The Washington Commanders stole a late-game victory from the New York Giants on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., winning 24-21 after Jayden Daniels found Stefon Diggs for a 32-yard touchdown with 57 seconds left.
The Giants, who had not won the NFC East in 15 years, led in the final two minutes before the Commanders’ go-ahead drive. New York’s last chance ended when quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s final pass of the night was intercepted.
The loss drops the Giants to 5-3-1 on the season, narrowing their lead over the second-place Dallas Cowboys, now 4-5. Washington improved to 3-5-1 and now holds the tie-breaker edge over New York, keeping the division race open.
Daniels Carries a Flawed Roster
Daniels completed 23 of 33 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 28 yards on 10 carries. He threw two fourth-quarter interceptions, both intended for tight end Chig Okonkwo, but recovered to deliver the decisive strike to Diggs, who finished with six catches for 83 yards.
McCarthy’s Strong Night Undercut by Late Stalls
McCarthy completed 22 of 36 passes for 294 yards and ran for 34 more, including a 66-yard touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely that briefly put the Giants ahead. But New York’s offense went three-and-out twice in the final 5.5 minutes, opening the door for Washington’s comeback.
Pass Rush Remains a Problem for New York
The Giants entered the game with a league-worst pressure rate of 18.9% and rank near the bottom of the NFL with 17 sacks on the season. Washington’s offensive line gave Daniels time to operate from the pocket and room to scramble, a repeat of last month’s 27-27 tie between the two teams.
What’s Ahead
The Giants face a tougher stretch of schedule, including upcoming games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions over the next seven weeks. The Commanders next play the Cincinnati Bengals before a two-game road trip to Arizona and Tennessee.
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