The New York Giants absolutely fumbled a golden opportunity Thursday night, losing 24-21 to the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium and completely giving up sole control of the NFC East. Seriously, they had it in their grasp. It was a 21-17 lead with under a minute left on the clock after Isaiah Likely snagged a short pass from J.J. McCarthy and took it 66 yards for a touchdown.
How a Statement Victory Turned Into a Costly Setback
You gotta be kidding me. With the clock ticking under a minute, all the Giants needed to do was close out a division rival. Instead, Jayden Daniels connected with Stefon Diggs for a 32-yard touchdown with just 57 seconds remaining. That one play flipped everything. McCarthy tried a deep shot to respond, but it got intercepted, sealing the defeat. Cam Skattebo was doing work on the ground, powering the offense with 122 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 touches, including a 13-yard score in the third quarter that put the Giants ahead. Likely, despite a costly drop earlier, finished with nine receptions for 127 yards and that go ahead touchdown. McCarthy completed 23 of 36 attempts for 293 yards and a touchdown before that crushing late interception. The loss drops the Giants to 5-3-1, and it hands the Commanders a critical divisional win. What should’ve been a statement victory just became a brutal, costly setback, and that division lead? It’s no longer solely theirs.
The Self-Inflicted Wounds and Questionable Calls That Sealed the Deal
Look, you can point fingers everywhere, but the Giants did themselves no favors. We saw drops, missed tackles, an illegal kick, and an ugly fourth quarter punt that just hurt. And don’t even get me started on the passive play-calling. They had chances on fourth downs and just didn’t go for it. Plus, they got away from their man coverage and heavy blitzes because they were scared of Daniels running, and it absolutely cost them. Their third-down defense was an absolute mess too. The Commanders walked into this game with the worst third-down offense in the NFL, yet they converted seven of 14 attempts. Seven! That’s just inexcusable.
And yeah, officiating didn’t help. Abdul Carter was getting held on almost every play, and no flags came out. Then they hit Deonte Banks with a bogus defensive pass interference call. And to top it off, they stopped the clock when Daniels clearly went laterally out of bounds late in the fourth. Still, the Giants had the lead and let it go. It all came down to that final prayer of a pass from J.J. McCarthy to Malik Nabers in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Rasul Douglas picked it off, and that was that. Game over.
What’s Next After This Division Shocker
Giants head coach John Harbaugh is set to meet with reporters Friday afternoon to talk about this one and look ahead to Week 11. The team will be back on the practice field for a walkthrough on Monday, November 16, to get ready for their next game. They’ll face the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium. After a choke like this, they better be ready to prove they still belong in the hunt.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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