On an afternoon when Jameis Winston willed himself and the Giants’ offense off the canvas, a comedy of errors forced Big Blue and the Washington Commanders to ultimately settle for a 27-27 tie.
The Giants (3-1-1) looked poised to pull off a wild comeback to extend their lead atop the NFC East to two games. After overturning a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to force the extra period, and a vital stop from New York’s defense, the Giants drove down to the Washington 24-yard line with two minutes left in overtime.
But on a 1st-&-10 and nothing else to do but set up the game-winning field goal, Skattebo lost the football, recovered by the Commanders.
Jayden Daniels, playing in his first game since Week 2 after dislocating his left elbow, blazed down the field and got to the Giants’ 24-yard line, but with no timeouts and 12 seconds to go, he inexplicably kept the ball and scrambled for no gain. The clock ran out, and Skattebo was somewhat taken off the hook.
In New York’s first overtime possession, Winston picked up a vital first down with his feet on a 3rd-&-10 near midfield, but then missed Darnell Mooney on a 3rd-&-8 to force a 46-yard field goal attempt from Dominic Zvada. The rookie hooked his effort drastically left, gifting Washington the ball at its own 36-yard line.
It was the rookie’s third missed field goal of the afternoon in the wet conditions at Northwest Stadium. The first two came from over 50 yards out.
Consider it a hard-luck result for Winston, who completed 33 of 54 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns to salvage a day in which the Giants had been held to just 77 yards of total offense in the entire first half.
Trailing 27-13 after Daniels’ 26-yard touchdown run — his second scoring rush of the day — the Giants uncorked two lengthy scoring drives after being neutralized for most of the first three quarters.
A nine-play, 75-yard drive was capped off by a 17-yard score on a 4th-&-8 to Isaiah Likely — the tight end’s second touchdown of the game — with 7:20 left. He narrowly crossed the goal line before the ball was punched out and recovered by the Commanders — a turnover that was overturned by mere inches.
The Giants’ defense forced a quick three-and-out, punctuated by a Dru Phillips sack, and the offense went back to work. Winston went 6-of-8 on the 10-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a 17-yard strike to Malik Nabers.
The star wide receiver, who was vocal in his displeasure about not getting the ball in the second half, was plenty busy on Sunday, reeling in 11 receptions for 121 yards and that score. Likely, who also had 11 catches, went for 94 yards.
It provided a significant turnaround in a flash. The Giants did not get their first touchdown until there were 44 seconds left in the third quarter. Winston hit Likely from three yards out to cut the deficit to 19-13 just moments after Daniels’ first touchdown rush of the afternoon from 38 yards out appeared to break the game open.
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