Washington Commanders defeated the New York Giants 24-21 on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, keeping their NFC East title hopes alive with a 3-5-1 record, ESPN Deportes reported.
As minimum, they have reinforced the idea that they can compete for the NFC East title, and the triumph has served to silence doubts about the future of head coach Dan Quinn.
Had they lost on Thursday, they would have been practically eliminated, and Quinn’s continuity would have become the main topic given that the team accumulated a 7-17-1 record since the start of last season. The divisional victory leaves the Commanders two games behind New York while securing the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage, though they still have a lot of work to do to get fully back into the fight.
Jayden Daniels overcame two fourth-quarter interceptions to engineer the game-winning drive, marking his first time winning a game by scoring a touchdown on his final offensive series; until this Thursday, the Commanders registered a 1-3-1 record in games decided by a touchdown or less.
His great virtue has been his ability to leave behind bad plays, and after two consecutive series that ended in interceptions during the final quarter, he showed great efficiency by maintaining his gaze set on the bottom of the field, which allowed for a 30-yard play. He connected with Stefon Diggs for a 32-yard touchdown pass that secured the lead.
Fourth-quarter turning points
Rasul Douglas sealed the outcome with an interception on the final possession by New York quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The defensive takeaway marked the sixth turnover forced by Washington’s defense over a three-span, bringing the team to 14 recoveries this season, and Washington also forced a fumble in the red zone, avoiding at least a possible field goal.
McCarthy finished the game completing 23 of 36 passes for a personal record of 293 yards and one touchdown, alongside the late interception with 25 seconds remaining.
Running back Cam Skattebo contributed two rushing touchdowns for the Giants, continuing a trend of multi-score performances in prime-time Thursday night games.
Safety Ar'Darius Washington also recorded an interception and a fourth-down defensive stop for the Giants.
Ben Sinnott records touchdown after slow start
Washington tight end Ben Sinnott hauled in four receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown after logging just one catch across the entire season prior to Week 10, a disappointing record for someone selected in the second round of the 2024 draft who was expected to have more prominence in Washington’s new scheme this season.
The Commanders turn their attention to a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, the Giants prepare to face the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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