# Why J.J. McCarthy kept chucking ball downfield before game-sealing interception in Giants’ crushing loss

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/why-j-j-mccarthy-kept-chucking-ball-downfield-before-game-sealing-interception-in-giants-crushing-loss/
- Published: 2026-11-13T15:07:43+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T15:21:19+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Post (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://nypost.com/2026/11/13/sports/why-giants-j-j-mccarthy-kept-chucking-ball-before-game-sealing-interception/
- Topics: Football, Sport, World

## Key points

- McCarthy’s late interception sealed the Giants’ 24-21 defeat.
- The Giants needed only a field goal from Washington’s 48-yard line.
- McCarthy threw for a career-high 293 yards despite the loss.

## Summary

The Giants lost 24-21 at home to the Commanders on Thursday, with J.J. McCarthy’s interception in the final 25 seconds ending their comeback. The defeat also handed Washington the tiebreaker after the teams drew in Week 5, making McCarthy’s late decisions a focus of post-match criticism.

With 40 seconds left and New York at Washington’s 48-yard line, the Giants needed only a field goal, but McCarthy threw deep on his final two passes. He said he hoped his playmakers would make a play; former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho criticised him for repeating the approach after Washington had shown the same defensive look. McCarthy completed 23 of 36 passes for a career-high 293 yards and a touchdown, and coach John Harbaugh said he had played well. The Giants, 5-3-1, host the 6-2 Jaguars next Sunday.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.