Much has changed since the Washington Commanders last played host to the New York Giants. Last fall, Commanders fans trekked to then-FedEx Field in Landover, Md., only to watch their beloved team surrender nearly 250 passing yards and three touchdowns to New York’s third-string, undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito and hand the previously hapless Giants defense four sacks and six turnovers.
Though the previous edition of the Commanders (1-1) seemed far out of their depth, ownership fortunately took notice and cleared house at the end of the 2023 campaign — a season that saw the Commanders go 4-13 overall and endure a painful eight-game losing streak to close the year.
The new-look Commanders, under the guidance of head coach Dan Quinn, acquired LSU standout quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick in this year’s draft. Though Washington lost its first game of the season to Tampa Bay last week, Daniels’ heroics have finally given fans a reason to believe.
Meanwhile, the Giants (0-2) are staring down yet another challenging season. Despite the return of starting quarterback Daniel Jones from an ACL tear, a retooled offensive line and star additions on both sides of the football, New York struggled mightily in its home opener, losing 6-28 against the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, fans have already called for head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen’s jobs.
The different trajectories of the two NFC East rivals made for a fascinating matchup this past Sunday at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md.
The Giants got off to an unfortunate start, losing star kicker Graham Gano to injury on the opening kickoff. Commanders return man Austin Ekeler returned that same kickoff for a touchdown, but the score was nullified by a holding penalty. All was not lost for the Commanders, as they drove back down the field and secured a field goal in an opening drive that lasted nearly 10 minutes.
The Giants quickly responded. Newly acquired running back Devin Singletary found the end zone to put New York up by 3. However, Gano’s absence proved detrimental when punter Jamie Gillan attempted the extra point and failed to convert.
As the first half rolled on, though both squads’ offenses chugged along, neither particularly impressed. The Commanders managed two unanswered field goals, going up 9-6 with just under two minutes left in the first half. Daniels briefly exited the game on the latter of these drives after an injury but returned in short order.
As the clock wound down on the first half, Jones led the Giants offense down the field. The Giants quarterback tossed a jump ball to rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers in the end zone with eight seconds remaining. The succeeding two-point conversion attempt failed, but the Giants led the Commanders 12-9 going into halftime.
New York opened the second half with possession, but a fumble by Singletary returned possession to the home side. The Commanders drove down into Giants territory and kicked another field goal to tie the game. A three-and-out by New York and another field goal for Washington put the Commanders up 15-12 near the end of the third quarter.
With a win still within reach, the Giants responded with a six-minute, seventy-yard drive. Third-year wideout Wan’Dale Robinson found the end zone off a short pass from Jones, putting New York up 18-15. Still without a kicker, New York decided to go for two, but came up short yet again.
On the other side, the Commanderes marched down the field once more and tied the game at 18 with their sixth field goal of the day.
Seeking to put the game away and vanquish their division rival, the Giants had seven minutes to drive down the field and score. Things failed to go according to plan, however, as the Big Blue’s offense stalled deep in Washington territory, turning the ball over on the Commanders’ 22-yard line after a failed fourth down try.
With the game hanging in the balance and just two minutes remaining, Daniels calmly guided the Commanders down the field one last time, setting up kicker Austin Seibert for his seventh field goal — a franchise record — as time expired.
Despite failing to find the end zone, Daniels played well, securing the football and engineering scoring drives. “It wasn’t the prettiest game,” Daniels told The Washington Post after the game, “But a win is a win.”
Looking ahead, the Giants visit the Cleveland Browns next Sunday in search of their first win, while the Commanders square off against the Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) on Monday Night Football.
