New York Giants vs New Orleans Saints Match Player Stats: Turnovers Hand Saints Their First Win of 2025

Five turnovers can sink almost any offense, and that’s exactly what happened to the New York Giants in New Orleans. This breakdown of the new york giants vs new orleans saints match player stats shows how a team that out-gained its opponent still walked away with a loss. Below, every meaningful number from the box score is laid out so you can see precisely where the game was won and lost.

The Lead

The New Orleans Saints ended an eight-game losing streak and gave rookie head coach Kellen Moore his first NFL win, holding off the New York Giants 26-14 on October 5, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. A crowd of 70,008 watched a Week 5 NFC-vs-NFC matchup that was broadcast nationally on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.

New York actually outgained New Orleans 335 yards to 332 and controlled the ball for nearly 32 minutes, but none of that mattered once the turnovers piled up. Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns yet coughed up the ball five times combined between himself, Cam Skattebo, and Darius Slayton — three lost fumbles plus two fourth-quarter interceptions. 

Spencer Rattler, making his 11th career start without a win, delivered the signature play of the afternoon: an 87-yard touchdown strike to Rashid Shaheed that flipped an 11-point Giants advantage into a Saints lead they never gave back.

Match Overview Table

Core Match Statistics Overview

The team stat sheet tells a strange story: New York led in nearly every traditional efficiency category and still lost by two scores. This gap between “moving the ball” and “scoring points” is the entire story of this game.

Turnover Battle

• New York’s five giveaways (three lost fumbles, two interceptions) directly produced 13 New Orleans points.
• New Orleans finished with a perfect turnover margin of plus-5, the single biggest factor in these new york giants vs new orleans saints match player stats.

Explosive Plays vs Ball Control

• New Orleans needed only one truly explosive play — Shaheed’s 87-yard score — to flip field position and momentum for good.
• The Giants generated more total yardage and first downs but converted almost none of that volume into red-zone touchdowns after halftime, scoring zero second-half points.

Rushing Attack

• New York’s ground game outproduced New Orleans by 48 yards (136 to 88), led by Cam Skattebo and a mobile Jaxson Dart.
• The Saints leaned on a run-by-committee approach with Kendre Miller and Alvin Kamara, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry against a stout Giants front.

Third-Down and Red-Zone Execution

• New Orleans converted its limited red-zone chances into points on nearly every possession thanks to Blake Grupe’s four field goals.
• The Giants’ red-zone trips were repeatedly undercut by turnovers, including a fumble that was returned for a touchdown before New York could even attempt a red-zone snap that drive.

Period-by-Period Analysis

• First quarter: Dart opened the scoring with a short touchdown pass to Theo Johnson, giving New York a 7-3 edge after Grupe answered with a 28-yard field goal.
• Second quarter: This was the swing period of the game. Dart hit Johnson again from 15 yards to push the lead to 14-3, but New Orleans answered with a Grupe field goal, then Rattler’s 87-yard touchdown to Shaheed, and a buzzer-beating field goal to take a 16-14 halftime lead.
• Third and fourth quarters: New Orleans out-scored the Giants 10-0 in the second half. A third-quarter Grupe field goal extended the lead to 19-14, and a Skattebo fumble returned for a touchdown by Jordan Howden early in the fourth quarter put the game away.

New York Giants Player Statistics

Jaxson Dart (QB): 26/40, 202 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 1 fumble lost, passer rating 73.1. Dart threw two touchdowns to Theo Johnson but was picked off twice by Kool-Aid McKinstry in the fourth quarter and lost a fumble on a third-quarter scramble, undoing an otherwise efficient outing.

Cam Skattebo (RB): 15 carries, 59 yards; 6 catches, 45 yards. Skattebo was New York’s workhorse and paced the run game, but his lost fumble at the goal line in the fourth quarter was returned for the decisive touchdown.

Theo Johnson (TE): 6 catches, 33 yards, 2 TD. Johnson was the most efficient red-zone weapon on the field, hauling in both of Dart’s touchdown passes on a combined 16 yards.

Daniel Bellinger (TE): 4 catches, 52 yards, long of 18. Bellinger led all Giants pass-catchers in yardage and moved the chains on several third-down conversions.

New Orleans Saints Player Statistics

Spencer Rattler (QB): 21/31, 225 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 0 sacks taken, passer rating 99.5. Rattler picked up his first career win after 10 winless starts, protecting the football completely while connecting on the game’s biggest play.

Rashid Shaheed (WR): 4 catches, 114 yards, 1 TD, long of 87. Shaheed’s touchdown catch was his sixth career reception of 53-plus yards and single-handedly swung the win-probability of the game.

Chris Olave (WR): 7 catches, 59 yards, long of 17. Olave was Rattler’s most frequently targeted receiver and the steady chain-mover the Saints leaned on between explosive plays.

Alvin Kamara (RB): 8 carries, 27 yards; 4 catches, 28 yards. Kamara provided dual-threat production out of the backfield, contributing in both the run and pass game on early downs.

Statistical Leaders Summary Table

Why New Orleans Won

A Clean Sheet on Turnovers

New Orleans didn’t commit a single giveaway, while forcing five from New York. That plus-5 margin overcame a 47-yard deficit in raw rushing production and a slight disadvantage in total plays run.

One Explosive Strike Changed Everything

Shaheed’s 87-yard touchdown reception, on a drive that lasted just 11 seconds, was the longest offensive play from scrimmage the Saints had produced since 2016. That single snap erased an 11-point deficit and put New Orleans in position to lead by halftime.

Reliable Special Teams

Blake Grupe converted four of six field goal attempts, including a 53-yarder, giving New Orleans a scoring floor even when the offense stalled inside the red zone.

Why New York Lost

Turnover-Prone Fourth Quarter

Dart’s two interceptions, both intercepted by McKinstry, and Skattebo’s fourth-quarter fumble return touchdown erased any margin New York had built through 335 total yards of offense.

No Second-Half Points

The Giants were shut out over the final 30 minutes despite entering the second half with a lead earlier in the game. New Orleans’ defense tightened red-zone coverage and forced three of the five turnovers after halftime.

Historical Context & Advanced Insights

All-Time Series Breakdown

New Orleans has now taken three consecutive meetings in this series, pulling the all-time regular-season record between the two franchises into a 17-17 tie after 34 meetings.

Advanced Statistical Insights

Dart completed 65% of his passes but averaged only 4.9 yards per attempt, a figure that reflects a short, high-volume passing script rather than an aggressive downfield approach. Rattler, by contrast, averaged 7.5 yards per attempt on far fewer dropbacks, and his efficiency — anchored by zero sacks taken and zero turnovers — is the clearest statistical explanation for New Orleans’ win despite trailing in total yards and time of possession. When a team wins the per-play efficiency battle and the turnover battle simultaneously, the final score rarely reflects a close contest, even if the box score’s yardage column suggests otherwise.

Game Implications & Key Lessons

What This Means for New Orleans:

• The win snapped an eight-game losing streak and validated Kellen Moore’s offensive approach in his first NFL head-coaching victory.
• Rattler’s clean, turnover-free performance gives the coaching staff more confidence to build the passing game around him going forward.

What This Means for New York:

• Ball security is now the single biggest priority for a young offense that otherwise moved the chains consistently.
• Dart’s fourth-quarter interceptions highlight a need for better situational decision-making once the Giants trail.

Key Lessons:

• Turnover margin remains the most predictive single stat in a close football game.
• A team can lead in total yards and still lose comfortably if it fails to protect the football.
• One explosive play can outweigh a full quarter of methodical, clock-consuming drives.
• Red-zone execution matters more than red-zone opportunities.
• Clean quarterback play, even without gaudy yardage, often beats a higher-volume passer who turns the ball over.
• Special teams and short fields created by turnovers can be the deciding factor in low-margin games.

FAQs

Who won the Giants vs Saints game on October 5, 2025?

The New Orleans Saints won 26-14 over the New York Giants at the Caesars Superdome.

Who had the best stats in the Giants vs Saints match?

Rashid Shaheed led all players with 114 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Spencer Rattler passed for 225 yards without a turnover.

What were Jaxson Dart’s stats in the loss to the Saints?

Dart finished 26-of-40 passing for 202 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.

How many turnovers did the Giants commit?

New York committed five turnovers — three lost fumbles and two interceptions — while New Orleans committed zero.

What was the longest play of the game?

Rashid Shaheed’s 87-yard touchdown reception from Spencer Rattler in the second quarter was the longest and most decisive play of the afternoon.

Where was the game played and what was the attendance?

The game was played at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans in front of 70,008 fans.

Conclusion

The new york giants vs new orleans saints match player stats make clear that raw yardage totals don’t win football games — efficiency and ball security do. New Orleans turned a clean, mistake-free performance from Spencer Rattler and one signature explosive play into a decisive win, while New York’s five turnovers erased what was otherwise a productive offensive day. 

Teamwork, discipline, and situational execution outweighed individual yardage totals, and that gap is exactly why the Saints, not the Giants, walked out of the Superdome with the victory.