These two division rivals are going to fight each other until the bitter end. The New York Giants got a little bit of officiating luck and a monster game from their defense to keep their playoff hopes alive against their archrivals, the Washington Commanders.
This might be the best NFL rivalry this season. Sure, it may not showcase a whole lot of talent or eyewatering football, but it does have two things that 85% of rivalries this season have lacked: determination and resiliency.
Both of these teams were written off as jokes and sideshows to start off the season, while the Commanders have actively been under the scrutiny of seemingly every single oversight/commission/law enforcement agency in the US from Dan Snyder’s nefarious actions.
Needless to say, the Commanders and the Giants should both be sitting at the bottom of the NFL right now.
But, though hard work, determination, resiliency, and unbridled passion, these two classic franchises have overcome their, respective, mid-season blips to resurrect their honor and reputation by making serious runs for the playoffs. And they both should be commended on how hard they have fought these last 15 weeks, though it looks like one rival is just going to edge out the other for coveted NFC Wild Card spots.
That would be the New York Football Giants.
Coming into this game having lost three of their last four (and that one game being a 20-20 tie vs. WSH), the Giants were reeling and in desperate need of a win to keep their playoff hopes in tack. Practically everything that had gone right for the Giants in the early part of the season (ex: running game, defense, Daniel Jones managing the ball, etc.) and drove them to a 7-2 record has been absent in the weeks leading up to this game.
Saquon Barkley didn’t have more than 65 yards in any of the four games, the defense gave up an average point total of 32 PPG, and Daniel Jones had regressed into the turnover machine he’s been his whole career with 4 (2 INTS, 2 FUM) turnovers, which resulted in blowout losses to the Lions and Eagles.
Yet, that wasn’t the case last night as the Giants defense and Saquon Barkley finally came to play.
The Washington offense literally couldn’t move the ball a yard without having one of the Giants players surrounding them and getting ready to knock their heads off, which happened a lot.
Guys like Kayvon Thibodeaux (12 tackles, 1 sack, 3 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 TD), Jaylon Smith (9 tackles), Dexter Lawrence (2 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 3 QB hits), and Azeez Ojulari (4 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 2 QB hits) came after Taylor Heinicke (17/29, 249 yards, 1 TD) and the Washington offense with a vengeance as they helped their defense rack up 67 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 TFL, 6 PD, 8 QB hits, and even a defensive TD from a Kayvon Thibodeaux strip-sack fumble return.
The Giants defense was not perfect as they had trouble stopping Brian Robinson Jr. (12 CAR, 89 yards) and Jahan Dotson (4 REC, 105 yards, 1 TD), but they were as close to perfect as possible. They were the lifeblood of that team performance and inspired the rest of the team to fight with a passion, while Saquon Barkley was the dagger that killed the Commanders.
Like I said, Barkley came into this game in the midst of his biggest slump of the season. He was putting up dreadful stats in the Giants losses to the Eagles, Lions, and Cowboys and their tie against the Commanders, so it only made sense that he would explode for a monster game.
And, unfortunately for Washington, he chose this game to do it.
Rushing 18 times for 87 yards and 1 TD, Saquon Barkley was running over the Washington defense and all of their 1st-round pick lineman, such as Montez Sweat (3 tackles, 2 QB hits), Jonathan Allen (6 tackles ,1 TFL), and Daron Payne (2 tackles), in route to the Giants gaining 128 rushing yards on the league’s 12th-best run stopping defense.
Oh, and the former 4th overall pick also helped out in the passing game as he caught 5 passes for 33 yards, which put his total scrimmage yards at 120 yards. Simply put, the Giants offense can only survive and thrive when Saquon Barkley is carrying them to victory, thus putting a massive amount of pressure on the RB’s shoulders.
It’s a risky strategy to rely so heavily on a player that has been notoriously injured for most of his career, but Barkley is just that good for such a monumental task. I hope that Barkley can continue to stay healthy and lead the Giants back into the playoffs for the first time since 2016, which happened to be the very season before he was drafted by Big Blue.
Nevertheless, I really should address the controversy that many have been talking about: the referees and their decision making. Namely, the refs screwed over the Commanders on that final drive.
After bringing the ball all the way down to the one-yard line from heroic throws and runs by Taylor Heinicke, the Commanders were duped by the refs as they willingly allowed the team to lineup in an illegal formation, even though they knew it was illegal but told the Commanders it wasn’t.
I understand that the Commanders should know the rules and not bend them to their designs, but when a player asks if they are doing a legal play, the refs should tell them the accurate information.
Don’t do some sportsmanship that players and teams allowed to do as it is beneath the office of the official. They have all the power over these players and their careers when they step onto that football field, so a level of respect should be shown. If they ask if a minor stance (McLaurin was a yard behind the line of scrimmage) is legal, just tell them the right answer.
Plus, the refs missed one of the most blatant pass interference calls in the endzone on 4th down as Darney Holmes was literally holding/blocking Curtis Samuel’s hands from reaching up for the ball. That’s not legal, and the refs should have called it.
Still, the Giants (8-5-1) were deserving winners of this game and now have a great chance of making the playoffs with games against the Vikings, Colts, and Eagles down the stretch. Reversely, the Commanders (7-6-1) chances of making the playoffs have gotten that much slimer as they now are a game behind the Giants and only a half game above the Lions and Seahawks for the final NFC playoff spot.
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