The Commanders picked up right where they left off from last year’s resurgent season, bullying their NFC East rivals to a commanding victory.
Washington opened its highly-anticipated 2025 season with a bang at Northwest Stadium, suffocating the Giants in a 21-6 victory where the defense made life miserable for Russell Wilson and company.
Running the football was a chore for Big Blue, which saw many of the same troubles that plagued them last season on offense with star offensive tackle Andrew Thomas on the sideline in street clothes.
The Commanders struck first with a familiar connection, as Jayden Daniels hit Zach Ertz in the end zone from seven yards out midway through the first quarter. The Giants looked to be poised for a response in the second quarter with an extended drive that spanned 16 plays, but even after a penalty on 4th-and-goal gave Big Blue a fresh set of downs on the 1-yard line, New York couldn’t punch it in and had to settle for a Graham Gano field goal. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt increased the lead for the Commanders with his first NFL touchdown, a 6-yard rush to make it 14-3 midway through the second.
Despite an inability to move the ball for much of the game, the Giants made it a one-score game thanks to Gano, who drilled a 55-yard field goal in the waning minutes of the third. But Daniels and the Commanders went right back to work with a nine-play, 80-yard drive capped off by Deebo Samuel lunging for the pylon for a 19-yard touchdown run as Washington continued to show off its shiny new toys.
A last-dash effort by the Giants to make it interesting was kept alive on a costly roughing the passer call on fourth down, but another 1st-and-goal opportunity led to nothing on the scoreboard after Wilson buzzed a pass behind Wan’Dale Robinson on fourth down.
It was the 13th play run by the Giants inside Washington’s 10-yard line, and they were unable to log a touchdown.
Wilson finished 17-for-37 through the air with 168 passing yards, while Daniels completed 19 of 30 for 233 yards and a touchdown. The Commanders defense held New York to just 74 yards on the ground.