Commanders let overtime clock expire in 27-27 tie with Giants
Washington had 13 seconds and a chance to set up a winning kick, but could not run another play before overtime ended.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
2 min read
The Commanders Giants overtime tie ended in a 27-27 draw after Washington failed to get one final snap away with time running out and a potential winning field goal in reach.
With 13 seconds left in overtime Sunday, quarterback Jayden Daniels ran under pressure instead of stopping the clock. Washington had no timeouts, and the clock expired before the Commanders could run another play, according to NBC News and an NFL social-media post.
How did the Commanders-Giants game end in a tie?
Washington was 26 yards from the end zone when the decisive sequence began, NBC News reported. The Commanders were in position to set up or attempt a game-winning field goal, but it was only an opportunity, not a certain victory.
Coach Dan Quinn said Daniels had been meant to do one of two things on the snap: throw the ball away or spike it. Either choice would have stopped the clock.
- Thirteen seconds remained in overtime when Washington began the play.
- Daniels ran while facing defensive pressure.
- He got back to the line of scrimmage with eight seconds left, NBC News reported.
- Washington had no timeout remaining.
- Players rushed to line up, but the ball was not spotted for another play before time expired.
The NFL posted that the Commanders could not get the final play off in time. The official result was a tie, though Quinn said afterward that it felt like a defeat.
“Leaving tonight with a tie feels like a loss,” Quinn said, according to NBC News.
Washington had already let a fourth-quarter lead disappear
The bizarre finish came after Daniels helped Washington build a 27-13 advantage with 11 minutes remaining in regulation. The quarterback, playing for the first time since an elbow injury three weeks earlier, scored on a 38-yard run in the third quarter and added a 26-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth.
The Giants then scored two late touchdowns to force overtime, NBC News reported.
New York coach John Harbaugh said he was surprised by Washington’s final sequence. On the FOX broadcast, Chris Myers questioned why the Commanders were not stopping the clock as it ran down.
For Washington, the final seconds erased a last chance to turn a comeback by the division-leading Giants into a win. Instead, both teams left with one tie added to their records.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.