Giants grades vs. Commanders in NFL Week 15
Abdul Carter of the New York Giants reacts after a sack during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
OFFENSE: D
The Giants did fine gaining yardage — 384 net, 238 passing, 146 rushing, all better than Washington — but allowed too many scoring opportunities slip away. Having first-and-goal from the 1 early in the fourth quarter and not scoring was a flattening failure. Throw in the interception late in the second quarter and the third-quarter drive to the 20 that was pushed back and resulted in a second missed field goal attempt of 50-plus yards and there were way too many shortcomings. Tyrone Tracy Jr. had a rushing and receiving touchdown.
DEFENSE: C
Coming up with two takeaways on fumbles in the final 5:39 of the game should have been strong enough to power a win, but there were just as many times the defense wilted, too, such as on Marcus Mariota’s 51-yard TD pass to Terry McLaurin when Paulson Adebo missed a tackle and Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s 16-yard TD run straight up the middle. Abdul Carter had his best game as a pro with three tackles for a loss, a sack, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Dane Belton also starred with a sack and two forced fumbles.
SPECIAL TEAMS: F
Nearly two weeks after his toe-stubbing field goal abort in New England went viral, Younghoe Koo missed both of his attempts at redemption in this game, coming up short and left from 51 and 52 yards. But the biggest miscue from the group was the 63-yard punt return for a TD allowed late in the second quarter when Zaire Barnes whiffed on a tackle shortly after it was fielded and no one except punter Cameron Johnston came close to touching him after that. It was the second game in a row in which the Giants allowed such a scoring play. Jevon Holland, stepping in as punt returner for the injured Gunner Olszewski, gave the Giants little to nothing with one 10-yard return and another that lost 3 yards.
COACHING: F
The game began with Mike Kafka challenging a spot and losing in the first three minutes then went downhill from there. Getting the ball with 1:40 left in the second quarter down 13-7 and allowing nine points before halftime (potentially 10 if not for a missed extra point by Washington) is a hard trick but the Giants pulled it off. Kafka topped that when on third-and-20 he called a running play that picked up 2 yards to set up a 51-yard field goal from a shaky kicker that of course did not add any points. All of that could have been salvaged had they not blown the first-and-goal at the 1 without scoring. It was a flashback to Week 1 against Washington when the red-zone inefficiencies cost them that win too.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
