The Washington Commanders kept themselves in contention for the NFC East title with a 24-21 comeback victory over the New York Giants on Thursday night in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Washington improved to 3-5-1, leaving it two games behind New York with the tiebreaker in hand. The Giants fell to 5-3-1 after surrendering a late lead.
Jayden Daniels recovered from interceptions on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions to lead the decisive drive. Washington covered 71 yards in 49 seconds, with Daniels finding Stefon Diggs for a 32-yard touchdown pass. Cornerback Rasul Douglas then intercepted J.J. McCarthy with 25 seconds remaining to end the Giants' final possession and secure the victory.
The result gave Washington a needed breakthrough in a close game. Before Thursday, the Commanders were 1-3-1 in contests settled by seven points or fewer. It was their first victory achieved by scoring a touchdown on their final drive. The win also eased pressure on coach Dan Quinn, whose team entered the matchup with a 7-17-1 record since the beginning of last season. A defeat would have left Washington almost out of contention and intensified scrutiny of his future.
Daniels' two interceptions were his first of the season, but he delivered the winning throw after an otherwise efficient performance. Tight end Ben Sinnott also made a larger contribution after entering the game with only one reception this season. The 2024 second-round selection caught four passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Washington's defense continued its recent production, reaching 14 takeaways for the season and six over its past three games. Along with Douglas' interception, it forced a fumble in the red zone.
McCarthy finished with a career-high 293 passing yards, completing 23 of 36 attempts with one touchdown and one interception. His scoring pass came on third down under pressure, when he hit tight end Isaiah Likely for a 66-yard touchdown that put New York ahead in the fourth quarter. McCarthy also rushed for 34 yards, with the Giants using some plays originally designed for Jaxson Dart.
Giants running back Cam Skattebo scored twice on the ground, giving him his second career game with multiple rushing touchdowns. Both have come on Thursday nights, following his three-touchdown performance against Philadelphia in Week 6 of his rookie season in 2025. One of his scores against Washington capped a 16-play possession lasting 7 minutes, 48 seconds, New York's longest touchdown drive since Week 9 of 2024.
Safety Ar'Darius Washington helped put the Giants in position to win with an interception with 2:15 left, a play that forced a turnover on downs earlier in the fourth quarter and a third-down open-field tackle on Chig Okonkwo. He also broke up a pass intended for Diggs that helped set up a New York touchdown. Those contributions were ultimately outweighed by Washington's closing rally.
New York began the night with a 2.5-game division lead, but the defeat also left an opening for Dallas, which faces San Francisco on Sunday. The Giants next host Jacksonville on Nov. 22 at 4:25 p.m. ET. Washington hosts Cincinnati on Nov. 23 at 8:15 p.m. ET.
