New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely has been making sure his on-field production matches every penny the franchise paid him to come over from Baltimore with head coach John Harbaugh during the offseason.
The 6-foot-4 Likely, who traded in Ravens purple for a blue uniform and a three-year, $40 million contract in free agency, has wasted no time making his mark in his Giants tenure.
Harbaugh and the Giants wanted Likely to be a complementary, versatile receiving threat for their initial starting quarterback, Jaxson Dart, and Matt Nagy’s offense. Still, he has gone far beyond that, logging a team-leading 33 receptions on 47 targets for 284 yards and four touchdowns.
The catch total puts him in rare company in Giants lore: he is the first tight end in franchise history to record that many catches through his first five games.
The feat came on the strength of Likely’s breakout effort in the Giants’ roller-coaster 27-27 Week 5 overtime tie against the Washington Commanders, one where the tight end hauled in a career-high 11 catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns to help the team overcome a 14-point second-half deficit.
At the same time, his performance wasn’t enough to counteract other missed opportunities that kept Big Blue from beating its division rival and widening its lead in the NFC East.
“I honestly was shocked,” Likely said about the final result. “I never tied up before in my NFL career, really in any game.”
“I mean, we had the game right there—unfortunate errors. You know, obviously there are plays that we all can have back to really end the game from there. It wasn’t a win, it wasn’t a loss, obviously, but it definitely was a blessing.”
Giants Comeback Powered by Likely-Winston Duo
The Giants’ odd blessing of leaving Northwest Stadium with a tie came down to tough conversations and a whole lot of grit.
That started in the team’s much-needed halftime break, when New York trailed the Commanders 12-3 after Dominic Zvada missed a pair of field goals and Jameis Winston fumbled, while the offense managed just 72 passing yards and 26 rushing yards.
Knowing those numbers stemmed purely from a lack of execution, the Giants took advantage of their chance to regroup and made the adjustments that led them back to the fruitful football they missed in the first 30 minutes.
“[We had] great feedback at halftime,” Likely said.
“Player dialogue, coaches’ dialogue, and really just getting behind your brother. Jameis [Winston] had open ears. He understood that the job in the second half was to get us back in the game, and that’s exactly what he did.”
The Giants returned with renewed offensive energy in the second half as Winston connected with Likely for two scores.
The first came on a 13-play drive that featured three late downs, two penalties, and a near interception by Commanders cornerback Amik Robertson that a pass interference penalty wiped out, putting the Giants within three yards of the end zone for a quick strike to cut the deficit to 19-13.
Likely’s biggest moment came when facing what felt like a must-have fourth-down conversion from the Washington 17, No. 9 put the whole team on his shoulders and didn’t settle for the first down, taking it all the way to the end zone.
“It was fourth down, so in my mind I’m thinking, we got to get in the end zone regardless,” Likely said.
“Knowing the situation, knowing the stakes, knowing that when I get the first down, I can be more cautious with the ball in my hands and try to get down if I can if I’m wrapped up, but, in my mind, I was thinking about scoring and try to go up.”
Likely’s second touchdown, which made him the first Giants tight end with nine or more receptions and two or more touchdowns in a single game, was a clear example of why the organization made it a priority to insert him into its offensive huddle and give him the chance to be a No. 1 option, something he couldn’t be behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore.
While his record start was enough to pull the Giants back from defeat in Washington, it didn’t serve as the centerpiece of a win that would have given the franchise its first 4-1 start since the 2022 season and a two-game lead in the division.
Likely and his teammates know they did their job to force a thrilling comeback when they should have been counted out, but they’ll have to wait for another chance to change the script in Week 6, when they welcome the New Orleans Saints to MetLife Stadium.
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