The Washington Commanders had the ball inside the New York Giants’ 24-yard line and a chance to steal a win in overtime. All they needed was to stop the clock and give kicker Drew Stevens a shot. Instead, the clock hit zero before Washington could even attempt a field goal, leaving both teams with a frustrating 27-27 tie.
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Jayden Daniels was at the center of the closing sequence, and the quarterback did not try to dodge responsibility afterward. Following his return from an elbow injury, Daniels acknowledged that the Commanders failed to handle the situation properly and said the blame started with him.
“We all gotta be better situationally,” Daniels said after the game. “Starts with me. Everybody will say the same thing, but we just gotta do better at situational football.”
The Commanders had no timeouts left when the decisive moment arrived. Daniels, who misread the clock, took the snap with 12 seconds remaining, held onto the ball as he moved around the backfield, and eventually went down for no gain with eight seconds on the clock. Washington then struggled to get lined up for a spike, and time expired before the team could stop the clock.
“It starts with everybody, top down. Ultimately, it’s on me,” Daniels added.
The ending was especially painful because Washington had fought its way into position after the Giants had nearly won the game themselves. Running back Cam Skattebo fumbled late in overtime, and defensive tackle Daron Payne forced the turnover to give the Commanders another opportunity.
Daniels helped move Washington into field-goal range, putting the team at the Giants’ 24-yard line. But instead of immediately stopping the clock or getting the kicking unit ready, the Commanders ran another play that left them without enough time to attempt the winning kick.
The sequence spoiled what had otherwise been a strong return for Daniels. Playing with a brace on his left elbow after missing two games with a dislocation, he threw for 199 yards and ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
Washington had also appeared to be in control earlier in the game. Daniels scored on rushing touchdowns of 38 and 26 yards as the Commanders built a 27-13 lead early in the fourth quarter. But Jameis Winston threw two late touchdown passes, including the tying score to Malik Nabers with 1:43 remaining, to send the game into overtime.
The result left Washington at 1-3-1, with the opportunity to secure its second victory slipping away in the final seconds.
Daniels was not the only one who accepted blame for the costly finish. Head coach Dan Quinn also took responsibility for the communication and clock-management breakdown.
“That falls on me and is my responsibility,” Quinn said. “I’m gutted for this team.”
Washington had several chances to handle the final seconds better. The play call was one issue, but the team also needed to make sure everyone knew how much time was left and when to stop the clock.
Daniels took responsibility for his mistake, but that did not change the result. The Commanders had recovered a late fumble and moved into field-goal range. They were close to winning before the final possession fell apart in OT.
The tie against the Giants will sting, especially given how close Washington came to winning. Daniels and Quinn will have to make sure the team handles those situations better.