LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Jayden Daniels' return to the lineup, for just under 70 minutes of game time, looked to be exactly what the Commanders were hoping for.
He completed 68% of his passes, combined for 302 yards passing and rushing, and showcased his speed with two long touchdown runs. Most important, he stayed healthy.
But a gaffe in overtime, when Daniels took off on an ill-advised scramble in the closing seconds, cost Washington a chance at victory,
ending Sunday's game against the New York Giants in a 27-27 tie. With 12 seconds left and the ball at the Giants 24, Washington called a pass play, but Daniels held onto the ball and went down for no gain.
Washington had no timeouts left and couldn't spike the ball before the clock hit zero, ending a mistake-filled final period with zero points by either team.
“The sequencing of that does not fall on (Daniels),” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. “It's an outside throw or a clock — an out of bounds throw, or a clock. That has to come from me. I have to put him in that spot. I can do that earlier and we can finish the kick earlier. We don't need to gain more yards.”
The final play overshadowed Daniels' return from a dislocated left elbow. Daniels suffered the ugly-looking injury in a Week 2 loss to the Cowboys, the second time he has dislocated his non-throwing arm.
Wearing a brace on the arm, Daniels showed the playmaking ability he brought to the Commanders during his standout rookie season in 2024. He was 17 of 25 passing for 199 yards, and he rushed for 103 yards and two TDs on nine carries.
He wasn't the only player to make a critical mistake in overtime.
Washington (1-3-1) got the ball with 2 minutes left in OT when Daron Payne stripped the ball from Cam Skattebo with New York in range for a game-ending field goal.
“I’ve got to hold onto the ball, and make sure that these guys know that when my name is called, that we’re going to be OK,” Skattebo said.
Coach John Harbaugh said the Giants' goal on their final drive was to run the ball twice, get as close as they could to the end zone and then kick a field goal.
“It’s a heck of a lot better than a loss, but it’s not as good as a win,” Harbaugh said. “I know that just sounds so obvious, but that’s kind of how you feel. We’ll take it, we’ll take it right now.”
A kick by the Giants wouldn't have been a sure thing, given the struggles of Dominic Zvada, who missed his third field goal of the game on New York's first possession of OT.
“He'll learn from that,” Harbaugh said. “He was going to miss at some point, now he's got his first miss — he's got his first three misses.”
The Commanders had a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter before Jameis Winston led a furious comeback for the NFC East-leading Giants (3-1-1). He connected with Isaiah Likely for a 17-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter — Likely's second TD catch of the game — and then found Malik Nabers for the tying score, also from 17 yards out, with 1:43 left.
Winston finished with 326 yards passing and three touchdowns.
“I thought he was amazing in the fourth quarter, I thought he was amazing in the second half,” Harbaugh said. “I thought his ability to come out and change like that, we changed our offense up and tried some different things, he really settled into the things we did offensively. He was amazing. First half, he wasn’t, and he’ll be the first to tell you that.”
Daniels had rushing TDs of 38 and 26 yards in the second half, the latter of which gave the Commanders a seemingly comfortable 27-13 lead.
But the Giants rallied behind Winston and his two top targets, Nabers (11 catches for 121 yards and a TD) and Likely (11 receptions for 94 yards and the two scores). On his second TD, Likely had the ball punched out just after he crossed the goal line, and the score was awarded after a replay review.
After Nabers' touchdown, the Commanders had one last chance to win in regulation, but their drive stalled at midfield.
The Commanders opened the game with a four-play drive that included two passes by Daniels that covered 34 yards, a scramble by the elusive QB and a 33-yard touchdown run by Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
Washington's Drew Stevens missed the extra point. He kicked two first-half field goals, while the Giants missed two field goals of their own to trail 12-3 at halftime.
Giants: RT Jermaine Eluemunor had to be carried off the field with a left calf injury. CB Colton Hood was injured on a kickoff late in the third quarter and was helped off the field. He was evaluated for a concussion. S Tyler Nubin was helped off the field in the fourth with a neck injury.
Washington WR Terry McLaurin returned after missing last week's game with a hamstring injury, finishing with four catches for 62 yards.
Giants: Host New Orleans next Sunday.
Commanders: Visit San Francisco on Monday, Oct. 19.
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