What we learned from Week 13 of the 2022 NFL season: Recap, analysis and highlights
Andrew Mckinney Jon Feliciano was just trying to celebrate with Darius Slayton.
Instead, the brief moment of glee turned into another on a long list of moments the Giants wish they could have back from Sunday’s frustrating 20-20 tie with the Commanders.
With around six minutes remaining in regulation, Slayton made an 11-yard catch up the sideline for a first down. Already up a touchdown, the Giants were on the verge of sealing a pivotal victory over a divisional rival also in the playoff hunt. With a victory on track, Felciano headed over to his teammate. Then the Giants center flexed.
“Trying to celebrate with my teammate,” Feliciano said. “Didn’t look at anybody else. Looking straight at Slay.”
But with six Washington players in the foreground, the referees saw something different. Feliciano was called for a taunting penalty, costing the Giants 15 yards and resulting in a net of negative four yards on the play. Giants coach Brian Daboll was livid on the sidelines.
“He was obviously mad,” Feliciano said of Daboll. “He has the right to be. I’m mad, too.”
While Feliciano initially danced around questions about the validity of the call after the game, he later called out officiating, saying, “It sucks, especially when you’re playing two teams. I know that’ll probably get me fined, but there were plays after that, too.”
Three plays after Feliciano’s taunting call, the Giants punted.
“It was close,” Daboll said. “It was (near) all those players. So again, how the guy looks at it and interprets it, I don’t think he can hear what Jon is saying to Slayton. So, they ended up calling it, which was obviously — we shouldn’t even be in that situation. We get the ball there, it’s going to be a first down. We’re at the 35 (-yard line). Probably (would) make it a two-score game. Those are things we can’t even make it close.”
Yet, over and over again, the Giants did things Sunday to make it too close for comfort. And as a result, instead of heading into next weekend’s showdown against the 11-1 Eagles with a much-needed victory in hand, they left Sunday’s overtime affair with their first tie in 25 years.
