Giants’ Winston Cadence Fails as Commanders Win 24-21

New York Giants coach John Harbaugh said he knew Jameis Winston would use a “Who Let the Dogs Out?” cadence to try to draw Washington offside, but the fourth-and-one tactic failed and the Giants lost 24-21 to the Commanders.

With New York protecting a 21-17 lead late in the fourth quarter, Winston took the field for a short-yardage play near the Giants’ own 11-yard line. Rather than snap the ball, he used the song-based hard count in an effort to prompt a Washington defender to jump early and give New York a first down.

The Commanders did not move. The play clock expired, giving the Giants a delay-of-game penalty and turning the fourth-and-one into fourth-and-five. New York punted, handing possession to Washington. The Commanders later scored the winning touchdown on a 32-yard pass from Jayden Daniels to Stefon Diggs with 57 seconds remaining.

Harbaugh said after the game that the cadence was planned. He explained that teams sometimes jump offside in such situations, which was the intended purpose. Winston also said the approach had been practiced with teammates. Asked about choosing the song, he said it “just had a nice ring to it.”

The unusual call drew criticism from some...