Make New York Post a Preferred Source Giants fans were left confused and frustrated by their 24-21 home loss to the Commanders on Thursday night.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy certainly shouldn’t shoulder all the blame, but an interception with 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter sealed the loss and gave the Commanders the tiebreaker over the Giants after the two teams tied in Week 5.
Despite being at the Washington 48-yard line with 40 seconds remaining and needing only a field goal, McCarthy threw deep on his final two passes.
The first fell to the turf for an incomplete pass, and the second was intended for Malik Nabers but instead landed in Rasul Douglas’ arms to end the Giants’ comeback attempt.
“My thought process was pop it up to my playmakers, have them go make a play,” McCarthy said.
Washington Commanders cornerback Rasul Douglas (29) makes a game-winning interception against the New York Giants on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. Robert Sabo for NY Post That did not sit well with former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho.
“This is the problem when you are relying on a young bull like J.J. McCarthy to take you to the promised land,” Acho said live on Speakeasy. “It’s one thing to make a mistake once. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on J.J. McCarthy.
“The Commanders ran the exact same play on back-to-back plays. J.J., you got away with the first duck when [Jeremy] Reeves hit you in the arm and they dropped the pick. They run zero again, and you have no plan. Football is all about have a plan, execute the plan…how are you surprised when you see the same play the second time? They just showed it to you.”
New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy walks to the sideline with running back Cam Skattebo during a game against the Washington Commanders, Nov. 13, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post Despite the last couple of minutes, McCarthy played well, completing 23 of 36 passes for a career-high 293 yards and a touchdown.
“I thought [J.J.] played very well,” head coach John Harbaugh said postgame. “I mean, there were some plays made, he made some throws, scrambled. I thought J.J. played very well. I thought everybody played well. We just didn’t play quite well enough.”
The Giants (5-3-1) host the AFC South-leading Jaguars (6-2) next Sunday.
