The Washington Football Team rushed for a season-high 226 yards on their way to a 22-7 triumph over the last-place New York Giants Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Antonio Gibson led the way gaining 146 yards in 21 carries averaging 7.0 yards per carry. Leading 12-7 Gibson had an 18-yard touchdown run which culminated an eight-play, 72 yard drive. Gibson’s touchdown came with 6:28 remaining and put Washington up 19-7, and with the way the woeful Giants’ offense looked, every person in the stadium knew the game was clinched.
ANTONIO GIBSON TOUCHDOWN❗️pic.twitter.com/0HFcyQI3hg
— PFF Washington (@PFF_Washington) January 9, 2022
Washington was able to run the ball well in the first half as Gibson accumulated 71 yards in only ten carries (7.1 ypc). However, Taylor Heinicke struggled inside of Giants territory and Washington had to settle for two Joey Slye first-half field goals for a 6-0 lead.
Heinicke had Cam Sims wide open in the end zone on the game’s first Washington offensive possession, but was late throwing the pass, and then threw it high for the 6-foot-4 Sims. Joey Slye then kicked a 23-yard field goal for the early 3-0 lead.
Leading 6-0, Washington’s Bobby McCain picked off a Jake Fromm pass, running it back 30 yards for the WFT’s first touchdown of the day, pushing the score to 12-0 with 3:41 remaining in the third quarter.
Gibson’s 146 yards were a season-high surpassing his 111 rushing yards gained in a home MNF 17-15 win against Seattle.
Gibson came into the game with 841 rushing yards for 2021; consequently his 146 today gave him 1,037 for the season. Gibson thus became the first Washington running back rushing for 1,000 yards in a season since Adrian Peterson in 2018 (1,042).
The Giants (4-13) closed their season losing their final six games, while Washington (7-10) had been 6-6, and thus broke their four-game losing streak.