Abdul Carter Shines, But Giants Fall to Commanders: Game Balls & Gassers

Offense, special teams dig an early, deep hole they can't climb out of in the fourth quarter.

Dec 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) runs with the ball against Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Consistency. Every player and every team strives for it - except when it works in reverse. There you have the story of the New York Giants  ' season: the ability to suffer weekly miscues whenever a clutch play was needed to pull out a game.

They missed two field goals; turned over the ball on downs after a first-and-goal at the Washington 1-yard line in the fourth quarter; dropped a third-quarter pass in the end zone; and, down by eight with less than two minutes left and inside the Washington 40, threw third- and fourth-down incompletions to seal the game.

So this result goes into the books as a Commanders' victory, 29-21, allows them to sweep the season series and guarantees the Giants a losing record in the division. They are 1-4 against the NFC East and 2-12 overall, having dropped eight games in a row.

"As a group, as a team, we just didn't put one together," interim head coach Mike Kafka said.

"I think we had some individual good performances, good drives, good plays here and there. But versus that team, you have to play for 60 minutes. You have to be executing at a high level for 60 minutes. We made some plays. They made more at the end of the day.

"I think our guys just gotta keep on battling, keep on fighting. That's what we're going to need. That's what it's going to take to get over the hump and get a W."

Linebacker Abdul Carter hopes to find the proper consistency after his finest game of the season. The first-round pick established season-highs with seven tackles, including three tackles for a loss, and his first two career forced fumbles.

He also recovered his second fumble of the season. This was his second straight strong performance coming off a tough month during which he twice lost some snaps, reportedly because he failed to adhere to the team's weekly preparation schedule.

"You see growth from him," Kafka said. "He's taken accountability for it. He's learned from those things. And he's putting together a good week. He's in here early, staying late, and trying to make himself a better player. And he's helping the team. And that's really what it's all about."

Check out the latest edition of the Big Blue Breakdown podcast for this week's “Game Balls and Gassers” in the video above.

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