WATCH: Controversial ending in Commanders, Giants game, former NFL official calls out refs for no-call
The New York Giants defeated the Washington Commanders 20-12 on Sunday night, but the game ended in controversy. As Commanders receiver Curtis Samuel attempted to catch a touchdown pass in the waning minutes, he was clearly grabbed by Giants cornerback Darnay Holmes.
The contact was enough to raise questions for the Sunday Night Football crew, and NBC rules analyst and former referee Terry McAulay offered a strong take on what took place, saying it should have been pass interference.
“It’s clearly a foul, Chris,” McAulay said. “He grabs his arm. He plays through the back. It’s clearly before the ball gets there. This is defensive pass interference and it really should be called whether it’s the end of the game, beginning of the game, doesn’t matter. It’s always a foul and should’ve been called.”
Regardless of the call, the win over the Commanders was important for the Giants from a playoff perspective. As things currently stand, the Giants find themselves with the No. 6 seed in the NFC while the Commanders are in the No. 7 spot following the loss.
Dallas Cowboys clinch playoff spot with Giants win over Commanders
The Dallas Cowboys are playoff bound. Thanks to a 20-12 victory from the New York Giants over the Washington Commanders on Sunday evening, the Cowboys are have clinched a spot in the postseason for the second straight year.
Dallas could have clinched a playoff spot with a win against Jacksonville on Sunday, but lost to the Jaguars 40-34 in overtime. With that being the case, they needed a Giants win to punch their ticket.
New York did just that, as its defense came up big down the stretch Sunday night for several big stops. Most notably, Washington made its way down the to the Giants 5-yard line late in the fourth quarter before quarterback Taylor Heineke fumbled and New York recovered.
New York turned that stop into a field goal, which would end up being the final points scored in the game. Washington would get the ball back with just under two minutes remaining, but their drive stalled out at the New York 6-yard line as they turned the ball over on downs.
The Dallas Cowboys have not made back-to-back playoffs since 2006-2007. Even further, an NFC Championship game has not been made since 1995 — which is also the last Super Bowl won by Dallas.
Dallas fell to 10-4 on the season with the loss to Jacksonville on Saturday. With the playoff berth already clinched, they will look to finish out the rest of the season strong starting with a matchup against NFC East rival Philadelphia next Sunday.