The Giants defense, so strong throughout the 2020 season, didn’t look anything like itself in New York’s Week 1 loss to the Broncos, and had just been carved up by Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke in a two-play, 75-yard drive to fall behind late in the fourth quarter.
Then, at the most opportune time, the Giants defense finally flashed their playmaking potential with an interception deep in Washington territory, only to falter on its following showing to set up a game-winning field goal by Dustin Hopkins to drop New York to 0-2 on the season.
The Giants initially appeared to escape when Hopkins missed his 48-yard try as time expired, but an offsides call allowed for another shot from five yards closer, which Hopkins tucked inside the right upright to give Washington a 30-29 victory.
After the offense had to punt following Heinicke’s two straight strikes to put Washington ahead in 17 seconds, New York finally pounced on the young quarterback when James Bradberry dove in front of a pass intended for Terry McLaurin to give New York the ball back at the Washington 20, down just one.
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Graham Gano then drilled his fifth field goal of the night to give the Giants a 29-27 lead with two minutes remaining in a stunning turn of events, after it looked like New York was poised to give away a much-needed divisional victory.
But that’s just what New York did anyway, allowing Heinicke and the Washington offense to march into field goal range and deliver a back-breaking loss to Big Blue.
The Giants held a six-point lead over Washington with 4:50 to go in Thursday night’s NFC East clash, and Heinicke needed just two throws and 17 seconds to wipe away all of New York’s momentum, which had already slowed when Darius Slayton dropped a sure touchdown in the end zone after a blown coverage assignment left him without a defender within 20 yards, leaving the Giants to settle for a field goal.
Starting from his own 25 following a touchback, Heinicke fired a bullet to J.D. McKissic in stride for a 56-yard gain, all the way down to the Giants’ 19-yard line, then threw a perfectly elevated pass to tight end Ricky Seals-Jones in the corner of the end zone, where only Seals-Jones could reach it, to put Washington on top.
But much like the Giants’ lead before those two precise passes, it was short lived. Fortunately for Washington, so was New York’s momentum, as the defense followed up a crucial turnover with untimely penalties in the final drive.
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