The Final 5: November 12, 2026

First two of the season, but he got the job done and that's all that matters. Thank you for joining us. We will be right back right here on Fox 5. Taking a live look from our Fox 5 Skycam out at National Harbor where Sydney and all those fans are celebrating a huge Commanders victory. Welcome back to Fox 5's Washington Commanders postgame show. Listen, the only number that matters is the final score, but we still have to talk. Some of the stats and here to break down tonight's game, pro football player and vice president of the D.C. Divas, Lois Cook. Thanks so much for hanging out with us late night here on Fox 5. Yeah, I don't know if we need a postgame show. We need to go get our blood pressure checked. Yeah, no question about it. My heart was racing there at the end because it seemed like and we've seen this before from both of these teams that both were trying to find a way to lose. That's what it felt like. I mean, we saw the commanders working it down the field, and then something will happen, and it's like, why did we do that? Why did we do that? But they got the job done. Thank you so much, Glenn. What more could we ask for? Well, that's exactly it. 24-21 the final score, but at the same time, some majorly costly turnovers for both teams there in the final minutes. Let's go through some of the numbers right now. You see the stats right there. Pretty evenly matched. Throughout the course of the game, total yards, Washington 340, New York 399. So the Giants did have the better numbers. The Giants outgained the Commanders, 399 to 340, but Washington won on these situational plays. They won in the red zone. They won on third down conversion. By the way, Washington ranked 31. They were 31% in their third down conversions last in the NFL before this game. This game, they bumped it up to 50%. That's an offense who wants to sustain. You know, I thought this game, because of the weather situation that we had leading into it, if you saw Chad Ricardo outside of the stadium before the game getting absolutely rained on, it was chilly up there. I thought for sure this would come down to special teams, and I thought it would be a run game. But we actually saw a lot of action. In the air, 235 yards passing for Washington, 283 for New York. Was that a surprise? A little surprising to me. I mean, like you said, with the rain outside. But they were able to make something happen. And what does Jaden Daniels do best? He's able to look downfield. He's able to check. Stephon Diggs is able to make some big clutch plays. I did want to see a little bit more of the rushing. Thank you so much for watching. We can't complain about that. Yeah, I'm a big fan of the first down conversions there. 20 for Washington, 21 for New York, because that was one of the areas that they had gotten themselves in trouble before. Let's take a look at the standings now. The Giants, they stay at 5-3-1. The Cowboys in second place, 4-5, excuse me, 4-5. The Commanders improve to 3-5-1. So they are in striking distance of the Cowboys right now. The Cowboys taking on the Titans. This coming Sunday. So this was a must-win game if they wanted to keep their playoff hopes alive. Do you like what you're seeing right now? I do like what I'm seeing. And it's especially important to look between the lines and look at what the Giants have ahead of them, what the Cowboys have ahead of them, and also what the Commanders have. The strength of schedule is very important. The Giants have come off of a very... moderate schedule and they're going to face a lot of tough opponents coming ahead. The 49ers, the Seahawks, the Lions, and that's going to give them a little bit of trouble to stay in that top ranking. The Cowboys are also going to see their fair share. The Commanders are going to have a little bit of an easier road than what they've had before. So let's turn this one win today into a winning streak and then we'll see those numbers improve even more. Yeah, those first five games for the Commanders were tough. The big thing now is whether they can keep the momentum going They have a long time off, 11 days till their next game, a primetime matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals on the next Monday night. So we're going to talk much more, Commanders. We're going to check in with Chad Ricardo up in East Rutherford. Coming up next, you are watching Fox 5's postgame show, Commanders' postgame show on what was going to be a victory Friday in just a matter of minutes. Welcome back to the Fox 5 Commanders postgame. It was a must-win game, and the Commanders got the job done defeating the New York Giants 24-21 on the road in primetime in some rough weather conditions. Chad Ricardo also in some rough weather conditions earlier tonight. He joins us now live from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. Chad, a lot of it's you found the Commanders fans finally, and they have a reason to celebrate. You know what, Chris? All night long, I was looking for the Washington Commanders fans, and guess what? We found conditions to come out here and get a victory. I want to ask you first, Kimberly. This team on the road, they said that this was a must win. They went out and got it done. How are we feeling? I am pumped. We were worried. I think they'll pull it together, and we did. Let me tell you, this fan base showed up. The Giants counted us out. Dubs in the chat, baby. We got it. When we take a look at this, I want to speak about that young man that they call JD5 because Jaden Daniels faced adversity through not one, but his first two interceptions of the season, pulled it together, came down in the end, and fought through to get this team a victory. He did a very good job. He did, right? But there's one thing. You dig, it's called you digs. You dig. Stephon digs. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Stephon digs. He said Stephon Diggs came up with the game-winning touchdown. Yeah. B-Z. Yes. Stephon Diggs, and so now we happen to have Stephon in here. Ms. Stephanie, your son, the game's on the line, the season on the line, DMV native. When your son caught that ball, what feelings, what emotions did you feel? We all we need, we all we got. Most exciting game we had this year, it was a team effort, J.D. Fowler. My number three, that's him! Guys, one thing that the New York Giants fans have not heard is Washington Commanders fans sing Hail. Can we sing Hail before we get out of here? You got to let me count, brother. Let me count. Here we go. Two, three, Hail! Chris, back to you. And they did fight for old D.C., Chad, fighting all the way to the final seconds, which is one area this team had struggled in the past. We're going to take another quick break. When we come back, we're talking to former Washington football player Anthony Armstrong. We'll be right back. Welcome back to Fox 5's. Commander's postgame show on this Thursday evening on what is a victory Thursday after the Commanders pulled out the 24-21 win over the NFC East leading New York Giants. We want to get some more insight into tonight's game. So joining me now live, former Washington receiver Anthony Armstrong. Anthony, thanks so much for staying up late with us tonight. Man, you know I'm way past my bedtime, but I'm feeling good. I'm falling into bed, just like Stephon Diggs fell in the end zone. Tonight, I will enjoy this victory for sure. Yeah, no question about it. And so I want to start off, because you are a wide receiver, because this game came down to a final touchdown pass to Stephon Diggs. But we have to go back to that flag, because the Commanders got some help on what was the final few drives of the game. Did you agree with that call? Was that pass interference? Absolutely, it's pass interference. What are you talking about? Anytime you throw the ball up to a receiver, especially when we're in 13, it's pass interference on the defense. I mean, it was a great one, number one, just giving your guy a chance, put the ball up there. Traylon did a great job of drawing the flag. And you probably know that Deontay Banks is a guy that's going to be aggressive with his hands, and you were able to get that. Get that play to happen in your in your benefit. So, hey, big part of it. But, you know, you don't apologize. You just go ahead and execute the play that it goes. And they were able to do that on the next couple of plays. Yeah. And I mean, this game in those final few minutes, back and forth, back and forth. We saw the penalties. We saw the turnovers. No one really knew what was going to happen. It was a nail biter for sure. I want to talk about Jaden. Jayden Daniels, though, J.D. Five, because while all of the fans' hearts were racing, while everyone's blood pressure was through the roof, he seemed as calm and cool and collected as a quarterback can be. What do you attribute that to? Because he came into this game two hundred and seven passes without an interception, then throws two in a row, two picks in a row that could have cost this team the game. But he did not let it get him down. Man, you heard Stephon Diggs postgame. He said it's like that Kobe Bryant mentality where you just don't let any moment be too big for you. You just lock back in and focus. And frankly, anybody that's playing on Thursday night, Sunday night, They dream of these moments. They dream of being the guy that's on the field with a couple minutes left in the game where you're going to have that game winning drive, that game winning throw, that catch, that block or run. They dream for those moments, and the best are the ones that step up to it. So this is what we've seen from Jaden Daniels a couple seasons ago, 2024. He stepped up in these moments, and you have to have the faith that when you have J.D. Five under center with 90 seconds left, he's going to make something happen, and he did it tonight. Coach Quinn has said for weeks that this team needs to bring it all together. They need to play four full quarters of football because we've seen them get out hot and then fall apart in the second half. We've seen them start slow and then finish strong. Tonight, did you see them finally bring it all together? Oh, I think, I think so, you know, and I think you even saw some smart plays and special teams and I was on with Locked On and with David Harris and Nick Ashu. And we were talking about some. Odd calls we had for this game, and Luke McCaffrey's name came up, and it wasn't him having that penalty where he catches the ball out of bounds and drawing the penalty, but it was him maybe potentially making a kick to the house, but I think this team did play a complete game. You don't expect to have all 70 plays be pluses. Frankly, it's going to probably be an even amount where it's pluses and minuses, but when you have those. Key moments, that's where it matters. It comes down to about a handful of plays. And I remember doing all those meetings where their coaches show you five or six plays that determine the game. And on this Thursday night, more of those plays came in the Commanders' way. That's why they walked away with this victory. So now we are going from a Thursday night all the way to a Monday night, sort of like a mini bye. They've got 11 days between games. How do they keep this momentum going? Man, you know, you get to go back and look at a win for once, and it feels good to have that win under your belt, but you still have to continue to be critical and chase improvement. There's ways to improve, obviously, the two interceptions. What happened there? How can you improve your routes on that from Chiggy Conquo? How can you improve your throws or your reads from Jayden Daniels? Hell, how can you improve the play calling from the offensive coordinator? You got a little bit more time. Heal your body up, but also don't be afraid to get in there and sharpen your tool and be ready for the Bengals that are coming in because you have a dangerous offense. Jamar Chase, T. Higgins, Joe Burrow, you know what they have. So it's going to be a challenge for Derontae Jones in this defense. But Jayden Daniels and his offense, they have to, have to be able to match whatever the Bengals put up there. Former Washington receiver Anthony Armstrong, thanks so much for joining us. Go fall into that bed, Stefon Diggs style. You have earned it. I am out of here, man. Y'all be good. We'll see you next time. All right, we want to go straight back out to East Rutherford. Chad Ricardo hanging out with fans. Well, some of the fans have abandoned him, but that's okay. He's outside of MetLife Stadium celebrating a victory. We still got more fans, Chris, but before we speak more to the fans, I just want to give more kudos to one Jaden Daniels today, give more acknowledgement to him. You look at what the season has been like for J.D. Five, not only this season dealing with the injuries, dealing with the losses, but also last season as well. You look at the way that he's played. Tonight he finishes 23 for 33, goes over 250 yards. The key, though. Throwing two interceptions, but finding a way to bounce back from both of them, to take control, to take command, as many Commanders fans would say, in that fourth quarter, in that last drive, connecting with Stefon Diggs, ultimately to be that game-winning touchdown. All Commanders fans, everyone, the talk of the DMV was knowing that this was a game that this team had to win, or else not only would their season, for all extents, be over, But also, it could potentially... Potentially be the end of the Dan Quinn era here in Washington, D.C. This team, this organization loves Dan Quinn. And tonight, to the point that you all just made, Chris, this team fought for Quinn. They fought for themselves. They played four quarters. And in the end, they went out and got that victory here at MetLife Stadium. So now, not only the players, but we know that these Washington Commanders fans truly came out, traveled all the way up here to watch their team do the service. You're here looking in that fourth quarter. It looked like it was going to be another heartbreak hotel situation for this squad. They pulled it out. Take me through the range of emotions for a fan. I was on my way out the door. I was on my way out the door. But when I got down to the bottom, my wife stopped me. She said, Corey, you got to stay. So we stayed. We watched it. And they was able to bring it home. They was able to get the victory. You know what I mean? So. You know, it's just been an up and down season, but for us to get this win at this particular time, I think it's a great feeling, and I know it's great for the team, it's definitely great for the fans, and I hope we can just build off of this and keep going and have a strong end to the season, you know, rest of the season. Now, Corey, your name is Corey, yeah? Yes, Corey. So, Corey, now me and you, I'm taking a guess here, but I think you and I, we were both born in the 1900s. We were men that were born in the 1900s. Jayden Daniels, still in his 20s. If you recall your 20s, I recall mine. When negative things happen, it can be difficult to bounce back. What does it say about not only his legs, not only his arm, but his strength of character, That fortitude to be able to bounce back after throwing. two fourth quarter interceptions. Yeah, and I think Jaden hadn't thrown any interceptions until tonight. Not all year. And for him to have the 4-2 and be able to, you know. Keep his concentration and get back and complete and finish that game the way he did. I don't think I could have did that in my 20s. I don't know a lot of people that could have did that in their 20s. He's a special talent, and I'm hoping he's going to be here for a long, long time to come. And then that defense as well, because the offense did their job, but the defense truly, because on two drives, the Giants could have gone and put this game away, but the defense stepped up. Sonny Styles played an outstanding game tonight. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sonny Styles, Alvin. He's here for a long time, too, because like I said, I mean, the defense has been getting better week by week by week by week. The offense, you know, I mean, you know, it's been up and down with them. But the defense, I think I've seen progression in them and, you know, they're getting better. So they need to pat themselves on the back as well. That's right, and congratulations to you, Corey, for staying around to see the ending. Now, Kimberly, I want to bring you in, and Sean, I want to bring you in here as well. We want to push this story forward now because, again, yes, the Commanders win this game. They're able to get to 3-5-1 on the season. Now moving forward, this team. This was a season-saving victory. Is it a short save, or does this team have the potential? I definitely think it's a short save, but very good stuff that happened. We saw a lot of Jayden Daniels getting mobile. We saw Austin Eckler getting the ball. So we saw a lot more people moving things going forward that's going to push it going past this short little stop. Kimberly, I have made the proclamation over and over again this season that despite the Commanders record, I did not feel as though they were as bad as what their record said that they were. Now, with this victory, they have a chance to truly make something happen. Absolutely. I think this team, we don't call ourselves the cardiac commanders for nothing. We're going to get your blood pressure up. Your voice might be gone. But at the end of the day, when it comes down to the fourth quarter, we show up, not just on the field, but with the fans in the stands. Our record is not everything. When we showed up tonight, I called it. He'll tell you. I said, it's going to be an interception. We're going to get the ball back. We're going to win this game, and that's exactly what we did. I'm riding with this team. I'm ready for the next one. Here we go. Like, this is it for us. We needed this win. We got the win. Surrounded by Giants fans who had a lot to say. It got real quiet. But they got it done. They got it done. Commanders fans, raise hell. As Washington knocks off the Giants here at MetLife Stadium. Chris, back to you. Chad Ricardo got the job done as well. Great coverage as always, and get home safe. And I don't know if you heard, but Jaden Daniels, when he gets back to Ashburn, he will stay there looking at tape until maybe 5 in the morning. A lot of Commanders fans going to be sleeping soundly tonight. Thank you for joining us here on the Commanders Postgame Show. You've been watching Fox 5. Have a great night.