Chris Rodriguez barreled through defenders and was stopped just short of the goal line. Failing to score in the red zone was a familiar storyline for the Washington Commanders from their last matchup against the New York Giants in Week 2, only this time, in this particular instance, it wasn't so bad that they didn't score.

By the time Rodriguez was taken down at the Giants' 1-yard line, the Commanders had already done enough to keep the game in their control.

Perhaps there are some who look at Washington's 27-22 win over the now 2-7 Giants and wonder why the game was so close. Fans of the Burgundy & Gold would be quick to point out that such scores are usually the case with the Giants, and Washington doesn't always come out on top, particularly at MetLife Stadium. Six of the last eight matchups between the two teams have been decided by eight points or less, and as Washington's players and coaches pointed out all week, the Giants weren't lacking in talent at several positions.

It might not have been the prettiest of Washington's games, but it was a victory -- their first at MetLife since the 2021 season -- and it improved their record to 7-2 for the first time since 1996 and kept their hold atop the NFC East for at least another week.

Unlike last week against the Chicago Bears, when the Commanders vastly outgained their opponents in almost every facet, this week's reflected just how close the game was against their division foe. They still outgained the Giants but barely so with 358 total yards to the Giants' 326. They scored more in the red zone compared to Week 2, although New York's defense left them settling for field goals on two of their four second-half drives.

Daniel Jones, a persistent challenge for Washington throughout his career, proved difficult to bottle up once again with 228 total yards and three touchdowns, although the defense did have its moments against him. Dante Fowler Jr. wrapped up Jones for a 10-yard loss and forced a fumble that was recovered by Bobby Wagner on the Giants' second drive of the game.

That provided Jayden Daniels and the Commanders' offense with the jolt they needed, and the unit took off from there with three consecutive touchdown drives despite a hamstring injury sidelining Brian Robinson Jr. Before kickoff. Noah Brown drew a pass interference call at the Giants' 4-yard line, and Daniels capped things off with a one-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin -- his first of two on the day.

While the Giants came into Sunday's game struggling in multiple areas, their pass-rush was not one of them. The team led the NFL with 35 sacks, spearheaded by Dexter Lawrence and his nine quarterback takedowns. And the Giants did try to bring Daniels down, but they were met by a wall of white jerseys that had been bolstered by Brandon Coleman's return from a concussion.

Any defender that did get past Washington's offensive line was left either grasping at air or didn't get there in time because of how Daniels handled the ball. Daniels, who finished the day 15-of-22 for 209 passing yards, responded to Jones tying the score 7-7 with an 11-play, 70-yard drive. He opened things up with a nine-yard run and delivered a 16-yard strike to Brown two plays later. He scrambled to his right on fourth-and-1, which helped the Commanders remain perfect on fourth down conversions this season and set up a one-yard touchdown run by Austin Ekeler.

A quick three-and-out forced by the Commanders' defense gave the offense the ball back with more than five minutes in the first half. They used almost all of that time to get into the end zone on 12 plays, highlighted by a 34-yard dime from Daniels to Brown, another fourth-and-1 conversion and a 24-yard gain by Dyami Brown on third-and-18. Daniels finished off the drive with an 18-yard touchdown to McLaurin, giving the Commanders a 21-7 lead at halftime.

As Washington fans have come to expect from the Giants, the team made things interesting in the second half. They scored on all three of their drives, starting with a field goal in the third quarter. Jones then led the Giants on an 80-yard drive, converting two third downs and powering through two would-be Commanders tacklers to get in the end zone. They only needed four plays on their ensuing possession, as Theo Johnson broke free up the middle of Washington's defense for a 35-yard score.

But Washington did enough to prevent things from getting too hectic. Austin Seibert hit both of his 31- and 20-yard attempts, the latter making the score 27-16. Although Johnson's catch cut the lead to five points, Washington managed to milk the clock thanks to a 42-yard catch-and-run from Olamide Zaccheaus and five carries from Rodriguez. That forced the Giants to burn all three of their timeouts, and by the time Rodriguez came up short of the goal line, all Daniels needed to do was take a knee to secure the victory.