New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders: 2021 Week 2 Recap

Game story

In Week 2 of the 2021 NFL season on 2021-09-16, the Washington Commanders took care of business against the New York Giants, pulling away with a 30–29 final that came down to the wire.

The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 22 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.

T. Heinicke (Washington Commanders) paced the passing game, with +0.67 total EPA, and +7.7% completion percentage over expected.

On the individual side, D. Jones (New York Giants) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +7.65 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.

The momentum swing (+44.5% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when Washington Commanders changed the game: (:00) 3-D.Hopkins 43 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way.

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.

1. 1 D. Jones · New York Giants · Passing · +7.65 total EPA · 43 snaps · +0.18 EPA/play
2. 2 D. Jones · New York Giants · Rushing · +6.34 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.91 EPA/play
3. 3 S. Shepard · New York Giants · Receiving · +5.70 total EPA · 10 snaps · +0.57 EPA/play
4. 4 J. McKissic · Washington Commanders · Rushing · +4.15 total EPA · 4 snaps · +1.04 EPA/play
5. 5 J. McKissic · Washington Commanders · Receiving · +3.13 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.52 EPA/play
6. 6 D. Slayton · New York Giants · Receiving · +2.69 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.45 EPA/play
7. 7 R. Seals-Jones · Washington Commanders · Receiving · +2.49 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.49 EPA/play
8. 8 K. Rudolph · New York Giants · Receiving · +2.29 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.14 EPA/play

Player of the game

FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

• New York Giants — D. Jones (Q1 52:39)
• Washington Commanders — T. McLaurin (T. Heinicke pass) (Q2 41:22)
• Washington Commanders — J. McKissic (Q2 30:23)
• New York Giants — D. Slayton (D. Jones pass) (Q3 19:48)
• Washington Commanders — R. Seals-Jones (T. Heinicke pass) (Q4 4:41)

Field goals

• New York Giants — G. Gano (Q2 34:12)
• New York Giants — G. Gano (Q3 24:12)
• Washington Commanders — D. Hopkins (Q3 16:35)
• New York Giants — G. Gano (Q4 13:39)
• Washington Commanders — D. Hopkins (Q4 8:50)
• New York Giants — G. Gano (Q4 4:55)
• New York Giants — G. Gano (Q4 2:05)
• Washington Commanders — D. Hopkins (Q4 0:00)

How it unfolded, quarter by quarter

A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.

The opening quarter: New York Giants won the period 7–0. New York Giants found the end zone from the WAS 6 (Q1 52:39) — (7:39) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 8-D.Jones up the middle for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New York Giants added 1 points from the WAS 15 (Q1 52:35) — 5-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon..

The second quarter: Washington Commanders won the period 14–3. Washington Commanders found the end zone from the NYG 11 (Q2 41:22) — (11:22) (Shotgun) 4-T.Heinicke pass short middle to 17-T.McLaurin for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Washington Commanders added 1 points from the NYG 15 (Q2 41:16) — 3-D.Hopkins extra point is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way.; New York Giants connected on a field goal from the WAS 5 (Q2 34:12) — (4:12) 5-G.Gano 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.; Washington Commanders found the end zone from the NYG 2 (Q2 30:23) — (:23) (Shotgun) 41-J.McKissic left tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Washington Commanders added 1 points from the NYG 15 (Q2 30:21) — 3-D.Hopkins extra point is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way..

The third quarter: New York Giants won the period 10–3. New York Giants connected on a field goal from the WAS 29 (Q3 24:12) — (9:12) 5-G.Gano 47 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.; New York Giants found the end zone from the WAS 33 (Q3 19:48) — (4:48) (Shotgun) 8-D.Jones pass deep left to 86-D.Slayton for 33 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New York Giants added 1 points from the WAS 15 (Q3 19:41) — 5-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.; Washington Commanders connected on a field goal from the NYG 31 (Q3 16:35) — (1:35) 3-D.Hopkins 49 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way..

The fourth quarter: Washington Commanders won the period 13–9. New York Giants connected on a field goal from the WAS 34 (Q4 13:39) — (13:39) 5-G.Gano 52 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.; Washington Commanders connected on a field goal from the NYG 19 (Q4 8:50) — (8:50) 3-D.Hopkins 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way.; New York Giants connected on a field goal from the WAS 37 (Q4 4:55) — (4:55) 5-G.Gano 55 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.; Washington Commanders found the end zone from the NYG 19 (Q4 4:41) — (4:41) (Shotgun) 4-T.Heinicke pass deep right to 83-R.Seals-Jones for 19 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Washington Commanders added 1 points from the NYG 15 (Q4 4:33) — 3-D.Hopkins extra point is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way.; New York Giants connected on a field goal from the WAS 17 (Q4 2:05) — (2:05) 5-G.Gano 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.; Washington Commanders connected on a field goal from the NYG 25 (Q4 0:00) — (:00) 3-D.Hopkins 43 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.

• Washington Commanders (Q4 0:00) — (:00) 3-D.Hopkins 43 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way. [WPA +44.5% · EPA +0.60]
• Washington Commanders (Q4 2:22) — (2:22) (Shotgun) 4-T.Heinicke pass short right intended for 17-T.McLaurin INTERCEPTED by 24-J.Bradberry at WAS 25. 24-J.Bradberry to WAS 20 for 5 yards (17-T.McLaurin). [WPA -40.2% · EPA -4.58]
• Washington Commanders (Q4 4:50) — (4:50) (Shotgun) 4-T.Heinicke pass deep right to 41-J.McKissic pushed ob at NYG 19 for 56 yards (29-X.McKinney). [WPA +19.8% · EPA +3.66]
• Washington Commanders (Q4 4:41) — (4:41) (Shotgun) 4-T.Heinicke pass deep right to 83-R.Seals-Jones for 19 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +15.3% · EPA +2.49]
• New York Giants (Q3 19:48) — (4:48) (Shotgun) 8-D.Jones pass deep left to 86-D.Slayton for 33 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +14.5% · EPA +3.79]

Impact plays

Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.

• Washington Commanders (Q4 2:22) — (2:22) (Shotgun) 4-T.Heinicke pass short right intended for 17-T.McLaurin INTERCEPTED by 24-J.Bradberry at WAS 25. 24-J.Bradberry to WAS 20 for 5 yards (17-T.McLaurin). [WPA -40.2% · EPA -4.58]
• New York Giants (Q3 19:48) — (4:48) (Shotgun) 8-D.Jones pass deep left to 86-D.Slayton for 33 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +14.5% · EPA +3.79]
• Washington Commanders (Q4 4:50) — (4:50) (Shotgun) 4-T.Heinicke pass deep right to 41-J.McKissic pushed ob at NYG 19 for 56 yards (29-X.McKinney). [WPA +19.8% · EPA +3.66]
• New York Giants (Q1 50:52) — (5:52) (Shotgun) 26-S.Barkley right end ran ob at WAS 35 for 41 yards (31-K.Curl). [WPA +6.9% · EPA +3.48]

Quarterback report card

T.Heinicke led all passers in efficiency for Washington Commanders, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

• T.Heinicke (Washington Commanders) · 51 dropbacks · 66.7% completion · +7.7% CPOE · +0.01 EPA/play · +0.67 total EPA
• D.Jones (New York Giants) · 43 dropbacks · 51.2% completion · +4.4% CPOE · +0.18 EPA/play · +7.65 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.

By the numbers

Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (New York Giants +0.17, Washington Commanders +0.12) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.

• New York Giants: 11 drives, +15.02 total EPA, 7 scoring drives
• Washington Commanders: 11 drives, +10.90 total EPA, 6 scoring drives

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.

• Washington Commanders leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
• One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
• D. Jones (New York Giants) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
• T. Heinicke (WAS) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
• D. Jones (NYG) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.

Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.

1. New York Giants TD (+6) — Q1 52:39 · WAS 6 · Score 6-0
   (7:39) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 8-D.Jones up the middle for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
2. New York Giants XP (+1) — Q1 52:35 · WAS 15 · Score 7-0
   5-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.
3. Washington Commanders TD (+6) — Q2 41:22 · NYG 11 · Score 7-6
   (11:22) (Shotgun) 4-T.Heinicke pass short middle to 17-T.McLaurin for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
4. Washington Commanders XP (+1) — Q2 41:16 · NYG 15 · Score 7-7
   3-D.Hopkins extra point is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way.
5. New York Giants FG (+3) — Q2 34:12 · WAS 5 · Score 10-7
   (4:12) 5-G.Gano 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.
6. Washington Commanders TD (+6) — Q2 30:23 · NYG 2 · Score 10-13
   (:23) (Shotgun) 41-J.McKissic left tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
7. Washington Commanders XP (+1) — Q2 30:21 · NYG 15 · Score 10-14
   3-D.Hopkins extra point is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way.
8. New York Giants FG (+3) — Q3 24:12 · WAS 29 · Score 13-14
   (9:12) 5-G.Gano 47 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.
9. New York Giants TD (+6) — Q3 19:48 · WAS 33 · Score 19-14
   (4:48) (Shotgun) 8-D.Jones pass deep left to 86-D.Slayton for 33 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
10. New York Giants XP (+1) — Q3 19:41 · WAS 15 · Score 20-14
    5-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.
11. Washington Commanders FG (+3) — Q3 16:35 · NYG 31 · Score 20-17
    (1:35) 3-D.Hopkins 49 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way.
12. New York Giants FG (+3) — Q4 13:39 · WAS 34 · Score 23-17
    (13:39) 5-G.Gano 52 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.
13. Washington Commanders FG (+3) — Q4 8:50 · NYG 19 · Score 23-20
    (8:50) 3-D.Hopkins 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way.
14. New York Giants FG (+3) — Q4 4:55 · WAS 37 · Score 26-20
    (4:55) 5-G.Gano 55 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.
15. Washington Commanders TD (+6) — Q4 4:41 · NYG 19 · Score 26-26
    (4:41) (Shotgun) 4-T.Heinicke pass deep right to 83-R.Seals-Jones for 19 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
16. Washington Commanders XP (+1) — Q4 4:33 · NYG 15 · Score 26-27
    3-D.Hopkins extra point is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way.
17. New York Giants FG (+3) — Q4 2:05 · WAS 17 · Score 29-27
    (2:05) 5-G.Gano 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-58-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.
18. Washington Commanders FG (+3) — Q4 0:00 · NYG 25 · Score 29-30
    (:00) 3-D.Hopkins 43 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-54-C.Cheeseman, Holder-5-T.Way.