The New York Giants got both good and bad news in Washington on Sunday. The good news is they left their game with the Commanders still in first place in the NFC East. The bad news is they looked bad early, great late, but blew an almost certain win in overtime.
The Giants' main goals coming into this season were to run the football on offense and to stop the run on defense. They did neither consistently in this game.
Here's a look at some studs and duds from Sunday's 27-27 overtime tie with the Commanders.
Stud: TE Isaiah Likely
Likely was poised for a big afternoon, and he delivered, catching 11 of 13 targets for 94 yards and two touchdowns. He drew three penalties, though, and limped off the field in overtime.
Stud: LB Arvell Reese
Again, the rookie was a standout, leading the Giants with
nine total tackles, including a sack. He set the tone in the second half with his physical style.
Dud: Run defense
Commanders' quarterback Jayden Daniels entered the game 3-0 against the Giants in his career. He's still undefeated, and he can thank his legs for that. Daniels ran for 103 yards on nine carries and was untouched on touchdown runs from 38 and 26 yards out. The Giants also allowed running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt to race for a 38-yard score.
Stud: WR Malik Nabers
For a guy who claimed to be sore this week, Nabers was a workhorse. He was targeted 20 times, catching 11 for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Dud: Running game
The Giants averaged under three yards per carry during regulation. In overtime, Cam Skattebo had several nice runs, but fumbled on the Washington 23, killing the Giants' chances at kicking a game-winning field goal.
Studly Dud: QB Jameis Winston
Winston never makes it look easy. He had his ups and downs again in this game, but the ups outranked the downs in the end. He threw for 300 yards on 31-of-52 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for 27 yards on five carries. He did have one fumble, though, and did not get the Giants into the red zone until the third quarter.
Studly Dud: K Dominic Zvada
It's hard to call Zvada a total dud, but he made just two of his five field goal attempts, and in a game that ended in a tie, that matters. Two of his three misses were from over 50 yards. He hit from over 50 yards twice, and in this weather, that's an accomplishment. The 46-yard miss in OT is the major blemish.
Other Studs:
- CB Dru Phillips
- CB Deonte Banks
- LB Abdul Carter
- LB Trumaine Edmonds
- WR Charlie Jones
- P Jordan Stout
Other duds:
- OL Andrew Thomas
- WR Darnell Mooney
- QB J.J. McCarthy
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Studs and duds from New York Giants' Week 5 tie vs. Washington Commanders
