The Washington Commanders came into their Week 5 meeting with the New York Giants needing a win, and instead they walked away with a tie that felt like a missed opportunity from start to finish. After leading by 14 at one point, Washington let the game slip through its fingers with a second-half collapse and a final overtime play that only made the result sting more.
Weather had plenty to do with the feel of the afternoon at Northwest Stadium. Heavy rain and wind battered both teams early before easing as the game went on, but the conditions were never going to excuse the Commanders’ self-inflicted problems.
Jayden Daniels was back under center, which gave Washington a lift, and so were right guard Sam Cosmi and wide receiver Terry McLaurin. McLaurin was on a snap count after receiving late clearance because of a hamstring issue, but those three offensive pieces were in place for a game Washington badly needed to finish.
Instead, the Commanders kept tripping over themselves. The tie changes nothing for a team that needed something more, and the manner of it was the real issue.
One of the few bright spots came from Chig Okonkwo, who delivered his best game since joining Washington. The tight end had been quiet over his first two appearances and had also missed two games because of injury, but against the Giants he finally looked like the player the Commanders expected. He caught all four of his targets for 64 receiving yards, flashing explosiveness after the catch and looking clean in the routes David Blough helped draw up for him.
Washington also got another strong showing from Rasul Douglas. The veteran cornerback’s signing is looking better by the week, and his role in the starting rotation is clearly bringing out more of his game.
Douglas was physical, confident in coverage and active as a tackler, and the Commanders also used him well on blitzes. He did draw a frustrating third-down penalty in the second quarter, but that was the exception rather than the rule in another solid outing.
The problem for Washington was that the good moments kept getting undercut by the same old mistakes. Penalties again became a major issue, especially the procedural kind that keep showing up before the snap. The Commanders were flagged for two straight infringements in the second quarter while they were close to the end zone, and that kind of sloppiness is a killer when the margins are this thin.
That was the story of the day: enough positive signs to make you think this team can do better, and enough breakdowns to leave it stuck in place.
In Other News...
Commanders Enter Giants Showdown With One Huge Question Under Center
Washington is back home for a familiar kind of NFC East test, facing the Giants in its third division game in three weeks as it tries to keep pace in the standings. The Commanders also spent the week sorting through a long injury list, with six players ruled out, leaving little margin for error as they turn the page on another important game in the division.
Under center, the plan has been set for Sunday. Jayden Daniels will start at quarterback, with rookie Athan Kaliakmanis behind him on the depth chart, after Marcus Mariotas latest knee setback forced the team to adjust again at the game's most scrutinized position. For a Commanders team trying to improve its place in the NFC East, how long it can stay on that track is still the question hanging over the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Let A Wild Chance Slip Away In Frustrating Giants Tie
The Commanders spent Sunday in a game that kept swinging between opportunity and frustration, and it ended right back where it started: in a 27-27 tie with the Giants after overtime. Washington had chances to leave with a much cleaner result, especially in a game where New York handed the door open late, but the visitors could never quite turn those moments into a finish that counted.
For a team still searching for traction, the tie lands like a missed opening more than a consolation prize. Washington is now 1-3-1, a record that reflects how thin the margin has been in several of these early games, while the Giants moved to 3-1-1. The Commanders will be left sorting through how a game with so much in play still slipped through their hands when it mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Passing Game Suddenly Rests On Terry McLaurins Hamstring
Terry McLaurins hamstring has turned into one of the most important subplots of the Commanders Week 5 prep, with the receiver listed as questionable for Sundays game against the Giants. Washington also is already without Stefon Diggs, which leaves the passing game thinner than it would like at a time when every available target matters.
There is at least some optimism McLaurin will suit up after missing the Week 4 loss to Indianapolis, but even that does not come with a full workload expectation. If he is active, the Commanders appear likely to ease him back in with limited snaps, leaving his availability and effectiveness as separate questions heading into a division game that could use all the help it can get. [Read more 🡒]