Let us just start by saying we like Ron Rivera – he’s a hell of a coach and a solid dude. With that said, there’s nothing that’s going to spoil how sweet that Sunday night victory over the Washington Commanders was. Not even Rivera getting ready to blow a gasket when asked by the media about some of the questionable calls in Week 15 vs. the NY Giants.
For starters, a Terry McLaurin penalty wiped away a Brian Robinson Jr. touchdown that would have given the Commanders a late lead. McLaurin appeared to be okay and a lot of people thought the ref said he was good. Nope. Then there was the – we have to admit it – obvious non-call on Darnay Holmes for pass interference in the end zone.
A flag 100 percent should have been thrown there. Rivera tried holding back, but goodness, the man was irate when talking about the officiating.
#Commanders HC Ron Rivera asked about the officiating tonight “Don’t ask me about the refereeing because I can't answer the question."pic.twitter.com/gvc9GXmgHN
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 19, 2022
Commanders coach Rob Rivera was livid with the refs on Sunday night
You can’t blame Rivera for being so upset. If you’re a Giants fan, though, you can go ahead and look the other way on that Holmes play. Nothing but perfect form and technique on him preventing Curtis Samuel from hauling in the potential (if Washington coverted its two-point try) game-tying touchdown, right?
NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay says refs missed a DPI on Curtis Samuel:
— Josh Hill (@jdavhill) December 19, 2022
“This is defensive pass interference … it’s always a foul and should have been called.” pic.twitter.com/8teYF6UBxd
Holmes certainly got away with one there, but let’s not forget that the Commanders also weren’t flagged for a clear hands to the face penalty on Kayvon Thibodeaux during that same sequence. It look liked the No. 5 overall pick got poked in the eye, and there was major concern about his health following the final whistle. Luckily, he’s just fine and can celebrate his monster game.
All in all, it was a wild night at FedEx Field, but the Giants were able to come away with the close win and they’re now 8-5-1 on the year. Meanwhile for Rivera and Co., the Commanders fell to 7-6-1 and there’s a good chance they’re going to have to watch the G-Men play during Wild Card Weekend from their sofas. Sorry, Ron, we’re not sorry about that.
5 takeaways from the NY Giants incredibly clutch win over the Commanders
The NY Giants were facing a must-win game vs. the Commanders on Sunday night and the guys on both sides of the ball got the job done.