Giants see second loss to Washington

Carly Newton

For anyone looking to distract themselves from college for a few hours, look no further than Thursday Night Football. Get lost in the game and forget about that quiz in the morning. 

On Sept. 16, the New York Giants took on the Washington Football Team and what a game it was. Football fans everywhere should have enjoyed every minute of the matchup between two division rivals that ended with Washington winning 30-29.

The Thursday night game kicked off week two of the NFL regular season. It was both entertaining and exciting to watch until the last second. 

New York and Washington both came into this game looking to bounce back from losing their season openers Sept. 11, and while the game started out slow, the pace picked up quickly.  

Giants Quarterback Daniel Jones began his night with a rushing touchdown in the first quarter to make it 7-0 Giants. From there, he continued to make good throws and did not have an interception or a fumble. Jones was without a doubt the best and most passionate Giants football player on the field. He finished the night with 249 passing yards and one passing touchdown. 

Jones could have had more impressive stats if it weren’t for a crucial touchdown drop by a wide-open Darius Slayton. This drop was partially the reason the Giants lost the game, and if they cannot learn to clean up their mistakes, they are in for a long, disappointing losing season yet again.

The Giants future’s looking bleak and even though they still have time to turn their season around. It does not look good for them. They are a undisciplined team and need to quickly improve if they want any chance at success in the next few months.

The Giants defense could not stop Washington’s quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who was making his first regular season start. Heinicke was impressive and threw for 336 yards, two touchdown passes and one interception. While Washington’s offense played well, their defense, which is supposed to be the strongest part of their team, looked pretty bad at times. They were able to get four sacks on Jones, but their cornerbacks often looked lost and left Giants receivers wide-open time and time again. 

If Washington’s defense improves, they have the potential to be really good this season. Their quarterback does limit them from being a Super Bowl contender, but they should easily make the playoffs in their weak division. 

The wild ending to this game began with Washington down 29-27 with two minutes left to score. Heinicke was able to drive the offense all the way down the field to get into field-goal range. This impressive drive ended with Washington’s kicker Dustin Hopkins missing the game-winner, or so it seemed. Luck was on Washington’s side when an offsides penalty gave them another chance to kick the field goal. This time, Hopkins made it. Washington was able to win the game as time expired.

The crazy ending will be memorable for a long time. For Giants fans, this loss will sting for a while, especially if this game determines playoff rankings at the end of the season. As of now, the Giants sit at 0-2 on the season and the Washington Football Teams moves to 1-1.