The New York Giants’ loss to the Washington Commanders made their path to an NFC East title far more complicated. Washington desperately needed this game on a short week, and the Giants gave it every opportunity to steal one with a string of self-inflicted mistakes.

The Giants had built a nice cushion in the division standings. With a lot of the season remaining, though, the Commanders still had a window to claw their way back into the race. That is exactly what transpired.

Now the race is much tighter than it should be.

The Giants shot themselves in the foot against Washington

This game was full of missed opportunities, and the Giants have no one to blame but themselves. Wide receiver Malik Nabers lost a silly fumble in the red zone, taking points off the board in a game that came down to the final possession.

Nabers wasn’t the only one who struggled to hold onto the football. New York suffered numerous drops on critical downs, specifically in spots where it needed to convert to keep drives alive. Those moments add up quickly in a close division game.

Then came the most painful part of this loss. Quarterback JJ McCarthy played a strong game, but it ended with an inexplicable interception. After everything he did to keep the offense moving, that throw was a brutal way for the night to end.

It’s easily the most frustrating game of the season for the Giants. This was the perfect chance for them to stack another easy win against one of the worst teams in the division. Instead, they let the Commanders hang around as long as they did, and the result ended up being what it was.

It couldn’t be clearer that the Giants beat themselves. Washington didn’t take this game from them so much as New York handed it over one mistake at a time.

A brutal stretch awaits New York

The timing of this loss makes it even more damaging. The Giants have a bunch of tough matchups coming up, and the margin for error that existed before this game is now much thinner.

New York still has to face the Jacksonville Jaguars, the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Detroit Lions. None of those games will be easy, and there are going to be spots where the Giants could end up slipping up again.

That’s why the loss to Washington stings so much. Teams with playoff aspirations need to bank wins against weaker division opponents to survive a difficult closing stretch. The Giants had that win within reach and let it slip away.

The good news is that the problems that cost them this game are fixable. Fumbles in the red zone and drops on critical downs are execution issues, not a lack of talent. Still, the Giants need to be more on point and a lot cleaner on offense if they want to avoid missing the playoffs.

Hopefully, this loss serves as a wake-up call for the Giants, because they can’t afford many more nights like this one with Jacksonville, San Francisco, Seattle, and Detroit still on the schedule.