Whew: WFT Gets First Win, Beats Giants 30-29
Two teams looking to avoid 0-2 starts and in the end, it was Taylor Heinicke and the Washington Football Team leaving with a notch in the win column after defeating the New York Giants, 30-29.
After a missed attempt, WFT kicker Dustin Hopkins was given a second chance because of Giants' offside penalty. He nailed the 43-yarder on the game's final play to give his team a heart-stopping, much-needed victory.
Heinicke, who threw for 336 yards, seemingly cost his team the game with an interception in his own Red Zone to set up a Giants' field goal. But he calmly drove WFT 50 yards in 11 plays to set up Hopkins' dramatic game-winner just inside the right upright.
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Taking the field in this first NFC East Divisional match-up of the year were two quarterbacks with a lot of questions.
For Daniel Jones visiting the WFT with his Giants, many think this was a make-it-or-break-it-season for the third-year quarterback.
On the home side of the field, Heinicke stepped in for his first regular season start of his Washington Football Team tenure, and a chance to prove he has what it takes to be a starting NFL quarterback.
Despite the changes in team leadership and opponent, the start of the game looked eerily similar as the Washington defense gave up a touchdown run on their opponent's first drive of the game.
The first quarter came to an end with that touchdown being the only score of the game, but Washington had the ball at the Giants' 39-yard line and was moving, following their first two first downs of the game.
That drive ended on a good note as Heinicke found star receiver Terry McLaurin in the end zone for the WFT's first score of the game.
With that scoring catch, McLaurin had five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. A big improvement after having no catches in the first half of Week 1 and just four in the entire game.
In the closing minutes of the first half, Heinicke and his offense got the ball back with all three timeouts remaining and a lead within reach.
The result was a 12-play drive that ended with running back J.D. McKissic finding the end zone for the first time this season. The drive gave Washington the lead and left New York with just 21 seconds on the clock and no timeouts.
Taking a 14-10 lead into halftime, WFT played the most complete football we've seen from them this season.
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Coming out of the locker room, Jones and the Giants were able to get into range for a 47-yard Graham Gano field goal which brought the score to 14-13, Washington.
For the Washington offense, the second half started the same way the first half did. With a three-and-out and a punt.
Giving the ball back to your opponent with less than a full touchdown lead is never preferred, and Jones made Washington pay for it with a beautiful pass to wide receiver Darius Slayton who beat WFT cornerback William Jackson III for the score.
After trading field goals from long range (Hopkins from 49 and Gano from 52 yards), the two rivals were still separated by just six points, 23-17, with more than 13 minutes remaining in the game.
Another swap from Hopkins and Gano and the game was still within a touchdown margin. On their ninth possession of the game Washington offensive coordinator Scott Turner dialed up two pass calls and Heinicke found McKissic for a 56-yard gain, and tight end Ricky Seals-Jones for the final 19 and a late touchdown.
The extra point made by Hopkins made it a 27-26 game with just over four and a half minutes remaining.
Washington's defense held and got the ball back for their offense and a chance to get a game-clinching score or drain the clock, or both.
Instead, three plays into the drive Heinicke targeted McLaurin and found Giants cornerback James Bradberry instead. It was the first turnover of the game for either side and set the Giants up at the Washington 20-yard line.
Aiming for a touchdown, no doubt, New York had to settle for Graham Gano's fifth field goal of the night.
The score made it 29-27 in favor of the Giants, with two minutes left, and one timeout in their pocket.
Heinicke got the offense all the way down to the New York Giants 30-yard line setting up Hopkins for a potential game-winning field goal. The snap was good, the hold was good, but Hopkins missed wide right.
The Washington Football Team advances to 1-1 while the New York Giants fall to 0-2. Now, each will get a pseudo bye week before their next games.
For the WFT, it's a Week 3 road trip to face the Buffalo Bills which would have been much more dreadful, at 0-2. But we don't have to worry about that now.
