes of 31 and 59 yards to Malik Nabers around TD passes of 32 yards to Darius Slayton and 5 yards to Wan'Dale Robinson in leading the Giants (3-13) to their first win since beating Seattle on Oct. 6.

“I've won a lot in my life,” Slayton said. "I wouldn’t say I ever forget the feeling of winning, but, you know, obviously it’s nice to get that feeling back today.”

Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a 100-yard return on the second-half kickoff on a day the league's worst offense set a season high for points.

Jonathan Taylor scored on runs of 3 and 26 yards for Indianapolis (7-9), while Joe Flacco, subbing for the injured Anthony Richardson, threw touchdown passes of 13 yards to Alec Pierce and 7 yards to Michael Pittman, the last bringing the Colts within 35-33 with 6:38 left in the fourth quarter.

Lock, who finished 17 of 23 for 309 yards, clinched the game by leading a nine-play, 70-yard drive that he capped with a 5-yard run.

“It’s kudos to him,” said Nabers, who now has 104 catches for 1,140 yards and six touchdowns. “He looked over the film, found some things that he could get better on and did all that through the week, and it showed how good he can be.”

The 45 points were the most for New York since putting up 49 in a 52-49 loss to the Saints in 2015. It’s the Giants most in a win since a 45-14 rout against Washington in 2014 and most at home since a 52-27 win against the Saints in 2012.

The No. 6 overall pick in the draft, Nabers finished with seven catches for a career-high 171 yards.

“That’s why we drafted him, where we drafted him,” Daboll said. “I’ve been asked about it since training camp and I think the response has been, ‘He’s a pretty good football player.’”

Flacco was 26 of 38 for 330 yards with two interceptions, the second by rookie Dru Phillips shortly after Lock's TD run. Taylor, who rushed for 218 yards in a win over Tennessee last week, finished with 125 yards on 32 carries. Pierce had six catches for 122 yards.

The Colts came into the game needing to win their final two games and also get help to make the playoffs.

“We had something to play for today and obviously we didn’t get it done," Flacco said.

The Colts haven't made the playoffs since posting an 11-5 record in 2020.

“It's hard to explain,” said Colts coach Shane Steichen, who led the team to a 9-8 record in his first season in 2023. “We had to play a complete game. We haven’t done it all year. We have to be on the same page, and to go out there like that is obviously not good enough.”

Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy become the third pair of rookies to have more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in the same season. The previous duo was running back Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston of the Saints in 2006.

Colts: Richardson was inactive with foot and back injuries sustained against Tennessee.

Giants: DL Armon Watts (knee) was ruled out in the first half.

Colts: Finish the regular season by hosting Jacksonville next Sunday.

Giants: At Philadelphia to face Saquon Barkley and the Eagles next Sunday.

AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll reacts to an official's call in the first half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) celebrates with Malik Nabers (1) after Robinson scored a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)

New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor scores a touchdown against the New York Giants in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) scores his second touchdown of the game against the Indianapolis Colts in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) scores his second touchdown of the game against the Indianapolis Colts in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) makes a touchdown catch against the New York Giants in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (10) misses a pass in the end zone in the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Giants quarterback Drew Lock (2) celebrates with wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) after Lock ran for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) celebrates with Alec Pierce (14) after Pittman made a touchdown catch against the New York Giants in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Giants defensive end Elijah Garcia (90) recovers a fumble to stop the final drive by the Indianapolis Colts in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, center, meets Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen, right, on the field after the Giants' 45-33 win in an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Giants defenders sack Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco (15) and cause a fumble to end the Colts' final drive in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) is brought down by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (40) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco passes against the New York Giants in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the Indianapolis Colts in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Giants quarterback Drew Lock (2) gets past Indianapolis Colts linebacker E.J. Speed (45) to score a touchdown on a 5-yard run in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

NEW YORK (AP) — Ten people were wounded in a shooting outside a New York City nightclub while they were waiting to get into a private event, police said.

About 15 people were standing outside Amazura nightclub at 11:15 p.m. Wednesday in Jamaica, Queens, when four men on foot approached the group of 16 to 20 year olds. Three or four men opened fire on the group, New York Police Department Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera said during an early Thursday news conference.

About 30 shots were fired before the gunmen fled on foot. They were then seen getting into a sedan with out-of-state plates.

There is “zero tolerance for these senseless shootings," Rivera said.

Six women and four men were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, he said.

A massive police presence and several ambulances could be seen outside Amazura in footage posted on social media.

The motive was not immediately known but Rivera said: “This is not terrorism.”

In this grab taken from a video provided by the New York Police Department, Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera, centre, speaks to the media during a press conference in New York, early Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, the day after a shooting outside a nightclub in Queens. (NYPD via AP)