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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — J.J. McCarthy had more passing yards than any other game in his NFL career. It turned out to be three of his tries that didn't work at the end that kept him from sending fans to the exits happy in his first home start with the New York Giants.
McCarthy's pass was picked off with 34 seconds left by Washington's Rasul Douglas on a jump ball intended for Malik Nabers. He also was incomplete on his previous two throws when the Commanders blitzed and brought the pressure that got to the quarterback.
“It’s easy to second-guess the final two passes," McCarthy said after the 24-21 loss Thursday night. "The pressure was coming. It’s one-on-one outside. I wanted to give my playmaker a chance."
After Jayden Daniels bounced back from his first two interceptions of the season to lead a go-ahead scoring drive, the Giants got the ball back with less than a minute on the clock. McCarthy had his chance to author a signature performance in prime time.
It started strong, with a 21-yard completion to Malachi Fields. And then first-year Washington defensive coordinator Daronte Jones — who was with McCarthy in Minnesota working under guru Brian Flores — decided to go all out.
Incomplete passes to Fields and Darnell Mooney followed, and then the interception.
"Zero blitzes, and those are the routes getting run," coach John Harbaugh said.
It put a sour ending on what had been a strong game for McCarthy, who had a 66-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely among his 23 completions for 293 yards.
“I'm sure you could look at the tape and we’re going to be sitting there disappointed of what if, could have done this," McCarthy said. “Could’ve bought more time with a little more depth, but at the end of the day the thought process was give it to one of my guys and have him go make a play.”
Falling behind 10-7 and 17-14 also didn't help McCarthy and the Giants, whose hold on the NFC East is far more tenuous than it was going in.
“We have to get off to a faster start and we have to to continue to make plays," McCarthy said. “We didn’t make enough plays to win it.”
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