Taylor Heinicke 'Biggest Nuts Ever!' Says Commanders DT Jon Allen of Comeback vs. Giants
The Washington Commanders faced a most important test on Sunday when they played the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
It ended in a 20-20 tie, and nobody's too happy about it, including QB Taylor Heinicke, who said, "Never in my life.
But defensive teammate Jon Allen offers another view of the Heinicke-led comeback.
"Biggest nuts I’ve ever seen,'' Allen said of the QB.
Here's how it all unfolded ...
The Commanders have won three straight games and six out of their last seven. Washington’s recent run has propelled them to the seventh seed in the NFC. Despite their streak, the Commanders remain in last place in the NFC East. A win would move them ahead of the Giants into third place.
New York has been heading in the opposite direction after starting the season 6-1. The Giants have lost three out of their last four games, including a 28-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
The extra rest has given New York time to get healthy. Daniel Bellinger, Evan Neal and Azeez Ojulari are among the players who will return for the Giants.
Here are the inactive players for both teams.
Commanders:
DE Chase Young
WR Dax Milne
CB Benjamin St-Juste
LB De'Jon Harris
G Chris Paul
G Trai Turner
Giants:
WR Kenny Golladay
CB Adoree' Jackson
CB Darnay Holmes
G Shane Lemieux
G Joshua Ezeudu
TE Lawrence Cager
LB Elerson Smith
Be sure to stick with Commander Country throughout the afternoon as we provide live updates, drive-by-drive coverage and highlights during today's game.
First Quarter:
The Commanders won the toss and deferred to the second half. The Giants will receive to start the game. Joey Slye's kick goes through the end zone for a touchback.
Saquon Barkley gets the carry on the first play of the game and runs for three yards. Daniel Jones scrambles to avoid pressure and gains nine yards for a first down.
Jones tosses it to Barkley and he runs for five yards. Jones keeps it on a read-option and fumbles the ball. Jamin Davis recovers the fumble for Washington at New York's 48-yard line.
Change of possession.
Brian Robinson gets the carry and runs for five yards. Taylor Heinicke throws a quick pass to Robinson for 10 yards and a first down.
Heinicke completes a pass to Jahan Dotson for nine yards. On second and one, Antonio Gibson runs for three yards to move the chains.
Heinicke drops back and his pass intended for Logan Thomas sails high. Heinicke pitches it to Robinson and he gains 16 yards before going out of bounds at the Giants' six-yard-line.
On first and goal, Robinson gets another handoff and only gains a yard. Heinicke throws a swing pass to Curtis Samuel and only gets a yard. On third and goal from the three, Heinicke scrambles right and has to throw it away.
Slye comes out to kick a 21-yard field goal and it's good.
Commanders 3, Giants 0
Change of possession.
Slye's kick goes for a touchback.
Jones tosses it to Barkley and he runs for two yards on first down. Jones drops back to pass on second down and he's sacked by Daron Payne for a loss of nine yards. On third and 16, Jones' pass to Barkley only gains a yard.
Jamie Gillian's punt to Alex Erickson is returned six yards to Washington's 39-yard line.
Change of possession.
Heinicke drops back to pass on first down and it's complete to Dotson for 16 yards to New York's 46-yard line.
Robinson gets the carry and runs for five yards. Heinicke hands it off to Robinson again and he gains five yards for a first down.
Robinson gets the ball once more and is stopped short of the line of scrimmage. On second and 10, Heinicke completes the pass to Thomas for 11 yards and a first down.
Gibson runs for six yards to the Giants 19-yard line. On second and four, Heinicke's pass intended for Gibson is incomplete. On third and four, Heinicke's pass is complete to Terry McLaurin, he makes a defender miss and runs into the end zone for a touchdown.
Slye's extra point is good
Commanders 10, Giants 0
Change of possession.
Slye's kick is a touchback.
Jones' rolls right and his pass to Darius Slayton gains eight yards. Barkley runs for three yards and a first down.
Barkley gets another carry and only runs for a yard. Jones keeps it on second down and runs for 20 yards to Washington's 34-yard line.
Jones throws it to Barkley for two yards. That's the final play of the first quarter.
End of the quarter.
Second Quarter:
On second and eight, Jones rushes for three yards. On third and five, Jones' pass to Richie James loses three yards.
Graham Gano comes out to kick a 48-yard field goal and it's good.
Commanders 10, Giants 3
Change of possession.
Gano's kick goes through the end zone for a touchback.
Robinson runs for five yards on first down. Heinicke drops back to pass and gets sacked by Justin Ellis for a loss of eight yards. On third and 13, Heinicke throws a screen to McLaurin and he runs for 12 yards.
Tress Way's punt goes to James and he calls for a fair catch at New York's 19-yard line.
Change of possession.
Jones goes play action then throws deep to Slayton and it's complete for 54 yards to Washington's 27-yard line.
Barkley gets the handoff and loses three yards. Jones rolls left on second down and his pass to Isaiah Hodgins is complete for five yards. On third and seven, Jones rolls right and then runs for eight yards and a first down.
Jones hands it off to Barkley and he bursts through a hole and runs it in for a 13-yard touchdown.
Gano's extra point is good with 8:49 left in the half.
Commanders 10, Giants 10
Change of possession.
Gano's kick is a touchback. Jonathan Williams only gains a yard on first down. Heinicke's pass to McLaurin goes for 19 yards and a first down.
Heinicke and McLaurin connect again, this time for nine yards. Robinson runs for two yards and a first down at New York's 44-yard line.
Heinicke's pass to Cam Sims loses two yards after getting tackled by Julian Love. Heinicke throws a swing pass to Robinson and gains five yards. On third and seven, Heinicke's pass is incomplete but a holding call on Fabien Moreau extends the drive.
Gibson runs for six yards on first down. Gibson gets another carry and gains six yards again to the Giants' 24-yard line.
Heinicke hands it off again to Gibson and he loses a yard. Heinicke is hit as he throws by Kayvon Thibodeaux and the pass intended for Gibson is incomplete. On third and 10, Heinicke's pass to the end zone is incomplete but there's another flag on the play. After talking it over, the flag is picked up.
Slye's 42-yard field goal is good with 2:28 left in the half.
Commanders 13, Giants 10
Change of possession.
Gary Brightwell returns the kickoff from Slye to New York's 25-yard line.
Barkley runs for nine yards on first down. The game reaches the two-minute warning. On second and one, Jones runs for four yards.
Barkley gets another carry and runs for six yards. Jones completes a pass to Barkley for four yards before he gets out of bounds.
Barkley gets another carry and runs for 20 yards to Washington's 30-yard line before going out of bounds.
Barkley gets another carry and loses four yards. Jones completes a quick pass to Matt Brieda for four yards and he gets out of bounds. On third and 10, Jones' pass to Hodgins is complete for 10 yards and a first down after he breaks multiple tackles. New York takes its first timeout of the half with 30 seconds left.
Jones keeps it and only gains three yards. The Giants call their second timeout with 26 seconds left in the half. Jones completes the pass to James for seven yards to make it third and one. New York calls its final timeout with 19 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Jones runs for two yards and a first down. He spikes it with five seconds left.
Gano comes out to kick a 27-yard field goal and it's good.
Commanders 13, Giants 13
Change of possession.
Gano's kickoff goes for a touchback.
Heinicke takes a knee and it's halftime.
Halftime.
Third Quarter:
Washington gets the ball to start the second half. Gibson runs it back to Washington's 24-yard line.
Samuel gets the carry on first down and runs for two yards. Sam Cosmi is injured and coming out of the game. Heinicke drops back and his pass intended for Dotson is incomplete. On third and eight, Heinicke's arm is hit by Ojulari and he fumbles the ball. Ojular recovers the fumble for New York.
Change of possession.
Barkley runs for two yards on first down. On second and eight, Jones' pass to Bellinger gains four yards. Jones keeps it on third down and runs for eight yards and a first down.
On first and goal from Washington's six-yard line, Barkley only runs for a yard. After play action, Jones completes the pass to Hodgins for a six-yard touchdown.
Gano's extra point is good with 11:34 left in the third quarter.
Change of possession.
Gibson muffs the kickoff near the end zone and he barely gets back to Washington's five-yard line.
Robinson runs for five yards on first down. Robinson gets another carry and gains 12 yards for a first down.
Heinicke hands it off to Robinson again and he runs for four yards. Gibson gets the carry this time and gains four yards. On third and two, Robinson runs for two yards and a first down.
Robinson gets another carry and gains two yards. A false start on Thomas moves Washington back five yards. Heinicke completes a pass to McLaurin for 15 yards and a first down.
Gibson runs for four yards on first down. Samuel gets the carry and makes a defender miss before gaining six yards. An illegal block in the back by Thomas moves Washington back 10 yards. On second and 16, Heinicke's arm is hit by Jihad Ward and the ball goes straight into the air before being recovered by Washington. On third and 21, Heinicke throws a screen to Samuel and he gains 10 yards.
Way's punt goes to James at New York's 15-yard line where he calls for a fair catch with 3:34 left in the quarter.
Change of possession.
Jones completes a pass to Bellinger for eight yards. Barkley gets bottled up for no gain on second and two. On third down, Jones only gains a yard.
Gillian's punt is run back by Erickson to Washington's 26-yard line for six yards.
Change of possession.
Heinicke is forced to scramble and he gains seven yards. Robinson gets the carry and runs for five yards and a first down.
Robinson gets the carry again and gains four yards. That's the final play of the third quarter.
End of the quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
Robinson breaks a tackle and runs for 11 yards to New York's 47-yard line.
Heinicke completes a screen pass to McLaurin for 12 yards.
Heinicke completes a short pass to Gibson for eight yards. On second and two, Heinicke completes a pass to Dotson for just a yard. Robinson gets the carry on third and one and gains a yard for a first down.
Robinson runs for 10 yards but offensive holding on Cole Turner moves the Commanders back 10 yards. On first and 20, Heinicke's pass to Thomas is complete for seven yards. On second and 13, Heinicke's pass to Dotson is too high and falls incomplete. On third and 13, Dexter Lawrence sacks Heinicke for a loss of six yards.
Slye comes out to kick a 52-yard field goal and it misses wide right with 10:06 left in the game.
Change of possession.
Barkley gets the handoff and loses a yard. Jones rolls right after play action and completes the pass to Nick Vannett. Bellinger is called for offensive holding and moves the Giants back 10 yards. On second and 21, Jones' pass to Bellinger gains five yards. On third and 16, Jones throws a screen to Slayton and only gains a yard. New York is flagged for an illegal man downfield and it's declined.
Gillian's punt is caught by Erickson at Washington's four-yard line and he runs it back to its 16-yard line. There are multiple flags on the play against Washington. Offsides, which is declined and an illegal block in the back moves them back half the distance to the goal.
Change of possession.
Robinson only gains a yard but a holding call on Charles Leno moves Washington back four yards. Heinicke's pass goes over McLaurin's head. On second and 14, Heinicke's quick pass to Thomas only gains a yard. On third and 13, Heinicke's pass intended for Samuel is incomplete.
Way's punt is caught by James at New York's 42-yard line and he runs it back to Washington's 47-yard line with 6:22 left in the game.
Change of possession.
Jones completes the pass to Slayton for 12 yards and a first down. After the play, Jon Feliciano is flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and that moves New York back 15 yards.
On first and 25, Jones' pass to Slayton goes for three yards. Barkley gets the carry and barely gets back to the line of scrimmage. On third and 22, Jones is sacked by Danny Johnson for a loss of three yards.
Gillian's punt goes to Washington's 10-yard line where Erickson calls for a fair catch with 3:43 left in the game.
Change of possession.
Heinicke completes a pass to McLaurin for 11 yards.
Heinicke's pass to Samuel is complete for six yards. On second and four, Samuel's pass intended for Dotson is incomplete. Tyler Larsen is down on the field with a lower-body injury and is being carted off the field. On third and four, Heinicke is pressured and his pass is incomplete. The Commanders go for it and Heinicke evades pressure and his pass is complete to Samuel for 21 yards and a first down.
Heinicke completes a screen to Dotson for no gain. The game has reached the two-minute warning.
On second and 10 from Washington's 47-yard line, Heinicke completes the pass to Samuel for 25 yards to New York's 28-yard line. Heinicke completes a pass to Dotson and he makes multiple defenders miss on his way to the end zone for a touchdown.
Slye's extra point is good with 1:45 left in the game.
Commanders 20, Giants 20
Change of possession
New York starts the drive at its 25-yard line.
Jones goes deep to Slayton and he drops the pass. Jones tries it again and second down and it falls incomplete. Jones throws into a crowd of Commanders and it falls incomplete.
Washington will begin the drive at its 12-yard line after an unnecessary roughness on the punt.
Change of possession.
Gibson runs for seven yards. Heinicke throws it over a Giants defender to McLaurin for seven yards and a first down.
Heinicke completes a short pass to Gibson and he turns it into a 12-yard gain to Washington's 38-yard line. The Commanders call a timeout with 39 seconds left in the game.
Heinicke's pass intended for McLaurin is incomplete. Heinicke looks for McLaurin again and the pass is incomplete. On third and 10, Heinicke's pass intended for Sims is nearly intercepted before falling incomplete.
Way's punt goes out of bounds at New York's 16-yard line with 13 seconds left in the game.
Change of possession.
Jones takes a knee and the game is heading to overtime.
End of the quarter.
Overtime:
New York wins the toss and will receive to start overtime.
Brightwell returns the kick to New York's 27-yard line. Jones completes a pass to Slayton for 11 yards.
Barkley is stopped for a loss of three yards. Jones is forced to scramble for seven yards. On third and five, Payne sacks Jones for a loss of eight yards.
Gillian's punt goes out of bounds at Washington's 32-yard line.
Change of possession.
Robinson runs for two yards. Samuel gets the carry on second down and he runs for 20 yards to New York's 45-yard line.
Robinson gains three yards on first down. Robinson gets another carry and loses two yards. On third and nine, Heinicke's screen pass to Samuel only gains a yard.
Way's punt is caught by James at New York's 14-yard line and he doesn't gain any yards on the return.
Change of possession.
Jones throws a swing pass to Barkley for seven yards. On second and three, Barkley runs for five yards and a first down.
Jones completes a pass to Hodgins for 10 yards and another first down.
Jones completes another pass to Hodgins for 13 yards. The game has reached the two-minute warning.
Jones completes a pass to Bellinger for four yards and goes out of bounds at Washington's 48-yard line. Jones completes another pass to Barkley for four yards. On third and two, Jones is tackled for no gain. New York takes a delay of game penalty.
Gillian's punt goes to Washington's 10-yard line where Erickson calls for a fair catch.
Change of possession.
Heinicke is sacked by Thibodeaux for a loss of nine yards. Washington calls a timeout with 1:26 left. Robinson runs it for nine yards and fumbles the ball out of bounds. New York calls a timeout with 1:10 left. On third and 10, Gibson gains five yards. Washington calls a timeout with 38 seconds left in the game.
Way's punt is caught by James at New York's 37-yard line and he runs it back to New York's 43-yard line with 28 seconds left in the game.
Change of possession.
Jones completes a pass to James for 12 yards. Jones spikes it with 15 seconds left.
Jones completes a pass to Bellinger for three yards and he gets out of bounds at Washington's 40-yard line. On third and seven, Jones' pass is incomplete.
Gano comes out to kick a 58-yard field goal and it's short.
Final: Commanders 20, Giants 20
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