Commanders’ QB Jayden Daniels & Coach Dan Quinn Take Blame For Botch Final Play, Settle For Tie With Giants

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels took responsibility after a chaotic final overtime sequence cost his team a chance to kick a game-winning field goal against the New York Giants on Sunday.

The botched ending overshadowed an otherwise strong return for Daniels, who had missed two games after dislocating his left, non-throwing elbow in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys. The injury stunned his teammates at the time.

“Ultimately, it’s on me,” Daniels said after the game ended in the NFL’s first 27-27 tie of the season.

Washington had the Giants on the ropes late in overtime. Commanders defensive lineman Daron Payne forced Giants running back Cam Skattebo to fumble at Washington’s 23-yard line, and Daniels led a 53-yard drive to the Giants’ 24. He completed three passes for 35 yards and added a 16-yard scramble.

With no timeouts left, Daniels took the snap with 12 seconds remaining on a quick sideline throw to tight end Ben Sinnott. Instead, Daniels rolled left, turned back inside and was tackled for no gain with eight seconds to go.

The Commanders scrambled to line up for a spike but could not get another snap off before the clock ran out. Kicker Drew Stevens never got onto the field.

Daniels said the offense needed to stop the clock and understand the situation, adding that everyone, from the top down, shared responsibility. “We just got to be better at situational football,” he said.

Head coach Dan Quinn also took the blame. He said the team was still trying to gain extra yards for the kick after the previous play, and that the right call would have been to spike the ball earlier instead of putting Daniels in that position.

“Leaving tonight with a tie feels like a loss,” Quinn said. “That is my responsibility, nobody else’s.”

Wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who wasn’t on the field for the final play, said the offense didn’t execute or communicate the call correctly.

The Giants noticed the disarray. Defensive lineman Shelby Harris said, “It seemed like a bunch of confusion on the play from their part,” and added that Washington was slow getting to the line.

For Skattebo, the ending came as a relief after his fumble gave Washington the opportunity.

The frustration also reached the team’s ownership. Commanders part-owner Magic Johnson wrote on social media that he was “in total disbelief my Commanders had such poor clock management” in overtime.

Wearing a brace on his left arm, Daniels totaled 302 yards and two touchdowns, both on long runs. He broke a 38-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and later added a 26-yard scoring run.

The tie leaves Washington at 1-3-1. The Giants are 3-1-1 and remain atop the NFC East.

The Commanders will visit the San Francisco 49ers next Monday night.