DETROIT — The play is named “bull’s-eye,’’ and had it not been for the Giants losing to the Lions 34-27 in overtime Sunday at Ford Field, it might be the highlight-reel play of the season.
The play gave the Giants a 27-17 lead with 12:16 remaining in regulation and was beautiful.
Giants quarterback Jameis Winston threw what looked like a screen pass to little-used receiver Gunner Olszewski, and Olszewski then threw it to Winston down the left side of the field for a 33-yard touchdown.
It was the first pass Winston has caught in his NFL career and the first pass Olszewski has thrown in his.
After Winston ripped himself away from Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes and crossed the end zone, he delivered a Heisman pose.
Jameis Winston scored a touchdown against the Lions on a trick play. Getty Images
“Those are morale boosters,” Winston said of the play. “You should have seen the sideline, man. We were pumped. We were excited. And we need that. We need that energy moving forward.’’
Olszewski called Winston “the man.”
“He puts the ball up for us, so I was like, ‘It’s coming up to you,’ ’’ he said. “Man, just let it. I knew I was going to throw it up. The guys did a good job protecting and Jameis made an unbelievable play like the unbelievable athlete that he is.’’
Winston made his second start Sunday for the Giants. Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Asked how many times the play worked in practice, Olszewski said, “Three out of three. Those plays don’t get called in the game if they don’t work in practice.”
Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson had the best game of his career, catching nine passes for 156 yards and one TD, including a 39-yard trick play on which Winston tossed the ball to RB Devin Singletary who threw it back to Winston to throw it to Robinson.
“It felt great — especially when your first catch is a touchdown,” Robinson said. “Then you automatically feel like you’re in a groove and the ball just kind of feels like it’s getting a little bit bigger every time it comes towards you and it’s just easier to touch the ball and get open.’’
In past games, specifically in Week 2 against the Cowboys, the Giants on defense did a poor job trying to run seconds off the clock by slowing themselves down just a bit with some gamesmanship.
Against the Lions, the Giants tried this, and failed.
With 1:12 remaining and the Lions out of timeouts, Jared Goff connected with Jahmyr Gibbs for a gain of 12 yards.
The Lions were in hurry-up mode, trailing 27-24.
Safety Jevón Holland knocked the ball out of Gibbs’ hands — a ploy to run a few additional seconds off the clock.
But he was too obvious with his intentions and a flag was thrown for a delay of game penalty.
That moved the ball to the Giants 36-yard line.
Detroit lost 5 yards on the ensuing three plays, but Jake Bates was able to hit a 59-yard field goal as time expired in regulation.
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Those 5 yards lost on Holland’s penalty could have made the difference on the kick.
“It was a good call by the refs,’’ Holland said. “I tried to knock the ball out, let it dribble a little bit longer, burn some time but he caught me. He got me, red-handed.’’
Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka said the plan is for rookie QB Jaxson Dart to start next Monday night in New England as long as he clears concussion protocol.
Dart was at the game on the sideline Sunday.
The only injury the Giants sustained in the game was to LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, who hurt his neck in the first half and didn’t return.