The Washington Commanders fell to 3-4 on the season Sunday after a 14-7 loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
The Giants jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first half as Washington failed to do anything on offense. The Commanders had eight first-half possessions; seven ended with punts, and one ended with an interception. Washington managed only 46 total yards in the first half.
The Commanders finally got going in the third quarter when Giants punt returner Sterling Shepard muffed a punt in New York territory. Several plays later, running back Brian Robinson Jr. punched it in from four yards out, and the game was 14-7.
The Commanders were in the red zone two more times in the fourth quarter. One drive ended when a 27-yard field goal from Joey Slye was blocked. On the final possession, on fourth down, quarterback Sam Howell, under heavy pressure, escapes the pocket and finds Jahan Dotson for what would’ve been a first down. Dotson can’t make the catch. Game over.
Here’s everything we know from Washington’s latest loss.
Final score: Giants 14, Commanders 7
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
| Washington Commanders | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| New York Giants | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Why the Commanders lost
If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, then look above. In the first half, Washington had no answer for New York defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s pressure packages. The Commanders did not double-team Dexter Lawrence. OC Eric Bieniemy and OL coach Travelle Wharton were terrible in the first half. A lot is said about quarterback Sam Howell holding the ball too long. That’s true. But look at Sunday’s game; almost all — if not all of those sacks were on the offensive line. That put the Commanders behind early, and it was too much to overcome. Slow starts have been a theme for Ron Rivera’s four-year tenure in Washington.
It was over when....
It’s been that kind of season for Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson. On Sunday, with Washington down 14-7, one minute remaining in the game and the Commanders facing a fourth-and-5, Howell evades pressure, rolls to his left, and sees Dotson for what would’ve been a first down. The ball goes off Dotson’s hands, effectively ending the game.
We could choose plenty of moments when this game was over, but this was truly the moment. The Commanders had driven 85 yards and had the momentum. It wouldn’t have been an easy catch, but it was one Dotson should have made.
THE GIANTS SURVIVE! Defense makes a big 4th-down stop #NYG pic.twitter.com/a2UCHkCmtE
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) October 22, 2023
Player of the game: DE Chase Young
Another week, another defensive end is the player of the game. Chase Young had a good game. He had another half-sack wiped out due to penalty. He also made a nice stop on QB Tyrod Taylor that could’ve gone for big yardage. Young did what he was supposed to do against a beat-up Giants offensive line. This entire defensive line needs to string together multiple performances like what Casey Toohill did last week and what Young did on Sunday.
Game notes
- Sam Howell was sacked six more times, bringing his season total to 40. He’s only 36 behind David Carr to tie the single-season record — with 10 games remaining. The Giants had just five sacks entering the game.
- The Commanders were 1-15 on third downs. They average around nine yards to go on third downs.
- Washington was penalized a season-high 10 times for 75 yards.
- The Commanders shut down the Giants offense in the second half after allowing well over 200 yards in the first half.
- Terry McLaurin did not have a catch in the first half. He finished the game with six receptions for 90 yards.
- Rookie running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. continues to earn more playing time. Rodriguez led the Commanders with 31 rushing yards.
- Punter Tress Way got back on track, punting 10 times, averaging 51 yards per punt and downed four inside the 20-yard line.
Injuries
- Linebacker Cody Barton left the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury. He did not return.
- Rookie defensive back Quan Martin was hurt in the first quarter and checked for a concussion. He was cleared to return.
- Left guard Saahdiq Charles injured his calf late in the second half.
What's next
The Commanders looked like a completely different team when these two rivals met in Week 4. Washington took Philadelphia to overtime, before losing 34-31. Can the Commanders put up that kind of fight again vs. the Eagles?
