Three takeaways from the Giants' Week 9 loss to the Washington Commanders
Tyrone Tracy Jr. of the Giants runs the ball during the fourth quarter against Noah Igbinoghene of the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
1. Run-pass option for Giants
Anyone looking for a takeaway on what the Giants’ offense is all about after their 27-22 loss to the Commanders risked whiplash.
In the first half, they ran 21 times for 142 yards and passed six times for zero yards (and a touchdown).
In the second half, they ran 10 times for 22 yards and passed 20 times for 174.
It was . . . weird.
Coach Brian Daboll said the disparity was a function of how good the team was on the ground in the first half.
“We were productive running the ball, like seven yards a carry [6.8, to be precise],” he said. “So we kept doing that. I thought the guys did a good job of executing, being physical at the line of scrimmage and controlling the line of scrimmage. That was the reason.”
For all the success on the ground, though, the Giants had only seven points at halftime, and they were booed off the field.
Quarterback Daniel Jones said he was fine with the unevenness of the attack.
“I think if anything, it helped later with some of the play-action stuff that worked, controlling the line of scrimmage,” he said. “We were running the ball well, so we stuck with it.”
Receiver Malik Nabers was less fine with it.
“You can’t pick between half and half what you want to do,” he said. “But like I said, I’m not the play-caller.”
2. Two-pointers not on point
The analytics experts who run the sports world told Daboll what they always tell him to do in the same situation: After getting within 24-16 with 9:25 left in the game, the Giants went for a two-point conversion.
The idea is to get the two-pointer there, then be in position to win the game with a touchdown and an extra point later.
Instead, the Giants came up short on a run by Jones. Later, after a Commanders field goal, they were down 27-16, scored another touchdown, and this time saw Jones sacked on the two-point conversion.
The Giants are 0-for-6 on two-point conversions this season. Doesn’t that alter the logic and math of going for two in that first situation?
“That’s something that we talk about during the week,” Daboll said. “If we get in that situation, that’s what we’re going to do. But it’s analytics-based.”
But at what point does lack of success at making two-pointers alter the approach?
“I felt good about what we had,’’ the coach said, “and they did a good job of stopping it.”
3. Home is not where heart is
Being 0-5 at home never is good. Being 0-5 at home in a season in which you are celebrating your 100th season is extra bad.
The Giants have only four more chances to make things somewhat more palatable — against the Buccaneers on Nov. 24, the Saints on Dec. 8, the Ravens on Dec. 15 and the Colts on a date to be determined in Week 17.
The Giants lost all three of their NFC East home games for the first time since 2020 and are 0-4 overall in the division.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
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