AT A GLANCE

The New York Giants opened the 2025 season with a 21-6 road loss to the Washington Commanders. They start 0-1 for the third consecutive year.

UP NEXT

The Giants stay on the road with another NFC East matchup against the Cowboys, who lost to the Eagles 24-20 on Thursday night.

WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE OFFENSE

Quarterback Russell Wilson made the 200th regular-season start of his career, his first with the Giants. Rookie Jaxson Dart, the 25^th overall pick, served as Wilson's primary backup. Veteran Jameis Wilson was designated as the emergency third quarterback for Sunday.

In his Giants debut, Wilson completed 17 of 27 passes for 168 yards. He was sacked twice and hit eight times. The 14-year veteran showed he still has the legs with 33 yards on five carries, including a 15-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Giants running backs accounted for just 30 yards on 15 carries.

Overall, the Giants converted just four of 16 third downs while averaging 3.7 yards per play.

Left tackle Andrew Thomas was inactive after being the lone Giants player with a game status designation on the final injury report. He was listed as doubtful as he comes back from a 2024 season-ending foot injury. Thomas took team reps for the first time on Friday but said afterwards the biggest concern is the risk of re-injury as he works through managing the pain. He was limited on Wednesday and Friday and had a planned day off Thursday.

Veteran James Hudson III was signed this offseason to be a swing tackle and played in place of Thomas, just as he did throughout the entire offseason and into the preseason. The other four starters on the offensive line remained the same with left guard Jon Runyan, center John Michael Schmitz, right guard Greg Van Roten and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.

Wide receiver Malik Nabers appeared on Friday's injury report with back tightness but was cleared for the game. He hauled in five passes (on 12 targets) for 71 yards.

The Giants' first scoring drive of the season spanned 16 plays, 76 yards and more than eight minutes – but resulted in only a short field goal. Faced with a fourth-and-goal at the end of the first quarter, Brian Daboll kept the offense on the field after the break. Wilson was unable to find Nabers, but Commanders defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. was called for illegal use of hands. The penalty set up a first-and-goal from one yard out, but they were unsuccessful on three more plays at the goal line.

WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE DEFENSE

In a competition with Deonte Banks that has carried into the regular season, Cor'Dale Flott started opposite Paulson Adebo at cornerback. Flott almost grabbed an interception on the sideline on the Commanders' first drive, which ended with a punt.

Inside linebacker Micah McFadden (leg/foot) was carted off the field in the first quarter and was replaced by Darius Muasau, who played in 15 games with seven starts as a rookie last season.

The first sack of the season went to Brian Burns in the second quarter for a loss of six yards on 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels. The second sack of the season went to … Burns again four plays later. However, the drive resulted in a Jacory Croskey-Merritt touchdown run to give the Commanders a 14-3 lead, which they took into halftime. Washington could have added to it, but Daniels was called for intentional grounding from inside the Giants' five-yard line, resulting in 10-second runoff to end the second quarter.

Outside linebacker Abdul Carter, the third overall pick, got on the board with a half-sack in the first half after Thibodeaux got the initial pressure.

The Giants allowed 87 rushing yards on 6.2 yards per carry in the first half. For the game, Washington totaled 220 yards on 32 carries (6.9-yard average).

WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT SPECIAL TEAMS

Jamie Gillan, not Graham Gano, handled the opening kickoff. New this season, the dead ball spot of a touchback if the ball lands in the end zone and is downed in the end zone by the receiving team is now the 35-yard line (was the 30 in 2024). The "dynamic kickoff" is designed to promote more returns and resemble a play from scrimmage, with players lining up closer together. Gano then took over kickoff duties.

Carter was inches away from blocking a punt in the second quarter and then got his hand on another in the second half. The partial tip led to a 31-yard punt by two-time Pro Bowler Tress Way.

Gano made it a one-possession game on a 55-yard field goal with 1:43 left in the third quarter. Gano has now made 26 field goals of 50 yards or more as a Giant. The next closest is Joe Danelo (1976-1982) with nine.

IN-GAME INJURY REPORT

NYG: LB Micah McFadden (leg/foot)

WAS: None

INACTIVES

NYG: OT Andrew Thomas (foot), S Beau Brade, OL Evan Neal, TE Thomas Fidone II, DL Darius Alexander, QB Jameis Winston (emergency 3rd QB)

WAS: RB Chris Rodriguez, ILB Ale Kaho, MLB Kain Medrano, OT Trenton Scott, OT George Fant, DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste, QB Josh Johnson (emergency 3rd QB)

SATURDAY ROSTER MOVES

NYG: DL Elijah Garcia (activated from practice squad)

WAS: C Michael Deiter (activated from practice squad), WR Chris Moore (activated from practice squad)