Giants Country

New York Giants Top Washington Commanders, 20-12

The Giants win in dramatic fashion over their division rivals to improve their postseason chances.

Joe Najarian

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The New York Giants earned their biggest win of the season, and their first win against a division opponent, by defeating the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field, 20-12. With the win, the Giants improved to 8-5-1 and firmly established themselves in the wild card race.

New York’s defense forced two huge turnovers, one of which was returned for a touchdown by rookie linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, and sealed the win with a dramatic goal-line stand.

Giants Quarterback Daniel Jones completed 21 of 32 passes for 160 yards and kept the team in a position to win throughout. Running back Saquon Barkley had 120 scrimmage yards, as he rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and caught five passes for 33 yards.

Washington began the game with a drive that advanced as far as the Giants' 31-yard line, which included a fourth down conversion by running back Brian Robinson. But a tackle for a loss by Thibodeaux and a sack by defensive end Ryder Anderson forced the Commanders to punt.

The Giants went three-and-out on their first possession, and the Commanders responded with another drive into Giants territory, advancing as far as the 23. A pair of penalties, however, forced Washington to settle for Joey Slye’s 41-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

Once again, the Giants were forced to punt, but they would get on the board soon enough. After an offensive holding penalty pushed the Commanders back to their own 10-yard line, Thibodeaux broke through and sacked Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke, who fumbled the ball. The Giants rookie recovered the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown, putting New York up 7-3.

After the Giants’ defense forced the Commanders to punt, the offense was pinned all the way back to their own 3-yard line. But Jones and company responded with possibly the best drive of their season, marching 97 yards in a staggering 18 plays, taking over eight and a half minutes off the clock.

The biggest play on the drive came when the Giants faced a 4th-and-9 at the Washington 35. Instead of attempting a long field goal, coach Brian Daboll decided to trust the offense and go for it. 

This decision proved wise, as Jones completed an 11-yard pass to Richie James to move the chains. Jones then completed a 19-yarder to Isaiah Hodgins to move inside the 5-yard line, and two plays later, Barkley scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to extend the Giants’ lead to 14-3.

But after the Giants punted to start the second half, Washington’s offense came to life. They drove 91 yards in just six plays, including a 20-yard reception by Terry McLaurin, and scored on Heinicke’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson. 

The Commanders then attempted a two-point try, but their initially successful conversion was negated by an offensive pass interference penalty on Dotson. This forced them to settle for a PAT, but Slye missed wide right. Ultimately, the Giants still led 14-9.

The Giants narrowly avoided disaster on their ensuing drive, as a Jones fumble that was recovered by Washington was reversed by a Giants challenge; replays confirmed that Jones’s elbow hit the ground before he lost the ball. This challenge quickly became important as the Giants were able to extend their lead; Graham Gano kicked a 50-yard field goal to make it 17-9.

After both teams punted, the Commanders had great field position at their own 42 and advanced as far as the Giants' 33. But New York’s defense held firm, and Washington settled for Slye’s 51-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 17-12.

The Giants were forced to punt again, and this time the Commanders threatened to take the lead. Heinicke threw a 61-yard bomb to Dotson to move the ball inside Giants territory, and a 19-yard run by Robinson moved the ball to the Giants' 11. 

But three plays later, Azeez Ojulari and Dexter Lawrence sacked and forced a fumble from Heinicke, and Leonard Williams recovered the loose ball. Heinicke was initially ruled down, but another successful challenge by Daboll gave the Giants possession.

After the huge turnover, the Giants drove 54 yards in nine plays, with Barkley starting the drive with three straight runs of 10+ yards. Ultimately, New York extended their lead to 20-12 on another 50-yard field goal from Gano.

However, Washington made things interesting with another deep drive into Giants territory. A 43-yard kickoff return by Antonio Gibson gave the Commanders great field position at their own 43. 

A 27-yard pass to Curtis Samuel sparked a drive to the Giants’ 1-yard line, and it appeared Washington had scored a crucial touchdown on a 1-yard run by Robinson, now only needing a two-point conversion to tie. However, the touchdown was negated by an illegal formation penalty on Terry McLaurin; the Giants’ defense forced two incompletions to turn the ball over on downs and clinch the victory.

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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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