When they last met: Washington Commanders and New York Giants

“When they last met” is an ongoing series during the NFL season, recalling the preceding game between Washington and the next opponent on the Commanders’ schedule.

Washington 27, New York Giants 22 – Week 9, Nov. 3, 2024

Jayden Daniels found Terry McLaurin for two touchdowns, leading the Washington Commanders to their 27-22 win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Daniels completed 15 of his 22 passing attempts for 209 passing yards, including two touchdown passes to McLaurin, and he was not intercepted or sacked, finishing the game with an impressive 128.8 passer rating. The leading target of the day for Daniels was Noah Brown, who had five receptions on six targets for 60 yards. Austin Ekeler was next in line with three receptions for 41 receiving yards. Interestingly, McLaurin only had two receptions on the day for 19 yards, but both were touchdowns (1 and 18 yards).

Perhaps the most significant moment of the game occurred when not much was expected. You see, though the Commanders (leading 14-7) were at the Giants' 42-yard line, they faced a 3rd & 18 with only 20 seconds remaining in the half. One would expect the Giants' defense to take away any sort of deep pass, forcing the Commanders to dump it off short and have to settle for a field goal.

That is just what Daniels did as he threw a short pass to his right to Dyami Brown. Brown caught Daniels' pass at the line of scrimmage; however, he broke a tackle at the 40, racing down to the 18-yard line, and the Commanders immediately called a timeout with 11 remaining in the half.

Daniels then dropped back and looked wide left to McLaurin, finding him in the end zone for the 18-yard touchdown with six seconds left on the clock. What had looked like a possible opportunity to go up 17-7, had become in two plays a 21-7 halftime lead.

The Giants twice in the fourth quarter closed to within one score. With 9:25 remaining, Daniel Jones' two-yard run narrowed the Commanders' lead to 24-16. Following an Austin Seibert 20-yard field goal, which extended the Commanders' lead to 27-16, the Giants struck again when Jones connected with Theo Johnson from 35 yards with 2:48 remaining in the game. The Giants' two-point attempt failed, leaving the score at 27-22.

With 2:06 remaining, the Commanders, facing a 2nd & 9 at their own 31, Daniels found a wide-open Olamide Zaccheaus at the 48, and he was not tackled until he had gained 42 yards on the play, allowing the Commanders to then run out the clock for the win.

With the victory, the Commanders raised their record to 7-2, while the Giants fell to 2-7, losing both games to the Commanders in 2024 by a total of eight points.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders-Giants: When they last met