The Washington Commanders' fortunes were teetering heading into their Week 5 divisional clash with the New York Giants. Head coach Dan Quinn was feeling the heat, so nothing but a win would do.
Unfortunately, an explicable second-half collapse and an inexcusable final play in overtime resulted in a tie.
Northwest Stadium was soaked with heavy rain and wind. Things were thankfully worse in the morning and subsided somewhat as the contest wore on, but it was the same for both teams. The Commanders needed to dig deep, but having quarterback Jayden Daniels under center provided some positivity amid the near-constant chaos.
The Giants were not coming just to make up the numbers. They were 3-1 and topping the NFC East, and even though head coach John Harbaugh's squad is missing starting quarterback Jaxson Dart and edge rusher Brian Burns, they are finding ways to win.
And that matters.
It wasn't just Daniels who returned. Right guard Sam Cosmi was also in the lineup, as was wide receiver Terry McLaurin. He was on a snap count after getting late clearance following a hamstring issue, but that meant three important offensive cornerstones were suiting up for a must-win game.
As ot turned out, it was a tie, changing nothing for the Commanders. And they shot themselves in the foot constantly after having a 14-point lead at one stage.
With that in mind, here are 11 instant reactions from Washington's latest divisional game at Northwest Stadium.
Instant reactions from the Washington Commanders' tie against the Giants
Chig Okonkwo's good day
The Commanders haven't gotten much from tight end Chig Okonkwo over his first two games. He's missed two due to injury, but Washington needed more, especially without four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs to lean on.
Okonkwo was confident his numbers would improve, and he was right. This was the Maryland product's best game since joining the Commanders, bringing in all four of his targets for 64 receiving yards.
This was the player Washington thought it was getting. Okonkwo looked sharp and was explosive after the catch. David Blough schemed him open well, so this is the bar he's now set for himself moving forward.
More penalty frustration
Penalties are self-inflicted wounds the Commanders can't get rid of. It's an ongoing frustration, and it reared its ugly head once again against the Giants.
These are procedural issues. Most of the big problems are coming pre-snap, and the Commanders were flagged for two straight infringements in the second quarter when they were within touching distance of the end zone.
It's unacceptable. The Commanders have enough to worry about without discipline becoming a problem, but here we are. They have to clean this up moving forward, because the margins are getting a lot finer between success and failure.
Rasul Douglas continues to excel
The Commanders' decision to sign veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas is looking like a tremendous piece of business. His physicality and assured positional sense have been a breath of fresh air, and now that Washington is giving him more involvement in the starting rotation, he's taking his game to new heights.
Quinn has been thrilled with Douglas' contribution so far, and this was another eye-catching display with plenty of positives. The Virginia Tech product is sticky in coverage, is making his tackles count, and is even being utilized effectively on blitz packages.
There was a frustrating third-down penalty in the second quarter. But aside from that, Douglas had another solid outing.
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