What Giants Coach Joe Judge Thinks About Losing to Washington

When a game ends as emotionally as the Week 2 contest between the Washington Football Team and New York Giants did, reactions can often be impacted by the adrenaline-filled finish.

If penalties are involved late, it's not uncommon to hear a coach inadvertently earn himself a fine from the league office for comments about officiating.

On Thursday night however, Giants head coach Joe Judge took a more reserved approach to the penalty call which gave Washington kicker Dustin Hopkins another chance at winning the game for his team.

"We're not going to turn around and put this game on any one player and one play," Judge said about the penalty called on New York defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence.

On the play Lawrence was flagged, Hopkins missed a potential game-winning field goal as time expired. Because of the flag, the WFT got an untimed down, moved five yards closer, and Hopkins got another crack at it.

He didn't waste the second chance. And Washington now sits atop the NFC East because of it.

Not blaming the game on one play or player is common practice, and a good one. Besides, there are plenty of other things those of us outside of the organizations can point to as well.

For example, Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay was seen yelling at quarterback Daniel Jones. Judge said he wasn't aware of the skirmish, but he claimed to see the two hugging it out in the locker room after the game.

Then there are always coaching decisions to pick at as well. Like the decision to run the ball on consecutive plays despite getting little room to do so after New York cornerback James Bradberry intercepted Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke late in the game.

Down by one point, with the ball at Washington's 25-yard line after the turnover, it appeared the Giants went conservative trying to bleed clock and timeouts from the WFT instead of going for a touchdown.

They succeeded in forcing Washington head coach Ron Rivera to use two of his timeouts, but after an incomplete pass and a field goal, the Giants had just a two-point lead with two minutes remaining in the game.

That series, led to the events mentioned above, of course.

"[The play-calling on New York's last drive] had nothing to do with not trusting Daniel," Judge said. "...We talk all the time about the strategy of being in that situation. It's obviously one of those things you go back and forth on. Ultimately, you want to control as much as you can, control the points you have, not put yourself in a position for a negative play."

Sure looked like preventing a negative play was also associated with taking the ball out of Jones' hands from the outside looking in. Until it was time for a long third down play, which can be even more dangerous in a lot of ways.

Judge and the Giants will have to wait to exact their revenge on Washington until the final week of the season.