EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. _ It couldn't stay perfect forever. Ben McAdoo suffered the first blemish of his tenure with the Giants in a 29-27 loss to the Washington Redskins at MetLife Stadium on Sunday as the team played a sloppy game that was the polar opposite of his "sound, smart and tough" mantra.
Eli Manning was intercepted by Su'a Cravens on a pass intended for Shane Vereen with 1:02 left in the game to end the Giants' last chance for victory, the final gaffe in a game filled with costly ones.
Dustin Hopkins kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:51 remaining to give Washington a 29-27 lead and set up the Giants' final possession. Washington's go-ahead drive should have been buried deep in Redskins territory when on second-and-14 Cousins threw an incompletion from his own 21, but Olivier Vernon was flagged for roughing the passer, giving Washington a first down and sparking the drive.
The Giants moved ahead 27-26 with 7:53 remaining in the game on a 30-yard field goal by Josh Brown. It came after a series of missed opportunities by the Giants that included an interception thrown by Manning in the end zone down the middle of the field on the previous drive and what appeared to be a blocked punt by Romeo Okwara that would have given the Giants the ball inside the Redskins' 15 were it not for a personal foul by rookie Andrew Adams on the gunner down the field. That penalty allowed Washington to replay the down and they punted it away cleanly.
Washington took a 26-24 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter with a 25-yard field goal. The drive was helped along by a fake punt and a 31-yard completion from punter Tress Way to Quinton Dunbar.
With the Giants leading 21-16 at halftime Washington took their first lead of the game with a 55-yard touchdown pass on a third-and-15 screen pass from Cousins to Jamison Crowder. The Giants regained the lead with a 29-yard field goal after a fade pass in the corner of the end zone to 5-foot-8 running back Bobby Rainey was nearly intercepted.
The Giants appeared to be in control of the game early. After a three-and-out on its first possession Washington muffed the punt and it was recovered by Dwayne Harris. Shane Vereen capped the extended drive with a 1-yard touchdown run after a 12-yard pass from Manning to Sterling Shepard.
Washington answered with a field goal and then Shepard put the Giants ahead 14-3 with a 23-yard touchdown reception. Two more Washington field goals made it 14-9 before Orleans Darkwa scored on a 2-yard run to push the Giants ahead 21-9. Washington scored its first touchdown of the game on a 44-yard pass from Cousins to DeSean Jackson with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in coverage and nearly took the lead before halftime when they drove to the Giants' 4, but Jason Pierre-Paul sacked Cousins as time expired.
