Giants blow late lead in crushing loss to Commanders

The Giants appeared destined to bury an NFC East opponent for the second time in four nights, take another step towards a division title, and continue their drastic turnaround under John Harbaugh in year one.

Instead, New York suffered an improbable, catastrophic fourth-quarter meltdown that was reminiscent of past failed regimes.

Holding a 21-17 lead late in the fourth quarter, Big Blue looked poised to put away another tight victory following a huge turnover, as the defense had just picked off Jayden Daniels for the second time in the quarter with just 2:19 to go in the game. But the Giant offense could only muster a 29-second drive, and a 12-yard punt gave the ball back to the Commanders and Daniels, who penned the ultimate redemption story with a 71-yard drive in just three plays and 49 seconds.

The exclamation point was a 32-yard strike to Stefon Diggs, who joyfully fell backwards into the end zone in celebration with 57 seconds remaining. The stunned MetLife Stadium crowd fell so silent, you could almost hear the thud of Diggs hitting the turf.

J.J. McCarthy, who had been enjoying a solid performance in his first home start as a Giant, fired a deep completion to Malachi Fields on the first play of the ensuing drive to get the ball to midfield, but his next three passes were not on target, including an underthrown lob to Malik Nabers that was picked off, sending the Giants to a stunning 24-21 loss.

Instead of taking a commanding 3.5-game lead in the division and dispatching the Commanders from the race, the Giants let Washington save its season, and made their task to win its first division title since 2011 a lot tougher.

The Giants had a chance to grab the early lead on their second drive of the game, but Dominic Zvada missed a chip shot field goal from 33 yards out to keep the game scoreless. That missed field goal became a lot more prominent once the score went final.

Cam Skattebo rushed for two touchdowns as the two teams traded scores through the first three quarters, though a chance at another Giants touchdown was spoiled at the end of the third quarter when Malik Nabers fumbled shortly after hauling in a pass from McCarthy, resulting in a costly turnover after New York's drive had reached the Commanders' 16-yard line.

New York bounced back from the turnover with 8:13 left in the fourth, as McCarthy fired a strike over the middle of the field to Isaiah Likely, who took it 66 yards to the house for a huge go-ahead touchdown that ignited the MetLife Stadium crowd, celebrating a 21-17 lead.

The Commanders were in prime position to yet again answer a Giants touchdown with a touchdown of their own, as Zvada's kickoff went out of bounds to start Washington's drive at their own 40. Daniels led Washington to the Giants' 24-yard line before Big Blue's defense made the play it had to have, an interception by Jevon Holland at the 2-yard line, the first interception thrown by Daniels in his last 208 attempts, ending a streak that was the second longest in Commanders franchise history.

Daniels' next streak of consecutive completions would not last nearly as long.

After the Giants punted back to the Commanders (despite Jameis Winston's best efforts on 4th and inches to draw the defense offsides by singing Baha Men's "Who Let the Dogs Out?") in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter before the defense picked off Daniels again, as Ar'Darius Washington jumped a route on fourth and short near midfield, marking what felt like another game-sealing turnover by New York's defense in a late-and-close game, an outcome that has seemingly become a habit in John Harbaugh's first season.

That habit was broken in grueling fashion, as the defense soured what had been a phenomenal fourth quarter by allowing Daniels to take the air out of the building in just seconds, and move to 4-0-1 in his career against the Giants.

Daniels' late-game heroics did not come without controversy, as the Commanders' big-chunk play came on a pass interference call on Deonte Banks, though the throw appeared underthrown. Instead, it put Washington right in Giants territory and in striking distance to complete the comeback.