Giants defeat Redskins, 41-35: Instant analysis

Instant analysis of the New York Giants 41-35 victory over the Washington Redskins that may have cost the team a shot at Chase Young.

The New York Giants and Washington Redskins, two 3-11 teams playing on the under-card in the NFC East on Sunday, put on a wild and entertaining show. If you didn’t know any better, you would never have figured that this game was for last place.

Considering the loser had a lot to gain, both teams played to win — on offense anyway. The defenses were lax most of the game surrendering a combined 913 yards.

Rookie quarterbacks Daniel Jones of the Giants and the Redskins’ Dwayne Haskins traded scores twice in the first half before the Giants’ defense stepped in and made two consecutive stops while the offense scored on two of the next three possessions to take a 28-14 halftime lead.

The showdown only lasted a half, though. Haskins was carted off after suffering an ankle injury on the first series of the second half. Haskins was sandwiched by Giants linebackers Markus Golden and Lorenzo Carter.

However, Washington picked things up a bit under quarterback Case Keenum. They narrowed the score to 35-28 in the early fourth quarter and then in the final minutes threatened to tie it.

The Redskins took possession of the football at their own one yard-line with 6:28 remaining in the fourth quarter and drove the 99 yards to tie the score with 29 seconds remaining.

In overtime, the Giants won the toss and went 66 yards in 11 plays for the winning touchdown when Jones hit tight end Kaden Smith on a three-yard strike to end it.

Jones had a monster of game (28/42, 352 yards and 5 touchdowns), returning to action after missing two games with a high ankle sprain.

Saquon Barkley finally went off with 189 yards rushing and another 90 receiving. He had two Barkley-like plays in the first half, a 67-yard ramble for a TD…

…and a 33-yard reception for another score.

Notes

  • Right tackle Mike Remmers left the game in the second quarter with a concussion and was replaced by Nick Gates. Inside linebacker and defensive captain Alec Ogletree was taken out of the game with a back injury during the Giants’ first defensive series and did not return.
  • Rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton injured his knee in the first half but eventually came back into the game in the fourth quarter.
  • Markus Golden …. first Giants player since 2014 (Jason Pierre-Paul – 12.5) to record at least 10.0 sacks in a season and the first Giants linebacker with double-digit sacks since Lawrence Taylor had 10.5 in 1990.
  • Daniel Jones became only the third rookie quarterback to throw four or more touchdowns in three games. Fran Tarkenton (Minnesota, 1961) and Deshaun Watson (Houston, 2017) are the others.

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