Giants Country

Giants, Commanders End in 20-20 Tie

Giants couldn't overcome mistakes to put critical NFC East game away.

Joe Najarian

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East Rutherford, N.J. - For the first time since 1997, the New York Giants had a game end in a tie, as their game against the Washington Commanders ended in a 20-20 stalemate.

Kicker Graham Gano missed a 58-yard field goal as time expired in overtime, ending a game that saw numerous missed opportunities from both teams. Washington outgained New York in total yards (411-316), passing yards (246-182), and rushing yards (165-134) but couldn’t do anything in the extra 10 minutes, while the Giants were unable to score after their first drive of the second half.

Quarterback Daniel Jones completed 25 of his 31 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown on his way to a 104.3 passer rating. Jones also had 71 yards on 13 carries, while running back Saquon Barkley had 63 yards on 18 carries. 

The game got off to a bad start for the Giants, as Jones fumbled at his own 47-yard line, and Jamin Davis recovered for Washington. The Commanders then drove to the Giants’ 3-yard line, but the Giants’ defense forced them to settle for Joey Slye’s 21-yard field goal for an early 3-0 lead.

The Giants were forced to punt on their next drive, and Washington moved 62 yards in eight plays. The Commanders faced only one third down on their drive, a 3rd-and-4 that was converted with Taylor Heinicke’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin. Washington now led 10-0.

Needing a response, the Giants offense moved 45 yards in eight plays, the largest being a 21-yard scramble by Jones. The drive stalled at the Washington 30, but New York still got on the board with Graham Gano’s 48-yard field goal.

Washington was forced to punt thanks to a sack by Justin Ellis, and the Giants offense moved 81 yards in just five plays. Their first play was the biggest, as Jones launched a 55-yard bomb to Darius Slayton that moved the ball to the Washington 26. Jones then converted a third down with a 10-yard scramble, and Barkley finished the drive on the next play with a 13-yard touchdown run to tie the game.

Washington then moved 51 yards in 12 plays. A defensive holding penalty notably extended the drive against the Giants after an incompletion on third down. Later, the Giants were initially flagged for pass interference on a pass to the endzone, but the officials would pick up the flag. The Commanders were ultimately forced to settle for Slye’s 42-yard field goal to take a 13-10 lead.

The Giants responded by moving 66 yards in 13 plays. Barkley ripped off a 21-yard run, and Jones converted a 3rd and 10 with a 10-yarder to Isaiah Hodgins, which moved the ball into the red zone. New York eventually moved to the Washington 9-yard line, but with no timeouts and only five seconds left in the first half, coach Brian Daboll chose to take the points and send out Gano, who kicked a 27-yard field goal to tie the game at halftime.

The second half got off to a great start for New York, as Azeez Ojulari forced a fumble from Heinicke and Oshane Ximines recovered for the Giants. The offense capitalized immediately; Jones converted another third down with another scramble, and two plays later, he threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Hodgins. The Giants had taken the lead, 20-13.

After both teams punted, Washington advanced as far as the New York 25-yard line. But an offensive holding penalty and a big sack by Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence derailed the Commanders’ drive, and Slye missed a 52-yard field goal attempt.

But after three straight punts, the Commanders stormed down the field with an 8-play, 90-yard touchdown drive. Facing 4th-and-4 at their own 27, Heinicke threw a 20-yard strike to Curtis Samuel and later threw a 25-yarder to Samuel to move the ball to the Giants' 28. On the next play, Heinicke threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Dotson that tied the game at 20.

The next drive for the Giants was a disaster. Slayton dropped a deep pass from Jones that would have put the offense into field goal range, and two plays later, Jones threw a pass that was nearly intercepted. Washington got the ball back with a chance to win the game, but the Giants’ defense forced a punt, and the game would go to overtime.

The Giants won the coin toss to get the ball first, but Jones was sacked on third down, and New York was forced to punt. Fortunately, the Giants’ defense came up clutch and forced the Commanders to punt on their ensuing drive.

New York advanced to midfield on their next drive, but coach Brian Daboll chose to trust his defense and punted the ball away. Although the Giants defense forced a punt and advanced to the Washington 40, Gano missed a 58-yard field goal just short, and the game ended in a tie.

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Joe Najarian
JOE NAJARIAN

Joe Najarian, a Rutgers University graduate, covered Rutgers Football and Rutgers Baseball during an eight-month stint with Jersey Sporting News (JSN).

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