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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 28: ESPN commentator Troy Aikman looks on before the game between the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on September 28, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Washington Commanders tied the New York Giants 27-27 on Sunday afternoon, moving to 1-3-1 on the season, while New York is now 3-1-1.
For the Commanders, however, it felt like a loss how the game ended.
With less than 20 seconds left and in clear field goal range, Washington had to kick the ball through the uprights to win the game.
Instead, the Commanders kept the offense on the field for another play in an attempt to get closer, despite no timeouts remaining. Quarterback Jayden Daniels ran a QB keeper and fell to the ground in bounds, allowing the clock to continue running.
Daniels then realized that Washington had no time left, and the offense tried to get back to the line of scrimmage. However, time ran out, resulting in a tie without a single attempt at a game-winning field goal.
Check this out:
Troy Aikman Sounds Off on Commanders Blunder
While appearing on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” pregame show before calling Monday night’s Bills-Rams game, NFL legend Troy Aikman discussed the Commanders’ mistake from the former quarterback’s perspective.
“I wish I knew. I’ve never been in that situation, but we’re all in situations where we want a mulligan, and that’s one,” Aikman said. “It’s incomprehensible how you can be in a position to win a game and then not give yourself a chance to kick. And I hate it. I hate it for everyone involved … but there’s no good communication.”
Aikman agreed with host Scott Van Pelt that Daniels should be aware of the situation, but he also acknowledged that today’s quarterbacks may not have been taught how to close out games.
“I just think there are a lot of quarterbacks [who] you come into the league, and they haven’t really learned how to close out a game and win,” he added.
Scott Van Pelt: “But at the end of the day, your quarterback has to know the situation, right?”
Troy Aikman: “I think a lot of quarterbacks come into the league, and they haven’t really learned how you close out a game and win.”
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 12, 2026
Daniels and Quinn are responsible
After the tie, both Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn took responsibility for how the game ended.
“We all gotta be better situationally. It starts with me,” Daniels said. “Everyone will say the same thing, but we just have to be better in the football situation.”
Quinn also admitted he shouldn’t have put his quarterback in that situation.
“It falls to me … at the end, I can make life easy there,” Quinn said. “We don’t need to gain more yards.”
Cole Sullivan Cole Sullivan is a sports journalist for Heavy.com covering the NFL, NBA, college football, and college basketball. A member of the United States Basketball Writers Association, he has written for FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, and Newsweek. Sullivan earned an Associate degree from Franklin Pierce University and a Bachelor’s degree from Lynn University, where she studied Communications and Media Studies with a focus in Sports Journalism. More about Cole Sullivan