Heroes, zeros and the full blitz from the Giants’ 29-21 loss to the Commanders on Sunday:
Hero
Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt carried 18 times for 96 yards and a 16-yard touchdown when the middle of the Giants defense opened like gates at an amusement park.
Zero
Younghoe Koo missed two field goals — neither was particularly close — going in the same direction after he struggled kicking during pregame warmups in that same direction.
Unsung hero
Mike Sainristil intercepted Jaxson Dart in the final seconds of the first half and returned the ball 55 yards.
The pick flipped the field from the Giants on the edge of field-goal range to a chip shot for the Commanders to take a 22-7 lead into the locker room.
Key stat
91: Punt return yards (including a 63-yard touchdown by Jaylin Lane) for the Commanders compared to 7 for the Giants, who played without a true returner because Gunner Olszewski didn’t clear the concussion protocol in time.
Quote
“Just another Sunday.”
— Brian Burns after the Giants lost their eight straight game, after setting a franchise record with 10 straight losses last season.
