The Giants.com crew reacts to Sunday's 31-19 road win over the Commanders:
Lance Medow: The Commanders noticeably outgained the Giants in total yards (403-292), rushing yards (174-91), first downs (28-13), sacks (9-4) and time of possession (34:51-25:09) yet still fell short. That's because it's not about simply winning those statistical categories but instead turning that production into points. Washington managed only 19 whereas the Giants had 31 to show for numbers that don't necessarily jump off the page, which brings me to opportunistic plays.
The Giants had six takeaways (three interceptions, three fumble recoveries) at the expense of the Commanders and, most important, scored 24 points (three touchdowns, one field goal) off those game-changing plays. New York clearly had a lot to show for them, which hasn't been a trend this season. Case in point, in Week 6 against the Dolphins, the Giants took the ball away three times but that only translated to ten points, and they wound up losing that contest. They avoided a similar fate Sunday thanks to complementary football. The defense and special teams shortened the field for the offense and Wink Martindale's unit even found the end zone thanks to Isaiah Simmons' pick six. For just the second time this season, the Giants manufactured more than 20 in a contest. That was a product of capitalizing off opportunities presented by the defense, something that hadn't happened consistently prior.
Matt Citak: In Week 10, Tommy DeVito became the first rookie free agent quarterback to start a non-strike game for the Giants in the Super Bowl Era (since 1967). The following week, he picked up his first NFL victory, and looked impressive in the process. DeVito completed 18 of 26 passes (69.2 percent) for 246 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, which earned him a passer rating of 137.7. His stats on third down were even more eye-opening, as he went seven for eight for 113 yards and two touchdowns for a perfect passer rating of 158.3. It wasn't all good, as the rookie quarterback did take nine sacks, a few of which likely could be attributed to him holding the ball a little too long. But overall, DeVito put together a strong performance, becoming the first Giants quarterback this season to throw three touchdown passes in a game. Between his three touchdown passes against the Commanders and his two against the Cowboys last week, DeVito became the first Giants quarterback with at least five in his first two NFL starts since 1950.
"Tommy's put the work in, but it takes all 11 guys out there on the field and, you know, he's had some production, I think he's improved," head coach Brian Daboll said after the win. "We've still got a ways to go here, but he's got the right mindset. I think the players have confidence in him, particularly because he's the 3rd quarterback going in and he's got a little juice about him."
View photos from the Giants' Week 11 matchup against the Washington Commanders.
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