The Washington Commanders finally ended a demoralizing eight-game losing streak with a 29-21 road win versus the New York Giants in Week 15. The win, Washington’s first since October 5, also completed a season sweep over the struggling New York, who now sits at 2-12 and has lost eight straight games. It was a morale-boosting win, but the Commanders nearly let the Giants back in because of their ongoing troubles with turnovers and closing out leads.
Head coach Dan Quinn admitted after the game that the team made victory more difficult than necessary, noting:
“We made it a lot harder than it needed to be.”
Quarterback Marcus Mariota, starting in place of the injured Jayden Daniels, completed 10 of 19 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown, though he also fumbled once. Running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt led the ground attack with 96 rushing yards on 18 carries, scoring a 16-yard touchdown in the second quarter. That touchdown made Croskey-Merritt the first Washington rookie running back since Antonio Gibson in 2020 to record at least five rushing touchdowns in a single season. Fellow rookie Jaylin Lane took a punt 63 yards to the house for his second touchdown of the season, turning the game in their favor before the half.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin broke free for a 51-yard score early in the fourth quarter, giving the Commanders a 29-14 lead with 13:40 to go. Mariota and McNichols, however, each fumbled in the fourth quarter, opening the door for New York to mount a rally. The Giants scored two late touchdowns, closing in on Washington at 29-21 with less than four minutes remaining. The Commanders’ defense, though, held firm on a turnover on downs at midfield, allowing them to run out the clock.
Up front for Washington, Von Miller recorded a sack on New York quarterback Jaxson Dart, moving to 12th on the NFL’s all-time sack list with 136½ career sacks. Rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil intercepted Dart in the closing seconds of the first half, returning it 55 yards to set up a 42-yard Jake Moody field goal, which gave the Commanders a 22-7 halftime lead.
At 4-10, the playoffs are off the table, leaving Washington to focus on the roster and next year’s draft.
