Taking a cue from coach John Harbaugh’s stated goal of going 1-0 each week, Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers viewed Thursday night’s rematch with Washington as carrying extra weight after the teams tied last month in Week 5.
The Week 10 matchup was never tied, and Washington ultimately won 24-21, giving the Commanders a much-needed victory over their NFC East rival.
J.J. McCarthy made his first home start since joining the Giants in a late-September trade from Minnesota. The young quarterback played college football at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh, John’s brother, and finished Thursday night with one touchdown and one interception.
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McCarthy finished the loss with career-high 293 yards. He also played Thursday night just days after injuring his right hip against the Philadelphia Eagles
McCarthy briefly left that game but returned to finish what became a 19-11 Week 9 victory.
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels threw three touchdowns and two interceptions at MetLife Stadium to keep Washington’s hopes of winning the mediocre NFC East alive.
Thursday’s comeback win also moved the Commanders to two games back of the division-leading Giants and now own the tiebreaker after last month’s tie.
Daniels getting picked off by Jevon Holland on his 208th pass attempt and Ar’Darius Washington on his 211th looked like it would haunt Washington, which allowed McCarthy and Isaiah Likely to hook up for a 66-yard, go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.
But the Giants were unable to move the ball effectively enough on the ground to run the clock. Jameis Winston tried to get the Commanders to jump offside with a hard count of “Who Let the Dogs Out” — with a series of barks — but that did not work and New York kept giving Daniels the ball back by punting the ball multiple times.
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The Commanders host the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night in Week 11, while the Giants host the Jacksonville Jaguars the day before.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.