EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for a touchdown, fellow rookie Jaylin Lane returned a punt 63 yards to the end zone and the Washington Commanders ended their season-derailing skid at eight games by beating the similarly woeful New York Giants 29-21 on Sunday.

The only NFL game this week with no playoff implications has a far bigger bearing on draft positioning. The Giants (2-12) lost their eighth in a row, moving a step closer to the top pick, a last-place finish in the NFC East and potentially front-office changes, with a coaching search already coming.

Jayden Daniels’ didn’t play Sunday after aggravating a left elbow injury, so it was Marcus Mariota who quarterbacked the Commanders to their first victory since Oct. 5.

Mariota connected with top receiver Terry McLaurin on a 51-yard catch-and-run TD early in the fourth quarter. That was one of only 10 passes Mariota completed on 19 attempts for 211 yards, with a fumble.

Giants QB Jaxson Dart had TD passes to Tyrone Tracy and Wan’Dale Robinson but also threw a costly interception and was incomplete on a fourth-and-goal attempt with 10 minutes left.

Tracy ran for the Giants’ first touchdown after falling behind 13-0, and his TD catch happened when they were down 22-7.

NEW YORK — You are invited to Hoops Cabaret New York, the world’s sexiest sports bar, to watch Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua going head-to-head in an exhibition boxing match from Miami on Friday night, December 19th. 

The fan-favorite Hoops Cabaret with multiple giant screens, numerous HD TVs, and its gigantic Mega-Tron Video Wall is the ideal place to watch this exciting match. Every seat has a clear view of all the action. 

Jake Paul will enter the ring to face two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joseph who is 28-4 with 24 KOs. Paul has a record of 12 wins and one loss, including seven knockouts.

Hoops Cabaret combines the fun of a sports bar with the excitement of a strip club. Hoops girl Jessica said, “The girls and I will be performing on stage and up close and personal for you all through the night. And the after-party will be awesome!” 

Hoops Cabaret for the ultimate fan experience. Check out the Hoops ‘VIP Man Cave,’ the VIP suites, and be sure to pop some bottles, and make it rain! The new exclusive ‘Trophy Room’ is available by reservation.

HOOPS Cabaret and Sports Bar

48 West 33rd Street, New York City

Court-side, Balcony, + VIP seating

Super VIP “Man Cave”

Next door to Rick’s Cabaret NYC

Pete Alonso has agreed to a five-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

The contract comes a year after Alonso, 30, struggled to secure a long-term deal on the free-agent market. With the move, the Orioles finally have their big-name free agent.

Alonso fits in well with the Orioles. Alonso immediately gives the team a middle-of-the-order power bat capable of posting big numbers regardless of the ballpark. That should work out well in Baltimore, where righties have had a tough time hitting home runs since the team altered the wall in left field.

After failing to land the mega-deal he desired last offseason, Alonso signed a two-year, $54 million pact to return to the New York Mets. That deal contained an opt-out  after the first year, allowing Alonso to test the free-agent waters again.