Giants Make Unwanted History in Bizarre Loss to Commanders
On a historic Sunday that New York Giants fans would like to forget, the franchise became the first NFL team to score three touchdowns, allow no touchdowns, and still lose a game in regulation. In their 100th season, the Giants fell to the Washington Commanders 21-18 in a game defined by inefficiencies and missed opportunities.
The Giants' peculiar and frustrating performance began early when punter Jamie Gillan missed the extra point attempt following their opening touchdown. To compound the early misfortunes, kicker Graham Gano injured his right hamstring during the opening kickoff while chasing Commanders' running back Austin Ekeler. Plagued by a right groin injury before the game, Gano's absence left the Giants without a backup kicker on the active roster, leading to a series of costly attempts at two-point conversions.
Throughout the game, the Giants managed to score 18 points through three touchdowns, but failed to convert extra points and missed two critical two-point conversion attempts. While the New York offense experienced these troubles, the defense held the Commanders to no touchdowns and yet, remarkably, the team still secured the loss.
Washington kicker Austin Seibert emerged as the hero for the Commanders, delivering a flawless performance by converting all seven field goals. Despite Washington's struggles in the red zone—going 0-for-6 and 0-for-3 in goal-to-go situations—Seibert’s precise kicking kept putting points on the board. Astonishingly, the Commanders scored on every one of their seven possessions, with the sole exception being a kneel-down to conclude the first half.
Seibert's critical 30-yard field goal as time expired cemented the Commanders' narrow victory. This unusual game marked a rare occurrence that has not been seen since 1989, when the Los Angeles Rams lost to the Minnesota Vikings in overtime.
As the Giants walked off the field, lessons from this game will no doubt be analyzed in the coming days. The inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities, exacerbated by special teams' failures and an untimely injury to their leading kicker, depicted a turbulent game that was as puzzling as it was historic.
For the New York faithful, this loss will be retold with a sense of frustration and bewilderment. The Giants will need to regroup and address the inefficiencies that led to this unparalleled defeat, as they forge ahead in their centennial season.