AT A GLANCE
In a reversal of last year, the Washington Commanders swept the season series with a 27-22 victory over the New York Giants. The Commanders won their third consecutive game to improve to 7-2, while the Giants fell to 2-7 on the season.
UP NEXT
The Giants will play their fourth regular-season game in Europe and their first in Germany when they face the Carolina Panthers at Allianz Arena in Munich. It will be their second international game in three seasons. In 2022, they defeated the Green Bay Packers to improve their record to 3-0 in London.
WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE OFFENSE
Rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr., the Giants' leading rusher, cleared the NFL concussion protocol on Friday. Before the injury in Pittsburgh, the fifth-round draft choice rushed for a season-high 145 yards, which tied Eddie Price for the fifth-highest rushing total by a rookie in Giants history.
Veteran Chris Hubbard started his second consecutive game at left tackle after the Giants signed him off the 49ers' practice squad on Oct. 18. Josh Ezeudu had originally replaced Andrew Thomas after he underwent season-ending foot surgery.
Daniel Jones had a season-long 24-yard run in the first quarter as the Giants racked up 70 yards on their first seven carries. But just as they were driving into Washington territory, Jones was strip-sacked by Dante Fowler Jr. and the ball bounced back in the opposite direction. The Commanders recovered at the Giants 31, and after a 22-yard pass interference penalty by Cor'Dale Flott in the end zone a few plays later, Terry McLaurin caught his first of two touchdowns from rookie Jayden Daniels for the first score of the game.
The Giants ran the ball 20 times on their first 23 plays for 140 yards (7.0 yards per attempt), but they put up their first points on a two-yard touchdown pass from Jones to tight end Chris Manhertz early in the second quarter.
Jones had the unusual first-half stat line of four completions on six attempts for zero yards and a touchdown with a 109.7 passer rating. The Giants had negative-eight passing yards as a team in the first half.
Jones finished 20 of 26 for 174 yards with three total touchdowns (one rushing and two passing).
Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers became the second player since 1970 with 50+ receptions in his first seven career games (Puka Nacua with 58).
Rookie tight end Theo Johnson caught his first NFL touchdown, a 35-yarder to cut the deficit to 27-22 with 2:48 remaining in the game.
WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE DEFENSE
The Giants entered Week 9 leading the NFL with 35 sacks, which put them on pace to break the league's single-season record. On Sunday, they were unable to record a sack for the first time this season.
Cornerback Adoree' Jackson broke up a pass to force a three-and-out on the opening possession for Washington, which didn't punt once in the first leg of the season series.
Since the NFL began tracking quarterback starts in 1950, no rookie quarterback had started and won two games against the Giants. Daniels, the second overall pick, broke the streak for Washington.
The New York Giants welcome the Washington Commanders to MetLife Stadium for their Week 9 matchup.
WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT SPECIAL TEAMS
The special teams plotline took another twist on Friday when an MRI confirmed that kicker Greg Joseph has an oblique injury. He was ruled out and placed on injured reserve the following day. Graham Gano, who hurt his hamstring attempting to make a tackle on the opening kickoff of the Giants' 21-18 road loss to the Commanders on Sept. 15, remains on injured reserve. So, the Giants elevated Jude McAtamney from the practice squad. A native of Derry, Ireland, and former Gaelic football player, McAtamney spent the 2021 season at Chowan University in North Carolina and the 2022-23 seasons at Rutgers. In 2023, he set a school record with 40 touchbacks on 60 kickoffs.
In his NFL debut, McAtamney made his lone field goal attempt from 31 yards in addition to an extra point.
Left-footed punter Jamie Gillan, meanwhile, missed his fourth consecutive game with a hamstring injury on his kicking leg.
IN-GAME INJURY REPORT
WAS: DT Phidarian Mathis (evaluated for concussion)
NYG: WR Darius Slayton (evaluated for concussion), WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (evaluated for concussion)
INACTIVES
WAS: S Darrick Forrest, RB Colson Yankoff, S Dominique Hampton, T Cornelius Lucas (ankle), RB Brian Robinson (hamstring), QB Jeff Driskel (emergency 3rd QB)
NYG: P Jamie Gillan (left hamstring), CB Tre Hawkins III (ankle), G Jake Kubas (abdomen), WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles), DL Jordon Riley, QB Tommy DeVito (emergency 3rd QB)
ROSTER MOVES
WAS: RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. (standard elevation from practice squad)
NYG: K Greg Joseph (placed on Reserve/Injured), OLB Tomon Fox (free agent signing from NYG practice squad), K Jude McAtamney (standard elevation from practice squad), T Marcellus Johnson to practice squad
Giants 100th season book on sale now
"New York Football Giants: The People, The Moments, The Traditions" is available now exclusively at the Giants online shop. The book explores the team's greatest players, unforgettable games and stories that have defined the franchise for the last century.
