On Thursday, the New York Giants fell to 5-3-1 with a 24-21 loss against the division rival Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium.
Despite the Giants totaling more passing yards, rushing yards, total yards and yards per play, they were unable to hold on late in the game as a Stefon Diggs 32-yard touchdown gave Washington the lead with less than a minute remaining.
The one area where the Giants were considerably worse than the Commanders was penalties. Despite only committing two more penalties than the Commanders, the Giants gave Washington 45 more yards via penalty.
However, there was one play where the Giants should likely have been awarded 15 more yards, but the referees surprisingly opted to pick up the flag. Despite the referees’ decision, the NFL may still punish the Commanders player for the infraction as flags don’t determine whether a player is fined or not.
Commanders Player Facing Punishment for Helmet-to-Helmet Hit on New York Giants Tight End
Late in the third quarter, New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy completed an eight-yard pass to tight end Theo Johnson, which picked up eight yards and a first down. Initially, the referees threw a flag for an apparent helmet-to-helmet hit by Commanders defender Frankie Luvu. However, the referees opted to pick up the flag and not award the Giants the extra 15 yards, which the penalty would have entailed. The Giants ended up punting three plays later.
This Is Exactly What NFL Fans Have Been Talking About. We
Replay showed that Luvu did make helmet-to-helmet contact with Theo Johnson. Thursday Night Football rules analyst Terry McAulay said of the referees’ decision during the broadcast, “They should not have picked that up. That is clearly a hit on a defenseless player, helmet to helmet contact and they should have let the flag down.”
Regarding the play, The Giants Report posted on X: “Big miss on a Helmet-to-Helmet hit by Frankie Luvu on Theo Johnson. Would have been an extra 15 yards. Tough break but a first down nonetheless.”
Every year, the NFL and NFL Players Association agree on a set of game-related rules violations that may result in accountability measures. According to the NFL, the purpose of this is “to protect players from unnecessary risk and preserve competitive balance and game integrity.”
Earlier this season, Giants running back Cam Skattebo was fined for illegal use of the helmet for lowering his helmet during a run.
Giants vs Commanders Takeaways
A 15-yard penalty on Luvu would have put New York in Washington territory. However, ultimately that was not called, and the Giants came out of the game with a deflating loss.
Giants on SI’s Patricia called the game a “lost opportunity,” as she wrote: “Lost opportunity. That about sums up the New York Giants’ 24-21 loss to the Washington Commanders on Thursday night.
The Giants had a chance to bury Washington’s 2026 season and further pad their hold on the NFC East ahead of a very difficult slate of opponents that begins next week with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Instead, the Giants threw it away, showing they’re still not ready for primetime exposure.”
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