In a season of shadows for the 2-10 New York Giants, Jameis Winston emerged as a beacon of unfiltered joy — and jaw-dropping athleticism — during Sunday’s 34-27 overtime heartbreaker against the Detroit Lions.
Holding a slim three-point lead early in the fourth quarter, the Giants dialed up pandemonium: Play-action to running back Devin Singletary and reverse to wide receiver Gunner Olszewski, who floated a 33-yard touchdown pass to… Winston himself.
The 6-foot-4 quarterback, channeling his inner Heisman Trophy winner, stiff-armed a defender en route to the end zone, ballooning the advantage to 27-17 and capping a wild 85-yard scoring drive with 12:16 left in regulation.
JAMEIS WINSTON RECEIVING TD FROM GUNNER OLSZEWSKI.
NYGvsDET on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVntpic.twitter.com/A5D17S03R3
— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025
The play wasn’t just a score; it was a sideline eruption. Winston reflected postgame on the trickery involving Olszewski’s involvement.
“I think it’s just, when you have a good offensive line, and you’ve got a running back that can throw, you’ve got a receiver that is working his butt off and does everything required, you give him a chance. And those are morale boosters. You should’ve seen the sideline, man. We were pumped,” Winston said.
“We were excited. And we need that. We need that energy moving forward because that’s where our eyes are. We’re going to take constructive criticism on this game. What are the pieces that we can get better at, and we are going to use that energy to help propel us to find a way to get a win.”
Crediting interim coach Mike Kafka’s bold creativity, Winston threw his hat into the ring for other trick plays or even use as a tight end.
“I like to consider myself an athlete. I believe that I can make plays like that for this team. If I need to play tight end, I can. I do whatever it is that’s required for this team to have success,” he said. “I’m grateful that Kaf gave me an opportunity and Gunner trusted me to — he gave me a chance. Sometimes that’s all you got to do at the quarterback position, get your guy a chance.”
Even Russell Wilson chimed in via GIF, nodding to Winston’s iconic 2013 Heisman Trophy.
“You know, Russell Wilson sent me a picture of doing the Heisman in like a little GIF — I think it’s called a GIF. I did the Heisman, and we got in the endzone. We just didn’t win, guys. We got to win,” he said.
For a team desperate for wins, this “morale booster” offered an exciting and entertaining moment in defeat, as Winston caught his first NFL pass and tallied 412 yards with three scores overall.
Social media exploded, with the clip amassing over 3.1 million X views in hours, fans dubbing it, “Play of the Freaking Year.”
Amid execution woes — like a missed fourth-down pass to tight end Theo Johnson — Winston’s versatility reminds: In trials, a single spark can reignite belief. As the Giants limp toward Thanksgiving, this viral magic might just be what keeps frustrated and reeling fans engaged.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Jameis Winston’s trick play ignited Giants’ spark in crushing loss
