Once Sunday’s Commanders-Giants game went into overtime, Fox informed us, the viewers, that the Commanders were the only team without an overtime victory since 2015.
Well, the Commanders remain the only NFL team without an overtime victory since 2015, tying the Giants 20-20 Sunday in MetLife Stadium.
The Giants won the toss and quickly achieved a first down. But on 3rd & 5 from their own 43, Daron Payne sacked Daniel Jones ending the Giants possession. At this point, the Giants had gained only two first downs in their last six offensive possessions.
The Commanders certainly had their opportunity to win in the overtime. Following the Giants’ punt, Washington faced 2nd & 8 from their 35, when Curtis Samuel ran right for 21 yards to the Giants 44. Brian Robinson then ran for three yards to the 41, and on second down, Robinson went the same way toward Charles Leno but was tackled for a three-yard loss at the 44.
On 3rd & 10, Heinicke threw wide to his right to Curtis Samuel, who gained a mere yard. Heinicke doesn’t have the arm to get the ball there quickly enough, so when Samuel made the catch, his doom was sure. So Tress Way punted the ball 29 yards to the Giants 14, and the Commanders would once again need to hope their defense could somehow win the game for them.
After yielding two first downs, the Commanders defense did make a 3rd & 3 stop when Jonathan Allen got to Daniel Jones, for no gain, forcing a Giants punt.
It was here the offense nearly gave away the game. On 1st & 10 from their own 10, the Commanders inexplicably did not block Giants first-round pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux who hit Heinicke from the backside and fortunately did not cause Heinicke to fumble away the game.
The Commanders gave the Giants one more opportunity from the Giants 43-yard line. Following a first down, Graham Gano was surprisingly short from 58 yards. Admit it, we all thought he would make it, didn’t we?
