The Washington Commanders and New York Giants finished tied 27-27 after both teams squandered late overtime chances to set up a winning field goal in Landover, Maryland.
New York had the first opening in the third overtime possession, reaching first-and-10 at Washington’s 24-yard line. With sudden-death rules in effect, the Giants could have attempted a kick, but Dominic Zvada had already missed from 50, 57 and 46 yards.
Quick facts
- The game ended in a 27-27 overtime tie.
- Giants kicker Dominic Zvada missed three earlier attempts: 50, 57 and 46 yards.
- Washington had no timeouts during its final possession.
- Daron Payne forced Cam Skattebo’s fumble, and Shy Tuttle recovered it.
- Jayden Daniels was tackled in bounds on Washington’s final offensive snap as time expired.
Giants coach John Harbaugh said the decision was to gain a few more yards and drain the clock rather than trust another long attempt. Washington had exhausted its timeouts, meaning New York could have left little or no time for a counterdrive even if another kick failed.
“It was certainly within range, but it wasn’t automatic,” Harbaugh said, citing his past experience with decisive missed kicks. He added that New York would likely follow the same late-game approach again.
Instead of running out the clock with kneeldowns, the Giants handed the ball to Skattebo. He was met in the backfield, where Payne jarred the ball loose and Tuttle fell on it for Washington.
Skattebo said he immediately heard Giants players directing blame his way after the turnover. “They’re yelling that you messed up and cost the game,” he said. “You hear all of that.”
Washington quickly crossed midfield on two passes and a run. Daniels then connected with Treylon Burks, who stepped out of bounds at the Giants’ 26 with 55 seconds remaining.
Daniels said the defense had created the opportunity and the offense knew it needed to finish the job. Rachaad White gained 2 yards on the next play, moving the ball to the New York 24 as the clock continued to run.
The Commanders could have managed the remaining time, taken a knee and spiked the ball just before expiration to preserve a short field-goal attempt. Instead, they huddled, and were still in the huddle with 27 seconds left.
Washington’s intended call was an outside pass that either reached the sideline or became an incomplete throw. “It’s either an out-breaking throw, an out-of-bounds ball, or we stop it,” coach Dan Quinn said.
Daniels took the snap under center, rolled left and had tight end Ben Sinnott working toward the boundary. But he turned back inside rather than throwing, and was tackled in bounds.
Daniels accepted responsibility for the breakdown, saying the offense had to understand and communicate the clock situation. He did not clearly indicate whether he knew Washington had no timeouts.
There was still a narrow chance to stop the clock with a legal spike if Washington had hurried to the line. Daniels remained on the ground briefly after the tackle, while tackle Josh Conerly Jr. appeared to motion for a spike. Sinnott returned toward the formation too slowly, and tight end John Bates, split wide on the far side, signaled for urgency.
Quinn said the safer decision would have been to spike the ball earlier rather than risk the final scramble. “That falls on me,” he said.
Time expired before Washington could run another play. Giants defensive lineman Shelby Harris waved his arms to signal the end, while cornerback Deonte Banks celebrated across the line of scrimmage. Quinn tore off his headset and threw it down.
Harbaugh said he was stunned that Washington could not get the final snap off, admitting he had been eager to get his team off the field before another reversal. The result also brought some relief to Skattebo, though he expected to remain accountable for his fumble.
“I might not get yelled at quite as much,” Skattebo said. “But I’m still going to hear about it.”
