The New York Giants were sitting pretty in the NFC East, practically cruising into their “Thursday Night Football” matchup against the Washington Commanders, but they hit the brakes way too early. The Commanders pulled off a stunning 24-21 upset on November 12, keeping their own season alive and closing the gap to within two games of the Giants in the loss column. What started as a snooze-fest in crummy weather transformed into a battle under better conditions, and the Commanders just flat-out made more plays when it counted.
Daniels Played Superman, Keeping Washington Alive
Quarterback Jayden Daniels proved once again that he’s got to be Superman for this Commanders squad to even have a shot. He had a couple of plays that made you scratch your head, like missing Stefon Diggs on a crucial fourth down with nine minutes left in regulation. But man, did he make up for it. Daniels is all about winning, and another loss that effectively ended their 2026 contention hopes, even though it’s the NFL where anything happens, would not sit well with the franchise QB who’s up for an extension this offseason. He was doing everything he could to keep his team competitive, even with a roster that’s just not as talented. He delivered a sick 30-yard strike to Diggs while rolling to his right and then punched in a 1-yard touchdown throw to tight end Ben Sinnott in the second quarter. Daniels wrapped up the game going 23-of-33 for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns, and when the fourth quarter hit, he turned on the jets, scrambling for 30 yards on 8 carries.
Giants Choked, Despite Skattebo’s Iron Man Effort
Meanwhile, for the Giants, it felt like they were in the driver’s seat and just fell asleep at the wheel. Their quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, was absolutely peppering tight end Isaiah Likely with targets all game long. It was on the eleventh try that the real magic happened for them. Less than nine minutes left in the fourth, third-and-8, McCarthy zipped a bullet over the middle. Likely, somehow, reached back with both hands, snagged it without breaking stride, and turned upfield with nothing but turf ahead for a wild 66-yard touchdown. That play put the Giants up 21-17, and Likely finished with 9 catches on 11 targets for 127 yards.
But the real story of grit has to be Cam Skattebo. The second-year pro showed up to MetLife Stadium rocking an “Iron Man” helmet for no obvious reason, which, let’s be real, is just awesome. And then he played like it, too. He exploded for 60 yards from scrimmage in the first quarter, his first action back since pulling his hamstring all the way back in Week 7 against the Houston Texans. Prime Video even reported he threw up on the bench early on and got checked out by the medical staff. Did that stop him? Nope! He still scored the game’s first touchdown with 2:35 before halftime, a 1-yard rush that capped a monster 16-play drive. Classic Skattebo, he just absorbed contact at the line, fell forward, and stretched that ball across the goal line. And not only did he probably win a staring contest with the sky camera, but he scored again in the third quarter on a 13-yard pitch to the right and was a factor in the passing game. Even with that kind of incredible effort, the Giants couldn’t hold on.
What a wild one. For the Commanders, this win means everything right now, giving them a real shot to hang in there. For the Giants, they have to figure out how they let that one slip and quickly, especially after being in such a prime position. This season just got a lot more interesting for both squads.
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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