The Washington Commanders blew a significant opportunity to control their destiny concerning the NFC playoffs Sunday with a 20-12 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football.
Yes, Washington remains in the No. 7 playoff spot after the loss but faces the 49ers next week on the road on a short week.
A look at the scoreboard would give you the idea that Washington won the game. However, turnovers, costly penalties and horrendous officiating, among other things, cost Washington a chance to move to 8-5-1 on the season with three games remaining.
While much of the focus will be the officiating, the Commanders had an extra week to prepare and came away with 12 points against a suspect defense. In addition, Washington’s defense failed to pressure New York quarterback Daniel Jones and struggled to get stops at critical junctures in the game, leading to the loss.
Here’s everything we know from Sunday night.
Final score: Giants 20, Commanders 12
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
| New York Giants | 0 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Washington Commanders | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
Why the Commanders lost
The officials were bad. Really bad. But this loss isn’t on the officials. Washington dominated the ball for over 11 minutes in the first quarter. The Commanders had three possessions in New York territory. They scored three points. Ron Rivera’s decision to punt from the 34-yard line was a curious one. Was the wind so bad you wouldn’t attempt a 51-yard field goal with a strong-legged kicker? Regardless, too many missed opportunities.
There was also the pass protection. Can someone block rookie defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux? The first-round pick had a night, registering 12 tackles, including a strip-sack for a touchdown. He was unblocked on three Curtis Samuel runs, which was a schematic issue.
And quarterback Taylor Heinicke had two fumbles which led to 10 points. Sure the first one was not his fault, but you can’t fumble. The second fumble cost the Commanders three points as it occurred deep in Giants’ territory.
It was over when....
New York cornerback went over the back of Washington wide receiver Curtis Samuel on the Commanders’ final offensive play and was not called for defensive pass interference. There were other moments when you thought it was over, but the Commanders kept fighting back. This play ended the game — and any chance of overtime.
Commanders' top performers
- RB Brian Robinson Jr: 12 carries, 89 yards, 1 reception for 18 yards
- WR Jahan Dotson: 4 receptions for 106 yards, touchdown
- WR Terry McLaurin: 6 receptions for 70 yards
- DB Bobby McCain: 11 tackles
News and notes
- The Commanders outgained the Giants, 387-288, and that was with New York having a slight advantage in time of possession.
- Washington’s defense allowed less than 300 yards, but if you watched the game, it wasn’t an impressive effort. Those three consecutive Saquon Barkley runs in the fourth quarter for over 10 yards each time on the same play told the story of the game. Had the Commanders stopped the Giants there and not allowed them a field goal, we could be talking about a different outcome. Don’t be fooled that the defense didn’t contribute to this loss.
- In the five games against the NFC East this season, Washington’s pass protection has been exposed. Heinicke was under duress all night and his two fumbles were costly. The second fumble was clearly Heinicke’s fault. The first one was on left tackle Charles Leno Jr.
- Tress Way crushed two punts inside of NY’s three-yard line. On one drive, the Commanders got off the field. However, on the first one, the Giants drove for over eight minutes on an 18-play, 97-yard drive to take a 14-3 lead. It was New York’s best drive since 2014. One-third of New York’s total yards came on this drive alone.
- The officiating was horrible. The pass interference on Jahan Dotson on the two-point conversion can be viewed two ways. Honestly, you can see why he was called for it. So I have no issue with that call. But why was Ron Rivera chasing the points that early in the third quarter? Kick the extra point.
- The two teams combined to go three of 20 on third downs. However, New York’s two conversions were huge and ended with points. There’s also that fourth-and-9 conversion on that 97-yard drive.
What's next
The San Francisco 49ers may be down to their third quarterback — a rookie seventh-round pick — but they are playing as well as anyone in the NFL. If Washington can only muster 12 points against the Giants defense, next week could be ugly.
