By Charlotte Carroll, Nicki Jhabvala and Sam Jane

Sloppy at times, entertaining at others and filled with special-teams miscues, Sunday’s matchup between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders — both near the bottom of the NFC — went about as expected. The teams combined for 17 penalties for 129 yards, but there were also flashes of promise from each offense.

Giants running back Tyrone Tracy scored twice, offering a glimpse of a potential tandem with injured rookie Cam Skattebo next season. First-round rookie Abdul Carter made several splash plays, including forcing a fourth-quarter fumble that gave the Giants a chance at sending the game to overtime. On the other sideline, Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt turned in one of the best performances of his young career, finishing with 96 rushing yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin also scored a touchdown on a vintage deep catch.

The defining theme of the day was the play of each team’s special teams units. Commanders rookie Jaylin Lane took a Cameron Johnston punt 63 yards to the end zone, putting Washington up 19-7. Fittingly, Commanders kicker Jake Moody missed the ensuing extra point. The Giants (2-12), who have struggled in the kicking game all season and recently signed Younghoe Koo, missed two field goals — from 51 and 52 yards.

Despite the result, New York fans are likely happy their team remained in the driving seat for the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. If the Giants lose their remaining three games (vs. Minnesota, at Las Vegas and vs. Dallas), they will likely hold the top pick. The Commanders (4-10) aren’t far behind them in the race for a top draft pick, as Washington still has to play the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles twice.

An ugly win for Washington

The Commanders needed this. Dan Quinn and his staff needed this. After a disastrous shutout (31-0) loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14, Washington ended its eight-game losing streak for its first win in more than two months. Up until the final six minutes, it was a mostly complete game by the Commanders.

By my goodness, could they make it anymore painful? Just when it seemed the game was sealed, the Commanders fumbled twice — Marcus Mariota on a third-and-12, then Jeremy McNichols on a first-and-10. The Commanders had a healthy 15-point lead prior to the turnovers, but the Giants quickly cut it down to eight. Washington’s defense came through after the second turnover and forced a turnover on downs.

Antonio Hamilton Sr. had a big night, punching the ball out of Darius Slayton’s arms in the end zone, ruining what would’ve been a Giants touchdown, then doing it again on a third-and-8 on New York’s drive after McNichols’s fumble. Hamilton took on a bigger role with Jonathan Jones dealing with an injury, and he stepped up big. — Nicki Jhabvala, Commanders beat writer

Abdul Carter finally flashes

If there was a bright spot in yet another Giants loss, it was Abdul Carter’s play. The rookie edge was benched twice in a span of three weeks for missing a team activity. Most recently, Carter missed the first quarter of the Giants’ Week 13 loss to the New England Patriots. So coming out of the team’s bye week, all eyes have been on how the first-round selection would respond. Coaches have praised the rookie’s work this week leading up to the game, and Carter started the game strong with a TFL on his first snap.

That was just the start of Carter’s day. Late in the fourth quarter, the rookie forced a potentially game-changing fumble by Jeremy McNichols near midfield after a tackle with safety Tyler Nubin. Carter not only caused the fumble, he recovered the ball and kept the play alive by starting a series of lateral passes.

The lateral elements of the drive didn’t stand, as the ball was ruled down at New York’s 49-yard line, where Carter initially recovered the ball. But it gave New York a chance to mount a game-tying drive. The offense couldn’t get it done, but Carter finished his day strong and how you wanted to see the rookie respond. Carter also added a strip sack and three total tackles for loss. — Charlotte Carroll, Giants beat writer

Another Dart injury

Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart gave Giants fans yet another scare when, after an apparent designed run, he was escorted to the sidelines and into the blue medical tent. While Dart’s brought plenty of good vibes since the franchise selected him with the No. 25 pick, the one criticism has been the amount of hits he takes. While it’s unclear yet if Dart was evaluated for another concussion, he’s been checked four times already this season for a concussion, and he’s missed two games with one.

Luckily for the Giants, Dart headed to the tent and missed just two plays before rushing out, grabbing his helmet and running back to the field for New York’s fourth-down attempt in the red zone. He finished the remainder of Sunday’s game. — Carroll