Notes & Stats: Giants vs. Commanders Recap

*Only three other Giants player had receptions: Slayton three for 33 yards, Wan’Dale Robinson two for 18 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown, and Devin Singletary, one for zero yards.

*Robinson’s touchdown was the fourth of his career (third receiving), his first since a 24-yard run vs. the Rams last Dec. 31, and first through the air since Nov. 5, 2023, at Las Vegas.

*Singletary led the Giants with 95 rushing yards on 16 carries and scored their first touchdown – and his first with the Giants – on a 7-yard run in the first quarter.

*Inside linebacker Micah McFadden, who returned to the starting lineup after missing the season opener vs. Minnesota with a groin injury, and rookie cornerback Andru Phillips tie for the team lead in total (12) and solo (7) tackles. They each had a sack.

*The Giants sacked rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels five times. Safety Jason Pinnock had the first two-sack game of his career. He had 1.5 sacks vs. Houston on Nov. 13, 2022. Pinnock has 5.5 career sacks.

*Linebacker Bobby Okereke had the fifth sack.

*Kicker Graham Gano suffered an injury to his right hamstring chasing Austin Ekeler on the opening kickoff. Ekeler scored on a 98-yard return, but the touchdown was nullified by Nick Bellore.

Gano did not return to the game. After punt Jamie Gillan hooked the extra point attempt after Singletary’s touchdown wide right, the Giants did not attempt another PAT or a field goal.

The extra point attempt was the first of Gillan’s career. He is one-for-two on field goal tries, hitting a 40-yarder last season in New Orleans.

*The Giants did not have a takeaway for the first time since Dec. 17, 2023, at New Orleans. They have lost their last five games in which they did not force a turnover, winning most recently at Arizona on Sept. 17, 2023.

*The Commanders did not punt, the first Giants opponent without one since the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 27, 2020.

*Washington running back Brian Robinson, Jr. carried 17 times for 133 yards, the highest total by a Giants opponent since Miami’s Da’Von Achane ran for 151 yards on 11 attempts on Oct. 8, 2023. Achane was the last back to run for at least 100 yards vs. the Giants before Robinson.

*Seibert – whom Washington signed last week – kicked field goals of 27, 45, 26, 27, 29, 33, and 30 yards. He is the first kicker with seven field goals vs. the Giants since Dallas’ Billy Cundiff on Sept. 15, 2003 – 21 years to the day. Seibert is the first kicker with seven field goals in a game since Miami’s Jason Sanders on Dec. 8, 2019, vs the Jets in MetLife Stadium (on eight attempts).

*Seibert is the first kicker in history with four field goals shorter than 30 yards vs. the Giants (he had five) and the first with six field goals under 35 yards. He is the first NFL kicker with six field goals under 35 yards since Tennessee’s Rob Bironas at Houston on Oct. 21, 2007 (when he kicked eight field goals).

*On the game’s first possession, the Commanders traveled 16 yards in 16 plays and 9:46. It was the first 16-play drive allowed by the Giants on an opening series since Dec. 10, 2017, vs. Dallas, and the most plays by an opponent on any drive since Philadelphia ran 18 plays on its way toa field goal last Christmas Day.

*Washington’s 9:36 possession was the longest by a Giants opponent on an opening drive since Dallas held the ball for 10:27 on Sept. 13, 2015. Last Oct. 8, the Buffalo Bills had a touchdown drive that took 10:27 to complete.

But of the Cowboys possessions listed above – the 16-play series in 2017 and the 10:27 possession in 2015 – ended with 21-yard Dan Bailey field goals.

*Giants’ time of possession of 22:28 was their second lowest in Brian Daboll’s three seasons as coach. They owned the ball for 20:50 on Sept. 21, 2023, in San Francisco.

*Washington’s 425 total yards were the most for a Giants opponent since Philadelphia gained 465 yards last Dec. 25.

*The Commanders’ 215 rushing yards were the highest total for a Giants foe since Miami ran for 222 yards on Oct. 8, 2023.

*The Giants fell to 16-11-1 (.589) in Northwest Stadium.

*Daboll won his first two replay challenges of the season, both times getting Washington first downs nullified.

He threw his red challenge flag for the first time with 9:04 remaining in the first quarter, after Daniels scrambled for an apparent first down. Daboll challenged, believing Daniels was short. After review, referee Scott Novak said Daniels was down a half-yard short of the first down. Daboll won the challenge, but Washington gained six yards on fourth down to retain possession.

With 6:38 remaining in the third quarter, Terry McLaurin caught a pass for 13 yards and an apparent first down. Daboll again challenged the spot and won, leaving Washington with a third-and-one. But on the next snap, Robinson ripped off a 40-yard run to the Giants’ 21-yard line. Pinnock ran him down to prevent a touchdown.

Daboll is 9-4 on replay challenges in his three seasons as coach.

*Jakob Johnson made his Giants debut as a fullback and on the kickoff and kickoff return teams.

Ihmir Smith-Marsette might have debuted as the punt returner, but the Commanders never punted and he never got on the field.

*The Giants’ inactive players included two defenders who started the season opener last week, cornerback Nick McCloud and rookie linebacker Darius Muasau. They both have knee injuries. Also inactive were cornerback Anthony Johnson, linebacker Boogie Basham, guard Jake Kubas, and quarterback Tommy DeVito, the team’s third quarterback.