New York Giants fans have probably never been happier about a tie in their lives. The Giants and Washington Commanders played to a 27-27 tie in overtime, with the game ending on Jayden Daniels opting to fall to the turf with seconds remaining with no timeouts left. It happened after a Cam Skattebo fumble and with the Commanders in field goal range. With that, the Giants are now 3-1-1 on the season and remain firmly in first place in the NFC East.
It's truly amazing that the Giants reached that point, considering the team looked downright awful in the first half, with the team trailing 12-3. Even early in the fourth quarter, the Giants trailed 27-13 in what looked like a surefire second loss of the season.
But that's all thanks to Jameis Winston, who stepped up his game when it mattered most.
Jameis Winston helps force overtime vs. Commanders with epic second half performance
In the first half, there had to be some serious debate about whther or not Winston should be benched at the start of the third quarter for J.J. McCarthy, who entered the game multiple times for running plays. Winston struggled to connect with receivers. It looked like he was running uphill in an effort to escape incoming defensive pressure. Oh, and said pressure forced him to panic and not notice open pass-catchers downfield.
Yet, Harbaugh stuck with Winston, and it paid off. Winston helped lead the Giants to touchdowns on each of their final three drives of the second half. In the end of the third quarter, Winston threw an interception in th red zone, but it was negated due to a pass interference penalty on Washington cornerback Amik Robertson. Three plays later, Winston connected with Likely for a three-yard touchdown. Winston threw for 46 yards on that drive.,
On the second drive, Winston completed six-of-eight pass attempts for 72 yards, culminating in a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely. On the second offensive drive, Winston
Then, on the final full drive for the Giants in the fourth quarter, Winston connected with wide receiver Malik Nabers for a 17-yard touchdown that effectively forced overtime. Winston completed seven-of-nine pass attempts for 69 yards.
Jameis Winston effectively kept J.J. McCarthy on the bench for Week 6
Let's be honest, we were fully prepared to write about why Winston needed to be benched based on the first two-and-a-half quarters. The Giants offense looked non-existent, and Winston wasn't doing himself any favors. Given that Harbaugh's goal is to win no matter the cost, it wouldn't have been shocking if he opted to go with McCarthy at quarterback, especially if the Giants lost decisively. Plus, it helped that McCarthy would be a bit better at evading pressure.
But as NFL fans all know, with the "Jameis Winston Experience," you experience the highs and lows. On Sunday, Winston saved his best for last. And perhaps most importantly, Winston didn't record a single turnover in the game. Overall, Winston threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns while completing 33-of-54 pass attempts. Additionally, Winston ran for 27 yards on five carries.
Considering how well the veteran played down the stretch, it's hard to envison Harbaugh moving away from him in favor of McCarthy. In Week 6, Winston should definitely start against the 1-4 New Orleans Saints in what could very well be a revenge game for him.
Giants fans have to prefer Winston play well consistently throughout a full game instead of in spurts. However, it's hard to argue against what he did in the second half, as he helped drag the Giants into overtime.
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