Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera (left) shoes hands with New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll after the game at MetLife Stadium. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Commanders and Giants played not to lose, so that's what they got

By Ryan McCafferty | Last updated 12/4/22

For the first time since Week 1, the NFL had a game end in a tie, as the Commanders and Giants played to a 20-20 stalemate.

Commanders-Giants ends in a tie pic.twitter.com/CaZiLZrojD
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 4, 2022

Given some questionable strategy by both teams down the stretch, it was the outcome this game deserved.

The Giants possessed the ball at the end of regulation with enough time left to try to get to field goal range but decided to kneel and play for overtime. Then in overtime, the Commanders had a 4th and 9 from the Giants' 43-yard line, which would've meant about a 60-yard field goal attempt for Joey Slye.

But instead, they punted.

WSH decided to punt to NYG from the NYG 43 on 4th & 9 with 4:11 remaining in OT while tied 20 to 20.

With a Surrender Index of 81.22, this punt ranks at the 99.9th percentile of cowardly punts of the 2022 season, and the 99.7th percentile of all punts since 1999.
— Surrender Index 90 (@surrender_idx90) December 4, 2022

Then the Giants drove down the field themselves, only to have their own drive stall just past midfield. And they, too, punted.

NYG decided to punt to WSH from the WSH 45* on 4th & 3* with 1:42 remaining in OT while tied 20 to 20.

With a Surrender Index of 135.64, this punt ranks at the 99.9th percentile of cowardly punts of the 2022 season, and the 99.9th percentile of all punts since 1999.
— Surrender Index 90 (@surrender_idx90) December 4, 2022

This punt was even more questionable, considering the Giants took an intentional delay of game penalty to turn a 4th and 3 to a 4th and 8. They could have either gone for the first down or attempted the long field goal but chose neither.

New York then forced a Commanders punt before putting together one final drive, which resulted in a missed 58-yard field goal as time expired. Neither team won the game, because neither team played to win the game.

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