The Giants were two minutes away from total control of the NFC East, but the Commanders weren’t willing to let the season slip away from them on Thursday night.

Washington overcame back-to-back Jayden Daniels interceptions to take a late lead in East Rutherford, with Daniels finding Stefon Diggs for a go-ahead touchdown and Rasul Douglas snagging a game-ending interception of J.J. McCarthy.

Despite a number of encouraging signs for the Giants, including strong performances by McCarthy and Cam Skattebo, the fight for the division crown became more intense with the Commanders walking out of MetLife Stadium victorious.

Here’s what we learned from “Thursday Night Football” that highlights might not show you.

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5 things we learned from Giants vs. Commanders

Jayden Daniels’ confidence is rising

Daniels threw his first two interceptions of the season in the second half on Thursday. That’s not what Commanders fans want to see, but it is partly an encouraging sign.

Even with a massive brace on his non-throwing arm and a lack of weapons around him after Terry McLaurin’s injury, Daniels appears to be totally comfortable slinging the ball downfield. He didn’t let the two turnovers get in his head, didn’t play scared and ultimately won the game with a touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs.

After the game, Diggs said Daniels was “Kobe Bryant,” unflinching, in the huddle after the interceptions.

The lack of support around Daniels may cost the Commanders this season, but for the first time in quite a while, they look like they can hang around in any game because their quarterback is playing with the kind of confidence he had in 2024. 

J.J. McCarthy can win the NFC East for Giants

The game ended with an interception by McCarthy, but that doesn’t tell the full story. The pass was pretty well placed, and Malik Nabers might have some regrets about how he played it in hindsight.

The turnover aside, Thursday was a strong night for McCarthy. The former Vikings quarterback looked comfortable and confident in the pocket, and his touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely between defenders with pressure in his face might be the most impressive moment of his young career.

The Giants would love to fine-tune their offense after the loss, but McCarthy, with nearly 300 yards, played like a quarterback who can lead the team to an NFC East title.

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There is no loser in the Arvell Reese vs. Sonny Styles debate

By the numbers, it was hard to tell Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles apart on Thursday night. Both had 13 tackles, with one for Styles being a tackle for loss.

The more sound game overall belonged to Reese. After a three-sack performance last week, Reese impressed as an open-field tackler and played cleaner than Styles as he continues to make a case for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Styles, however, proved he can be a ridiculous playmaker. With a bull-rush of Devin Singletary and a tackle of McCarthy that quite literally saved the game for the Commanders by giving the ball back to the offense, the star potential for Styles is evident.

The highlights are going to say Styles had the better night, though there were some lowlights for the rookie linebacker, including poor placement on the touchdown by Likely. The reality is that both the Giants and Commanders should be satisfied with the players they drafted in April’s first round.

Cam Skattebo is still the NFL’s most unique personality

Cam Skattebo had a nice night in his return from a hamstring injury, racking up more than 100 scrimmage yards and scoring two touchdowns, but it was his personality that popped more than anything.

The second-year running back arrived to MetLife Stadium in a custom Giants-themed “Iron Man” helmet, and he later stared intently into an Amazon Prime Video camera for perhaps the most hilarious moment of the night.

In the first quarter, Skattebo threw up on the sideline but was quickly back smiling and laughing, the Prime Video broadcast reported. It’s not the first time that’s happened, as Skattebo vomited during Arizona State’s “College Football Playoff” game against Texas nearly two years ago and credited that moment with sparking a Sun Devils rally. Like Thursday, though, his team came up short that night.

There is only one Cam Skattebo, if it wasn’t already clear.

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The NFC East is a three-team race, for now

In the standings, the Giants, Cowboys and Commanders are not the same. New York still leads by more than a game at 5-3-1, and Washington is at a disadvantage sitting two games under .500.

On the field, these teams look more or less the same; they play differently from a stylistic perspective, but they are all capable of beating each other. To that point, the Commanders might be won boneheaded mistake away from being 2-0 against the Giants.

Not only are the Cowboys very much alive all of a sudden, but the Commanders have the tiebreaker over the Giants in their back pocket and some favorable games ahead of them. Washington hosts the Bengals next Monday night in what could be a daunting game, but that’s followed by the Cardinals, Titans, Texans and Falcons, all of whom are multiple games under .500.

If nine wins is enough in the NFC East, it might be too tall of a task for the Commanders. If eight wins is enough — and it might be — Washington has a chance.

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