LANDOVER, Md. — It seemed like neither the Giants nor the Commanders really wanted to win during their game on Sunday.
So, they settled for a tie.
The Giants struggled with a missed field goal—Dominic Zvada ended up with three misses out of five attempts—and they also lost a fumble during their overtime possessions. On the flip side, the Commanders ran out of time while trying to set up a 42-yard field goal, resulting in a 27-27 tie at the rain-soaked Northwest Stadium.
For the Giants, this tie felt somewhat like a victory because they appeared to be on the brink of defeat—until Jayden Daniels made a last-minute scramble with just 11 seconds left during a chaotic play. Unfortunately for the Commanders, they couldn’t hurry back to the line in time to spike the ball.
This was a much-needed break for the Giants after Cam Skattebo fumbled again, marking his fourth in five games—adding to the team’s total of nine fumbles this season—while the Giants were aiming for a potential long game-winning kick.
Going into the game, the plan was for Daniels to run and test his injured left elbow under pressure.
It makes you wonder if they regretted that decision almost immediately.
Could it have been after he scrambled for a crucial first down on third-and-11 in the red zone, setting up a field goal? Or when he dashed for a 38-yard touchdown while fullback Deonte Banks was completely turned around in coverage? Maybe it was during his 26-yard touchdown run, maneuvering inside to cross the goal line? Or perhaps when he planned to set up the winning overtime kick that ultimately didn’t happen?
The Giants made an impressive 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter, highlighted by Malik Nabers pulling in a tough 17-yard catch in double coverage to tie the game with just 1:43 left.
However, their rushed attempts to establish a running game forced them to rely on backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy for zone reads in his season debut—an angle they really didn’t fully capitalize on, given they had the chance to extend their early lead in the NFC East.
Jameis Winston was productive, completing 33 of 54 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns, with Isaiah Likely and Nabers combining for an impressive 22 catches on 33 targets.
With the rain-soaked grass at Northwest Stadium playing a role, the Giants went for four long-distance field goals (hitting two out of four) early in the game. No matter how solid Zvada seemed—he had been perfect until this game—the decision to kick from so far out wasn’t ideal, leading to a 19-6 deficit by the third quarter.
This time around, the offense—or maybe it was the officiating—gave the Giants a couple of fortunate breaks as they moved toward what looked like a potential victory.
Having just come off two back-to-back wins thanks to late-game defensive interceptions, the Giants managed to rally again with two touchdown catches from Isaiah Likely that almost didn’t count.
Likely revitalized an offense that struggled early, earning a touchdown following a pass interference penalty that negated what would have been a devastating interception at the 2-yard line. Once they abandoned ineffective running plays in their quest for a rally, Likely found the end zone again. Although he fumbled while diving for the score, the review showed he had crossed the goal line before losing the ball.
The ineffective rushing plan (only 11 carries for 21 yards at that time) finally bit them just before the two-minute warning of the first half.
A second-and-8 play-action attempt that fooled no one left Winston scrambling in a collapsing pocket, and when the ball slipped from his grip, it rolled backward, allowing the Commanders to set up an easy 40-yard field goal for a 12-3 lead.
After a rough start—allowing a quick four-play touchdown drive topped by Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s 33-yard run—the defense tightened up and only allowed the Commanders to score two more field goals thereafter.
