The New York Giants hoped that coming off their bye week, they would end their losing streak. Those hopes went down the drain as they were defeated by the Washington Commanders, 29-21.
New York has now lost eight straight games, and based on what we saw on the field on Sunday, they won’t end the losing streak anytime soon. Just as the case was for most of the season, they had their chances for a different outcome, but they couldn’t make the plays when it mattered most.
At this point, nobody would argue if you called the Giants the worst team in the league. After all, they’ve fired more coaches than they have wins this season. More changes will come at the conclusion of the year, but for now, here are the three biggest takeaways from Sunday’s loss.
Giants on pace to break franchise record for losses
In 2024, the Giants set a franchise record for losses in a season by going 3-14. The team now sits at 2-12 and will likely be underdogs in their remaining games.
If ever there was a week where they could end their losing streak, it was supposed to be this week against the Commanders. Washington had lost eight straight entering Sunday’s contest, including a 31-0 beatdown by the Minnesota Vikings last week. In addition, they were playing without their quarterback, Jayden Daniels.
But Marcus Mariota did enough with his arm and legs by completing 10 out of 19 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown and gaining 43 yards on the ground to maintain momentum for the game.
His counterpart, Jaxson Dart, completed 20 out of 36 passes for 246 yards with two touchdowns, and gained 63 yards on nine rushes. But he did have a crucial interception at the end of the first half that Washington converted into a field goal to take a 22-7 halftime lead.
Another reason for the loss remains New York’s inability to stop the run. Washington gained 145 yards on the ground, and the main culprit was Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who carried the ball 18 times for 96 yards and a touchdown.
The Giants’ next three opponents have more explosive playmakers than the Commanders, and if they couldn’t beat them, they’re poised to set a new record for franchise losses for the second year in a row.
Special teams were a disaster, again
Special teams blunders plagued Big Blue in their 33-15 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 13, and it reared its ugly head again on Sunday.
They allowed a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown by Jaylin Lane to put the Commanders up 19-7 in the second quarter, and Younghoe Koo missed two field goals of 51 and 52 yards. Special teams is the third phase of the game, and in their last two games, they’ve had the worst special teams unit in the league.
The Giants aren’t talented enough on offense or defense to overcome bad special teams play, which is another reason why the team is headed for a 2-15 season.
Abdul Carter is finally playing like the third overall pick
As bad and disappointing as Sunday’s outcome was, there was a silver lining, and that is Abdul Carter is finally playing up to being the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
In what was by far his best performance of the season, Carter had seven tackles, three tackles for a loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery. He was also credited with a quarterback hit and had several pressures on Mariota. After the game, interim head coach Mike Kafka gave Carter praise, stating, “He played his tail off, which is no surprise because he prepared that way”.
The 22-year-old’s rookie season has been marred by subpar play and being late to meetings, which has caused him to be benched for the start of two games. But there weren’t any reported incidents this week, and if he continues to play the way he did on Sunday, it could be an indication that going forward, he’ll live up to the hype that was surrounding him coming into the season.
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