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Daniels Finds Diggs in the Final Minute as Commanders Stun Giants 24-21
By Alexander Cole
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Jayden Daniels threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs with 57 seconds remaining Thursday night, completing a 71-yard drive in 49 seconds and lifting the Washington Commanders to a 24-21 comeback victory over the New York Giants in a Week 10 Thursday Night Football matchup at MetLife Stadium.
Washington’s late score erased a 21-17 Giants lead and capped a game in which Daniels threw three touchdown passes but also was intercepted twice in the final minutes. The Commanders finished the night with a 3-5-1 record, while New York fell to 5-3-1.
The Giants appeared positioned to close out the game after Isaiah Likely caught a 66-yard touchdown pass to give New York a 21-17 advantage midway through the fourth quarter. Likely finished with nine receptions on 11 targets for 127 yards.
But two interceptions of Daniels did not produce the result New York needed. Jevon Holland and Ar’Darious Washington each picked off the Commanders quarterback in the final minutes. The Giants’ offense, however, could not gain a first down on either ensuing possession to run out the clock, giving Washington another opportunity.
Daniels made the Giants pay. He moved the Commanders 71 yards in 49 seconds before finding Diggs for the go-ahead touchdown with 57 seconds left. It was Daniels’ third touchdown pass of the night and gave Washington a 24-21 lead.
New York had one final chance, but Rasul Douglas intercepted Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy on the last drive to seal the Commanders’ victory.
The game developed into a back-and-forth contest after a scoreless opening quarter. Washington opened the scoring with a Drew Stevens field goal before Cam Skattebo’s touchdown put the Giants ahead 7-3. The Commanders responded to take a 10-7 lead into halftime.
Both teams scored once in the third quarter, leaving Washington ahead 17-14 entering the final period. Likely’s long touchdown then put New York in front before Washington’s late response settled the outcome.
The victory carries significance in the NFC East standings. Washington is now two games behind New York in the loss column and holds the tiebreaker between the teams. Their first meeting this season, on October 11, ended in a 27-27 tie after Washington surrendered a 14-point fourth-quarter lead.
ESPN characterized the comeback as one that “might have saved their season,” reflecting the importance of the result for a Commanders team that entered the night with a 3-5-1 record.
Fall thunderstorms in northern New Jersey nearly delayed the scheduled 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, but the game began on time and conditions improved.
Alexander Cole
NFL, The Library Media
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