In what was considered a “must-win” game for the New York Giants today, neither team earned the victory as the game ended in a rare and anticlimactic 20-20 tie with the Washington Commanders. Big Blue had an opportunity to win it in overtime, but Graham Gano’s 58-yard-attempt as time expired came up short. Had Gano hit that, the kick would have been the longest in franchise history and the 12th game-winner of his career. But, alas, the Giants could not break the lock and the game ended in a tie. This is the first time the New York Giants have tied a game since 1997. They now sit at 7-4-1, still in the playoff picture and placing third in the NFC East.
Main takeaways from Giants vs Commanders in Week 13
Despite going on a 20-3 run and taking a 10-point lead over the Commanders, the Giants were unable to come away with the win. Daniel Jones played a clean game after a fumble on the opening drive. He finished the game with a completion percentage of 80% (25/31) with 200 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. He also led the Giants with 71 rushing yards on 12 carries. Down the stretch, however, Jones was unable to put together a scoring drive to take the lead.
Saquon Barkley scored a touchdown today but only managed to rush for 63 yards on 18 carries. The Giants’ offense was stagnant. After putting up 20 points in quarters two and three combined, Big Blue scored 0 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka failed to put his players in a position to execute and reach the end zone during the game’s most critical moments.
Darius Slayton led the team in receiving, hauling in 6 receptions for 90 yards. But a crucial drop by Slayton in the fourth quarter cost the Giants a scoring opportunity, leading to the tie. Big Blue’s receiving game did get a boost today, though, by Isaiah Hodgins. Hodgins totaled 44 yards and 1 touchdown on 5 receptions.
The New York Giants’ defense did all it could in this game. Wink Martindale managed to hold Washington to 20 points, which should have been enough to earn the victory. The pass rush was relentless as Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke was sacked 5 times. Big Blue’s defensive front was continuously in the backfield applying pressure. Azeez Ojulari, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence, Justin Ellis, and Jihad Ward each totaled one sack on the day.
The Giants’ secondary struggled to contain Terry McLaurin and the Commanders’ receivers for the majority of the contest. With Adoree’ Jackson, Darnay Holmes, and Xavier McKinney out of the lineup, the Giants were left with the likes of Fabian Moreau, Nick McCloud, and Zyon Gilbert in the secondary. Terry McLaurin hauled in 8 receptions for 105 yards and 1 touchdown. The Giants also allowed Curtis Samuel to get busy, totaling 63 yards on 6 receptions.
Julian Love was the lone bright spot in the secondary as the Giants’ safety totaled 12 tackles and 1 tackle for loss. Another solid performance from the defense’s captain amid contract extension negotiations.
The New York Giants will now turn their attention to Philadelphia as they have another crucial divisional matchup coming up with the Eagles in Week 14. The Giants will be desperate for a win entering this matchup. Brian Daboll got the team off to a hot start to the season but they have recently slowed to a halt, winning only one of their last five games. The New York Giants will look to right the ship next Sunday and keep their playoff hopes alive against the Eagles.