Two should-be game-sealing fourth-quarter interceptions weren’t enough for the Giants defense to hold a four-point lead.
Given a third life because the Giants offense couldn’t get enough first downs to run out the clock or the points to put the game away, Jayden Daniels connected on a 32-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs with 57 seconds remaining as the Commanders stole a 24-21 victory at MetLife Stadium.
Diggs fell backward into the end zone in celebration after breaking through Dru Phillips’ ankle tackle.
It looked for a moment like it was going to be a hat trick of victory-clinching interceptions near their own end zone over the first nine games for the horseshoe Giants.
Jevón Holland turned around late at the 2-yard line and found a pass from Daniels in his stomach for an interception that completed a defensive stand with under six minutes to go.
When the defense needed to come up big again a few minutes later, Ar’Darius Washington jumped a route just shy of midfield for an interception on fourth-and-2. He then curled into a ball on the ground to make sure that he didn’t lose possession and hopped up after the whistle to celebrate with teammates in the end zone as if the game was over.
It wasn’t.
Washington, who is one of three safeties to start next to Holland this season, played the best game of any of the three (the others being Jason Pinnock and Tyler Nubin) so far. He almost single-handedly forced a turnover on downs earlier in the game when he made a wrap-up, push-back tackle to set up a fourth-and-1 and then had a pass breakup to force a turnover.
It was Holland who came up with the end zone interception in the final 20 seconds of the Week 3 win against the Titans.
It was teammate Deonte Banks who came up with the game-sealing 98-yard pick-6 in Week 4 against the Cardinals.
Holland, whose All-Pro-caliber start to the season had tailed off amid his suspect tackling effort in other games, needed redemption Thursday because he was trailing Antonio Williams into the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown early in the game.
The third time was no charm.
It turned out the biggest interception of the game came from New Jersey native Rasul Douglas, who wrestled a jump ball away from Malik Nabers to clinch victory for the Commanders before the Giants could reach field goal range.
The Giants wasted not just the two interceptions but also a 13-tackle game from rookie Arvell Reese.
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