The Washington Commanders got a much-needed win on Thursday, defeating the New York Giants 24-21 to improve to 3-5-1.
It wasn't easy, as the two teams traded the lead throughout the game. It looked like the Giants were about to put it away late in the fourth quarter when Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels threw his second interception of the year — on back-to-back possessions. However, the defense kept getting stops when it mattered; Daniels found redemption with a game-winning touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs.
Washington’s defense won it when cornerback Rasul Douglas picked off JJ McCarthy.
Here are six takeaways from a huge Commanders’ win.
Unsung heroes
We know about Jayden Daniels, Stefon Diggs and Sonny Styles, but Washington was also helped by several
others. Ben Sinnott had a career night, catching four passes for 46 yards and a touchdown and showing what he can do with more opportunities. Safety Jeremy Reaves has quietly had a really good year. Reaves was everywhere on Thursday, hitting JJ McCarthy and in coverage. He also recovered a fumble. Reaves also finished with nine tackles. Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler didn’t put up big numbers, but had some tough runs. Nick Allegretti returned to the starting lineup and played well. How about Luke McCaffrey’s heads-up play on the kickoff return on the final possession? Huge play. A true team win for Washington.
Perfect response from Jayden Daniels
Jayden Daniels has battled a lot of adversity the last two years. This year, there was the elbow injury, the late-game shenanigans against the Giants in Week 5 and coming up just short against the Rams and 49ers in recent weeks. But the one thing he hadn’t done was throw an interception. On Thursday, he picked a bad time to throw his first — and his second — interception. They came on back-to-back possessions. But fortunately, the defense bailed him out. Daniels, like any great quarterback, has a short memory. He led the Commanders on a game-winning drive, beating the pressure to find Stefon Diggs for a 32-yard touchdown. There has been a lot of talk about whether Daniels takes enough chances. It’s foolish talk. He takes chances; he’s just excellent at protecting the ball. He slipped up on Thursday, and his teammates had his back. He had theirs, too. Daniels needed a win like that. So did his team.
Nick Cross’ hesitation
Things looked bleak for a moment when JJ McCarthy found Isaiah Likely for a 66-yard touchdown to put the Giants back up 21-17. What made it frustrating was that defensive coordinator Daronte Jones called the perfect blitz on third-and-7. However, safety Nick Cross let up, allowing McCarthy to get a throw off. Had Cross simply kept going or put his hands up, that play would never have happened, and the Commanders would have gotten off the field. It would be interesting to hear from Cross about why he hesitated. He once again played a terrific game, but that’s probably one he’d like to have back. Ultimately, it didn’t cost him.
What was Nick Cross doing here? pic.twitter.com/oXJYiFKu8L
— Carolina Commander (@SC_Commanderr) November 13, 2026
Third downs
Washington came into the game as the worst team on third downs. Against a good New York defense, the Commanders converted on 7 of 14 third downs. It was a combination of Daniels throwing the ball, smart playcalling, clutch short-yardage runs and Daniels using his legs. Everything worked. Washington's third-down performance was one of the primary reasons it won on Thursday.
Daronte Jones showed guts
We still aren’t sure what Daronte Jones’ future is in Washington. But in the last few weeks, he certainly looks like a keeper. The defense is playing much better. He’s aggressive, and players are getting better each week under his watch. We’ve witnessed far too many times over the years a Washington defensive coordinator play it safe late. They get burned almost every time. Jones wasn’t having it. On three straight plays, he went after McCarthy. All three plays went in the Commanders’ favor, with the final one being a Rasul Douglas game-winning interception. A terrific night for Jones and offensive coordinator David Blough. Even more impressive, it was on a short week.
Offensive line answered the call
The last time the Commanders and Giants played, New York came after Daniels every time he dropped back. While they didn’t pressure as often on Thursday, they tried, and the Commanders’ offensive line shut them down. Nick Allegretti was back in the lineup at center and played well. No snap issues. He also didn’t allow a single pressure. The interior of the offensive line — outside of Sam Cosmi — has been criticized often this season. For good reason. On Thursday, they stepped up, cut down on the pre-snap penalties and looked much better than they did five weeks ago. Daniels was sacked only once and had a clean pocket for most of his attempts.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 6 takeaways from Commanders' TNF win over Giants
