The Giants had the NFC East within reach on Thursday night. By the end of the night, it had slipped away.
Washington closed out a 24-21 win at MetLife Stadium when J.J. McCarthy was intercepted by Rasul Douglas with 25 seconds left, ending New York’s two-game winning streak and leaving John Harbaugh’s team at 5-3-1.
The Commanders, who had been down and out, improved to 3-5-1, while the Giants watched a firm grip on the division turn into a missed opportunity. The Dallas Cowboys, now 4-5, are right behind them and host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
The finish belonged to Washington, but the fourth quarter had already turned into a wild swing of momentum. McCarthy delivered a 66-yard touchdown strike to Isaiah Likely with 8:13 left to put New York ahead 21-17, and he finished with a career-high 293 passing yards.
The Giants also got takeaways from Jevon Holland and Ar’Darius Washington, both of whom intercepted Jayden Daniels in the final period. Washington added a fourth-down stop and forced a turnover on downs, too.
Still, the Giants couldn’t close it out.
A shanked 12-yard punt from Jordan Stout hurt New York’s position, and Deonte Banks was flagged for a 33-yard pass interference penalty while covering Treylon Burks before being beaten for the 32-yard touchdown to Stefon Diggs with 57 seconds left. Daniels made the throw that decided it, and the Commanders walked out with the win.
New York had actually come out of halftime looking like the better team. Shelby Harris sacked Daniels to force a punt right after the break, and McCarthy followed with a 25-yard completion to rookie receiver Malachi Fields to push deep into Washington territory. Cam Skattebo then scored his second touchdown of the game on a well-blocked 13-yard toss to the right, giving the Giants a 14-10 lead with 10:22 left in the third quarter.
Washington answered fast. Daniels led a six-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Williams against Holland, and the Commanders were back in front.
The Giants had taken a 7-3 lead earlier on Skattebo’s first touchdown, a 1-yard score that capped a 16-play, 72-yard march lasting 7:48. McCarthy scrambled twice for 19 yards on that drive and then handed off to Skattebo for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:35 left in the second quarter.
But Washington had the last word before halftime. Daniels found tight end Ben Sinnott for a 1-yard touchdown with five seconds remaining, finishing a nine-play, 64-yard drive and sending the Commanders into the break up 10-7.
New York could have been tied at halftime, at least, but rookie kicker Dominic Zvada missed a 33-yard field goal with 4:04 left in the first quarter. That miss loomed when Drew Stevens later put Washington ahead 3-0 with a 46-yard field goal at the start of the second quarter.
The Giants also played it conservatively on their first possession after winning the coin toss. Harbaugh passed on a 56-yard field goal attempt and chose to punt instead, trying to pin Washington deep.
There were other costly moments, too. Malik Nabers was limited to five catches for 44 yards, lost a fumble at Washington’s 20-yard line in the third quarter, and was targeted on McCarthy’s final prayer of a throw, which Douglas picked off. Likely and Theo Johnson each dropped passes as the Giants’ offense let chances slip away.
In Other News...
Giants Kicking Problem May Force A Familiar Name Back Into Play
The Giants kicking situation has gone from promising to precarious in a hurry, with rookie Dominic Zvada following a strong start by missing several field goals in recent games. For a team trying to steady itself, that kind of volatility at one of footballs most unforgiving positions can quickly become a real issue, even if John Harbaugh has continued to voice confidence in Zvadas long-term potential.
Ben Sauls is the familiar name now hovering back around the conversation. The former Giants kicker was waived earlier and remains a free agent, which gives the team a ready-made option if it decides Zvada needs more competition or a short-term push. For now, the question is whether the Giants ride out the rookies rough patch or bring back a leg they already know and see if that changes the equation. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans Wont Like What This Commanders Hit Could Lead To
The Giants left Week 10 with another division loss, and one play from the Commanders is likely to linger well beyond the final whistle. Linebacker Frankie Luvu was all over the field in Washingtons win, including a forced fumble, but his helmet-to-helmet hit on Theo Johnson became the kind of moment that can overshadow everything else when the league starts reviewing the tape.
The flag came out on the field before being overturned, but that does not necessarily end the conversation. The NFLs GameDay Accountability Committee can still take a closer look, and Luvus track record for similar hits earlier this season gives the play a little more weight than a routine missed call, which is the part Giants fans probably will not love hearing as they move on from another frustrating afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Nabers Opens Up About A Giants Concern Fans Can Feel
Malik Nabers has been candid about what it takes to come back from a knee injury, and his comments land with extra weight for a Giants team that has spent plenty of time trying to steady itself around young talent and long-term health. He described both the physical grind and the mental strain of the recovery process, and even left room for uncertainty about where things stand as he works his way forward.
For a fan base that has already learned to track every hint of progress, that uncertainty is the part that lingers. The Giants have had reason to feel encouraged by the energy around the organization, from Mike Tomlins praise of the urgency under John Maras leadership to the strong early returns on rookie linebacker Arvell Reese, with evaluations also pointing to Francis Mauigoa as another solid pick. Even as former coach Tom Coughlin settles into retirement and watches his grandchildren play sports, the bigger question for New York remains whether Nabers can get back to feeling like himself. [Read more 🡒]