Sunday night was a frustrating one for the Washington Commanders and their fans. The Commanders lost 20-12 to the New York Giants. It’s unlikely that Washington and its fans will forget the controversy surrounding the team’s final offensive play any time soon.
Trailing by eight, the Commanders appeared to score a touchdown with a minute remaining. Washington didn’t tie the game with the touchdown but could have with the ensuing two-point conversion attempt. It never got that far, though, as the Commanders were flagged for an illegal procedure, nullifying the touchdown. Two plays later, it seemed like the Commanders might benefit from a penalty. This time, though, no flags were thrown.
On fourth down, after scrambling around for a while, Taylor Heinicke eventually threw the ball to Curtis Samuel Samuel. New York cornerback Darnay Holmes was defending Samuel on the play. There was a lot of contact keeping Samuel from catching the ball. Despite that, pass interference was not called.
Referees frequently undergo heavy criticism when they make (or in this case, don’t make) controversial calls. Sunday night was no different.
Football fans were clearly unhappy with the no-call.
This game’s importance on the NFC playoff race can’t be overstated. New York and Washington entered Sunday night’s game with matching 7-5-1 records, with the tie coming against each other. The win not only moved the Giants a full game ahead of the Commanders but also gave them the tiebreaker.
Washington still holds the final playoff spot in the NFC but is only a half-game ahead of the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions. The Commanders also have a tough finishing schedule, as they’ll be on the road against the San Francisco 49ers — who have clinched the NFC West and are 10-4 — in Week 16, Washington will then finish with home games against the 6-8 Cleveland Browns in Week 17 and the 10-4 Dallas Cowboys, who are also playoff bound, in Week 18.
So, while this ruling didn’t knock the Commanders out of the playoff picture, it did make things a lot more difficult for them.
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