LANDOVER, Md. – Washington had the ball at the Giants’ 24-yard line, enough room for a winning kick and almost no room for another mistake. Twelve seconds remained in overtime. There were no timeouts left. Jayden Daniels kept the ball, went down for no gain, and the Commanders could not get another snap away before the clock expired.
A 27-27 tie on Sunday left two teams confronting different versions of the same failure. The Giants had recovered from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit, only to waste two overtime chances to win. Washington had surrendered that lead, recovered a fumble that offered a final escape, and then failed to attempt the field goal its last drive had made possible.
Commanders coach Dan Quinn accepted responsibility for the closing sequence. In comments carried by the Giants’ official recap, he said Washington should have stopped the clock earlier rather than continued searching for yards. “Leaving tonight with a tie feels like a loss,” Quinn said.
That judgment had a concrete basis. Washington stood at 1-3-1 afterward, while New York moved to 3-1-1 and remained atop the NFC East. The Giants’ account noted that Philadelphia and Dallas had both lost, leaving each at 2-3. A day that could have narrowed Washington’s distance from the division leader instead preserved much of it.
The final play was not the only reason the game had no winner. New York received the opening overtime possession and drove close enough for Dominic Zvada to attempt a 46-yard field goal. The rookie missed wide left. Washington then failed to take advantage, punting after Abdul Carter forced a fumble that the Commanders recovered.
New York’s next possession looked more promising. Cam Skattebo ran for 19 yards, and Jameis Winston found Malik Nabers for another 28. Further runs carried the Giants to Washington’s 24 as overtime approached its two-minute warning. The drive had put New York in position to end a game it had spent much of the afternoon chasing.
The Giants credited Tremaine Edmunds with a sack for no gain on that play. CBS/AP reported that Daniels held the ball and went down as Washington tried unsuccessfully to arrange a spike. The immediate consequence was the same: Drew Stevens never got a chance to attempt the winning kick.
For much of regulation, Daniels’ running had been Washington’s strongest argument for victory. Returning after a dislocated left elbow kept him out of the previous two games, he threw for 199 yards and ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns, according to CBS/AP. He wore a brace on the injured elbow.
His 38-yard touchdown run in the third quarter pushed the lead to 19-6. After New York answered, Daniels scored again from 26 yards and completed a two-point conversion to McLaurin. Washington led 27-13 with 11:05 left in the fourth quarter. The Giants had been unable to keep the quarterback contained when it mattered most.
Winston gave them a way back. Making his third consecutive start for the injured Jaxson Dart, he completed 33 of 54 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns, the Giants reported. Two of those scoring throws came in the fourth quarter, when the offense finally supplied the sustained production missing from its first half.
Isaiah Likely caught a 17-yard touchdown midway through the quarter. The play was initially ruled a fumble as he reached the end zone, but replay reversed the decision. Likely had already scored on a three-yard reception late in the third quarter, making him central to New York’s recovery.
Then Nabers went up for a 17-yard touchdown with 1:43 remaining in regulation. The score tied the game, and Washington’s final regulation possession stalled at midfield. Nabers finished with 11 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. Likely also caught 11 passes, gaining 94 yards with two scores, according to CBS/AP.
The comeback did not erase New York’s kicking problems. Zvada made two of five field-goal attempts, converting from 51 and 56 yards but missing from 50, 57 and 46. The Giants’ recap described rain and difficult footing; Washington also missed its opening extra point. Those lost opportunities remained part of the final score even after Winston revived the offense.
Giants coach John Harbaugh praised his players’ resilience without presenting the result as a victory. “I’m happy it wasn’t a loss and I’m sad it wasn’t a win,” he said in the team’s account. He also acknowledged that New York should not have fallen 14 points behind and had allowed Daniels to run too freely.
New York next hosts New Orleans. Washington visits San Francisco on Monday, October 19. The Giants also left with injuries to right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, cornerback Colton Hood and safety Tyler Nubin; the available reports did not establish how those problems would affect their availability for the next game.
The standings give New York something to protect and Washington more ground to recover. Neither team can treat this as a routine close finish. The Giants reached scoring position twice in overtime without scoring. The Commanders reached it once at the end and never kicked. Their next games will show whether those were isolated failures or habits that survive the film review.
