Five Giants Stats That Stood Out in Win vs. Commanders

The New York Giants made big plays on all three phases in their 14-7 victory over the Washington Commanders.

Author:
Hunter De Siver
Publish date:
Oct 23, 2023 10:24 AM EDT

In this story:

It took over a month for the New York Giants to achieve their second win of the season, but triumphing 14-7 against a divisional rival like the Washington Commanders makes it feel so much sweeter.

Sunday's game featured big-time plays and moments by the Giants on both sides of the ball. Adding a bunch of these plays up from kickoff to the final play created some eye-popping stats. Here are five of them:

The Halftime Sack Total

The Giants' pass rush had struggled coming into Week 7, as they only logged five sacks throughout that span. However, New York came out swinging in that category, as defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and Micah McFadden sacked quarterback Sam Howell on third down of Washington's opening possession.

The sacks kept coming the rest of the half, as defensive tackle Leonard Williams, safety Jason Pinnock, and edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux each notched one. These five sacks doubled their season total in just 30 minutes! Three came on third down, which often provided momentum for quarterback Tyrod Taylor and company to move down the field and score two touchdowns.

Explosive Plays

The New York Giants finished with the least explosive passing plays (20-plus yards) last season with just 31, but they had no issue producing long gains against the Commanders.

Rookie receiver Jalin Hyatt started the explosive trend with a 33-yard grab on New York's second drive. He also recorded a 42-yard reception in the fourth quarter. Fellow receivers Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton had back-to-back receptions for 22 yards, and running back Saquon Barkley scored the game's second touchdown with a 32-yard catch-and-run.

The Giants had several other big plays that went for slightly under 20 yards, which were crucial in keeping the ball away from Washington.

The Block

Down 14-7 with a minute remaining in the third quarter, the Commanders were desperate to move the ball. Eight plays later, they found themselves on the Giants' 9-yard line after a couple of long gains.

New York could force a field goal attempt, and Williams got a hand on it to deflect it away from the uprights.

It was the Giants’ first block since October 15, 2017, when Kerry Wynn blocked Brandon McManus’ 53-yard try in Denver. With his block against the Commanders and the first of his career, Williams ended the NFL’s longest active streak of opposing field goal attempts without a block.

East Rutherford, NJ October 22, 2023 -- The Giants sideline after a stop on a fourth down play that sealed the game for the Giants. The NY Giants host the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on October 22, 2023.

Tackling Machine Bobby Okereke

The Giants may have struck gold with the free agent signing of Bobby Okereke this offseason, as his past few games have been truly remarkable.

Not only has the 27-year-old led the team in tackles in the past four games (including Sunday), but he's also logged double-digits in each of them. Okereke's also climbed the NFL leaderboard in this category, as he's recorded the eighth-most tackles in the league with 64.

Darren Waller's Big Day

Giants offseason trade acquisition, tight end Darren Waller, may have been the team's receptions leader heading into Sunday, but he hadn't played like his 2020 Pro Bowl self the first six weeks.

Waller had his best performance as a Giant in Week 7, hauling in 7-of-8 targets for 98 yards and his first touchdown with the team. The 15-yard score ended New York's 220-plus minutes without reaching the endzone! It was also their first six-point play in MetLife Stadium this season.