Giants Extra Point | Giants vs. Commanders Recap

John Schmeelk (0:06)

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Well, you could say this about Giants Commanders games in the year of our Lord 2026 They're exciting and crazy things happen at the ends of these games. The Giants had a tie in their first matchup four games ago against the Commanders. They come up on the short end of the stick tonight, losing 24 to 21 Tiki Barber, Bob Poppa, Tiki in a fourth quarter that was back and forth. A number of big winning plays and then a number of plays with the Giants came up a little bit short.

Tiki Barber (0:59)

Yeah, in any game that we talk about with the Giants this year, I think we're going to say the same things. They're going to win or lose on the margins. And it's part coaching, it's also part players making the plays that they have to make when the time comes for them to make them. And I think defensively, it's exactly what the Giants did.

Jaden Daniels does not throw interceptions. He had one on a season or so.

John Schmeelk (1:20)

He had the longest current streak of consecutive throws of that.

Tiki Barber (1:24)

And the New York Giants with an unbelievable play by Javon Holland, getting his head around at the last minute, made an interception. Darius Washington got his first interception as a New York Giants.

John Schmeelk (1:34)

By the way, he also had the pass break up on the four down to digs over the middle.

Tiki Barber (1:37)

Absolutely. And so the Giants' defense did what they needed to do to keep forcing the commanders off the field and the Giants' offense could not capitalize on it. And there were a lot of things we can talk about, a lot of things, including the last drive that the Giants were on, where they kept just taking shots down field, when instead you have timeouts left, just complete the pass, get the first down, live to take another shot. And so part of this is on coaching. I'm not saying it's the reason that they lost, but there were decisions that were made that ultimately cost this team the opportunity to beat a commander squad. And the biggest one to me, John, they're on the 10-yard line going out. So this is short field. There's three minutes and 30-something seconds left. They bring in Jamis Winston on third and one. He comes up just a half an inch short. On fourth and one, they do the dummy fake and take the penalty. They should have went for it, because if the commanders are going to score, at least you'll have two and a half minutes or three minutes left to go get your game-winning score. So some of those decisions you'll question, the prudency is debatable. But I think if John Harbaugh wants to be the aggressive head coach that he seems to want to be, you got to go for it on that situation and you got to convert. You can't let two critical interceptions that your defense manufactured turn into nothing. And that's exactly what happened in the four quarter.

John Schmeelk (2:54)

I understand your argument in that situation, but they did punt the ball and they did get a stop on the following possession.

Carl Banks (3:00)

So they got another interception. Correct.

Tiki Barber (3:02)

But if they get that first down, it changes the game.

John Schmeelk (3:05)

I think my bigger overall complaint would just be, the Giants offense had two opportunities to put this game away.

Tiki Barber (3:11)

True.

John Schmeelk (3:12)

Up a score. Where all they needed to do is probably get two first downs on either one of those drives and they win the ball game. But their last two drives before that interception are both three and outs, Bob. That's correct. And the offense was not able to convert a couple of first downs, one on the third and one on the sneak on the one inside their own 20 The other one on a third and three just on the other side of midfield. Couldn't convert those, you end up punting on those drives, Bob. And finally, after two big interceptions, the defense allows a pass over the middle to digs for the long touchdown and that was it.

Bob Papa (3:44)

I thought with 327 to go, I thought Harbaugh was going to go for it on that fourth and inches. Like sometimes you got to make a yard and- If you're going to win a game, you got to make a yard. You got to make a yard. And I would have liked my chances, especially when James sent up. We're going to go downstairs?