The Commanders needed one last burst, and Stefon Diggs delivered it.
Down 21-17 and staring at a late Giants push, Washington answered with a 71-yard march in just three plays, capped by Diggs’ 32-yard touchdown catch with 57 seconds left for a 24-21 win on Thursday night.
The finish came after a wild stretch in which the lead changed hands four times in the second half. The Giants had grabbed a 21-17 edge with 8:13 remaining when Isaiah Likely turned a catch into a 66-yard touchdown. But even after that, Washington still had life.
The Giants appeared to have swung the game their way with two huge interceptions of Jayden Daniels. Jevon Holland, in the middle of what the source described as an All-Pro season, picked off Chig Okonkwo at the 2-yard line with the Commanders driving at the Giants 24 and 5:27 left. Then Ar’Darius Washington jumped in front of Okonkwo on fourth-and-2 at the Washington 45 with 2:15 remaining.
Still, the Giants couldn’t drain the clock. On fourth-and-1 from their own 11 with 3:27 left, Jameis Winston was under center and running the quarterback sneak operation when the Giants backed themselves into a delay of game and then punted.
Winston’s cadence included the line, “Hut One. Hut Two.
Hut Three. Who let the dogs out?
Who, who, who, who?”
Washington made them pay. A questionable 33-yard pass interference call on Deonte Banks, who was covering Treylon Burks, helped set up the drive, and Diggs finished it off three plays later.
The Giants still had one more chance, reaching the Washington 48 on their final possession. But J.J. McCarthy’s deep shot to Malik Nabers was intercepted by Rasul Douglas with 25 seconds left to seal it.
The numbers were close, but the result wasn’t. The Giants outgained the Commanders 399 to 340, yet they missed a field goal and turned it over twice.
Daniels finished 23 of 33 for 249 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Rachaad White ran for 47 yards on 11 carries, while Diggs caught six passes for 83 yards. Antonio Williams and Ben Sinnott also found the end zone through the air.
McCarthy went 23 of 36 for 293 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Cam Skattebo handled 18 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns and added three catches for 44 yards, while Likely finished with nine receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.
The Commanders improved to 3-5-1, and the Giants fell to 5-3-1.
In Other News...
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Instead of letting the moment turn into a routine dead-ball reset, McCaffreys awareness helped set the Commanders up at the 40-yard line. It was the kind of smart, situational play coaches love because it comes from understanding the fine print, and it gave Washington an extra edge in a game where every field-position advantage matters. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Rookie Sparks Concern After Strange Sideline Moment Vs Commanders
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Commanders Win Is Fueling A Brutal Giants Postgame Debate
The Giants 24-21 loss to Washington in Week 10 has lingered well past the final whistle because of what happened on the games last two throws. Head coach John Harbaugh pointed to the defensive look Washington showed, saying the Commanders came with zero blitzes and left routes that were supposed to be available. It was the kind of late-game sequence that usually gets replayed, dissected and second-guessed, especially in a one-score finish.
J.J. McCarthy did not try to dodge the moment afterward. He took responsibility for the interception on the final possession and said he could have handled the situation differently. For Washington, the win is another line in the standings, but for the Giants it has turned into a fresh debate about execution, decision-making and whether the offense read the moment the way it needed to. [Read more 🡒]