3. Complementary football.
Head coach Dan Quinn said after the game that he saw complementary football from his squad on Sunday, and the best example of that came at the end of the first half.
It started with 1:40 left in the second quarter. The Commanders’ defense forced the Giants’ offense, which had just scored a touchdown to make the score 13-7, off the field after a three-and-out thanks in part to Von Miller bringing down Jaxson Dart for an eight-yard sack. That led to the Giants punting the ball away to Lane, who then returned it for his 63-yard touchdown.
Four plays later, the defense came through again with Mike Sainristil grabbing his fourth interception of the season and returning it to the Giants’ 24-yard line with 10 seconds left. Jake Moody then tacked on a 42-yard field goal at the end of the half, making the score 22-7.
It ended up being an important part of the game. The Giants opened the third quarter with a touchdown and had an opportunity to tie things up in the fourth. Had the Commanders not scored those nine points, things could have gone differently at MetLife Stadium, and the Commanders’ losing streak could still be alive.
The Commanders had a knack for getting points at the end of halves last season; it was one of the reasons they managed to pull out victories in so many close matchups. Sunday’s game was a reminder that while the 2025 season hasn’t gone as planned, there are still shades of what the team was and could be in the future.