Giants' grades in Week 9 loss to Commanders: Coaching and defense flunk, offense and special teams not much better
Giants head coach Brian Daboll reacts in the second half against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
OFFENSE: D
This was one of the most peculiar halftime stat boxes in Giants history, rushing for 142 yards and throwing only six times for minus-8 net yards with a touchdown pass in there. Daniel Jones broke out the angry run mode to score on a 2-yard, second-effort rumble in the second half, too. The team has to figure out how to convert two-point conversions, though, having failed on two of them in Sunday’s 27-22 home loss to the Commanders and all six attempts this season. Both of the ones in this game were passes on which Jones couldn’t find anyone to throw the ball to and either was sacked or tackled short of the goal line. How much differently does this game play out if the third-quarter TD pass to Wan’Dale Robinson counts rather than being negated by the questionable offensive pass interference flag on Darius Slayton?
DEFENSE: F
A unit that starts up front with its pass rush produced nothing but two hits, and everything else crumbled from there. At least the Giants forced two punts on Sunday, which is two more than they forced in Week 2 against the Commanders. They failed to get off the field at critical moments, with Washington converting 50% (7-for-14) of their third and fourth downs. Jayden Daniels threw only three passes toward Terry McLaurin; two of them resulted in touchdowns against Deonte Banks.
SPECIAL TEAMS: D
Jude McAtamney looked fine in his NFL debut with a 31-yard field goal and an extra point. The Commanders basically dared the Giants to return their kickoffs and the Giants couldn’t make them pay for that, getting beyond the 30 only once and letting one bounce into the end zone for a touchback to the 20 rather than the 30.
COACHING: F
Analytics may say the two-point conversion is the play when closing the lead to 8, but the Giants have not proved capable of scoring on them, so that should outweigh any long-lens statistical advantage Brian Daboll thinks he is achieving. Yes, the Giants were moving the ball well in the first half when they all but abandoned the pass, but they still scored only the one touchdown. The defensive lapses in the secondary continue to befuddle.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
