Commanders vs Giants: Daniels Hits Diggs Late, Washington Wins 24-21
Jayden Daniels found Stefon Diggs for a 32-yard touchdown with 57 seconds left, and a late interception sealed Washington's win in the rain.
Jayden Daniels needed 49 seconds. That’s all.
Daniels hit Stefon Diggs for a 32-yard touchdown with 57 seconds left, and the Washington Commanders beat the New York Giants 24-21 on a rainy Thursday Night Football at MetLife Stadium. Commanders vs Giants went 27-27 in overtime back in Week 5. This time, somebody won.
Washington moves to 3-5-1. The first-place Giants fall to 5-3-1.
How the Commanders vs Giants finish went down
It started with a punt that went nowhere. After the Giants stalled at Washington’s 41 just after the two-minute warning, J. Stout’s punt went 12 yards and out of bounds at the Washington 29, per ESPN’s play-by-play.
Then the drive took three snaps:
- A 33-yard pass interference call on Deonte Banks on a deep shot to Treylon Burks put the ball at the New York 38.
- Daniels scrambled for 1 yard and hit Austin Ekeler for 5.
- Out of a no-huddle look, Daniels found Diggs over the middle for 32 yards and the go-ahead score.
The Giants still had life. A fumble on the ensuing kickoff was recovered by New York, and J.J. McCarthy hit M. Fields for 21 yards to the Washington 48. Three plays later, McCarthy went deep down the middle for Malik Nabers, and Washington’s R. Douglas picked it off at the 11. Daniels took a knee from there.
Isaiah Likely’s 66-yard bomb almost won it
New York had taken a 21-17 lead with 8:13 left when McCarthy found tight end Isaiah Likely deep down the middle for a 66-yard touchdown. Likely finished with nine catches for 127 yards.
McCarthy went 22 of 32 for 272 yards with one touchdown and the late interception.
Cam Skattebo did the dirty work in the slop. He carried 18 times for 78 yards and scored twice, from 1 yard in the second quarter and 13 yards in the third. If you wondered whether he’d play, we covered Skattebo’s status before the game.
Daniels: three TDs, two picks, one big finish
Daniels wasn’t clean. He threw two interceptions, including one to A. Washington near midfield late in the fourth that looked like it might end Washington’s night.
He made up for it. Daniels finished 23 of 33 for 249 yards and three touchdowns:
| Score | Quarter | Play |
|---|---|---|
| WAS 10-7 | 2nd (0:05) | Daniels to Ben Sinnott, 1 yard |
| WAS 17-14 | 3rd (6:56) | Daniels to Antonio Williams, 31 yards |
| WAS 24-21 | 4th (0:57) | Daniels to Stefon Diggs, 32 yards |
Diggs led Washington with six catches for 83 yards. Drew Stevens added a 46-yard field goal in the second quarter, and Rachaad White ran 11 times for 47 yards.
Rain didn’t stop the passing game
The Nor’easter that had the New York area under flash flood and tornado alerts earlier Thursday made for a wet night. We laid out the Commanders vs Giants weather forecast before kickoff, and the betting total had dropped to around 41 because of it.
The game still hit 45 points. Both quarterbacks threw for 249 yards or more.
What’s next for both teams
The Giants came into the night as the NFC East leaders and now have to sit on a loss. They’re off until Sunday, Nov. 22, when Jacksonville visits MetLife.
Washington gets a long week too. The Commanders host Cincinnati on Monday Night Football on Nov. 23. The rest of the league plays Sunday; see the full NFL Week 10 schedule.
Sources: ESPN box score and play-by-play, Bleacher Nation, ABC7 New York
