Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected for two touchdowns and the visiting Washington Commanders held on for a 27-22 win against the New York Giants on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.
Washington is off to a 7-2 start for the first time since 1996 while the Giants (2-7) have lost four straight.
Daniels was 15-of-22 passing for 209 yards for the Commanders, who played without starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring). Austin Ekeler produced 83 total yards (42 rushing, 41 receiving) and a touchdown.
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones went 20-of-26 passing for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 54 yards and a score. Malik Nabers caught nine passes for 59 yards and Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushed for 66 yards on 16 carries.
Trailing 27-16 in the fourth quarter, Jones hit Theo Johnson down the middle for a 35-yard touchdown with 2:48 remaining, but the two-point conversion failed and the Giants trailed by five.
Daniels completed a pass to Olamide Zaccheaus for 42 yards and Washington drove to the Giants’ 1 before Daniels kneeled three times to end it.
With Washington ahead 24-10 in the fourth, the Giants covered 80 yards in 13 plays. Jones hit Darius Slayton for 23 yards to the 2-yard line. On the next play, Jones bounced off two tacklers at the 1 and dove in for a touchdown to make it 24-16 with 9:25 remaining. The two-point conversion attempt failed.
On the next drive, Daniels found Ekeler for a 28-yard catch and run on third-and-9 from the Washington 36, and the Commanders drove to the Giants’ 2 before settling for a field goal and a 27-16 lead.
The Commanders took a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter thanks to a Jones fumble that set Washington up on the Giants’ 31. A pass interference put Washington at the 4, and two plays later Daniels hit McLaurin on a 1-yard scoring pass.
The Giants answered with a 16-play, 73-yard drive that took 9:43 off the clock and ended with Jones passing 2 yards to Chris Manhertz for the score early in the second quarter.
On the next drive, Daniels hit Noah Brown for 16 yards to the New York 44, and two plays later Ekeler ran 20 yards to the 21. Later on fourth-and-1, Daniels ran 6 yards to the 6 and Ekeler later scored from the 1.
After a Giants punt, Washington started at its own 13. A 31-yard pass to Brown put Washington at the Giants’ 44. On third-and-18 at the 42, Daniels found Brown for 24 yards and later hit McLaurin in the end zone for an 18-yard score and a 21-7 lead.
–Field Level Media
