New York Giants and coach Brian Daboll are in a big hole after 0-2 start

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Coming off a poor season and playing with a young team, the New York Giants needed a lot of things to go right to turn things around in Brian Daboll’s third season.

So far they are heading the wrong way. The Minnesota Vikings outplayed them in a season-opening 28-6 loss and the Giants fell 21-18 to the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

The Giants have not made the playoffs after starting 0-2 since Tom Coughlin led New York to a championship in the 2007 season.

This is New York's ninth 0-2 start since 2013 and none has turned out well. The best of that bunch was a 7-9 finish in '13.

“So again, what really happened 10 years ago or last year, like I’ve always said, really has no bearing on anything this season,” Daboll said Monday. “I thought we made some improvements in a lot of areas. Need to continue to improve on the things that we’re not doing well at this time and focus on the Cleveland Browns.”

The Giants almost won, despite allowing Jayden Daniels and the Commanders to run up 425 yards and hold the ball for more than 37 minutes.

Giants kicker Graham Gano injured a hamstring on the opening kickoff and did not play the rest of the game.

Punter Jamie Gillan missed an extra point on the first touchdown and the offense failed on a couple of 2-point attempts.

Rookie Malik Nabers dropped a fourth down pass and Washington's Austin Seibert kicked a game-winning field goal on the final play.

Daboll actually has been through an 0-2 start and got a Super Bowl ring. He was an assistant under Bill Belichick in 2001 when the Patriots started 1-3 and won their first Super Bowl.

The offense rebounded after failing to score a touchdown in the loss to Vikings. Daniel Jones (16 of 28 for 178 yards) threw touchdown passes to Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson. Running back Devin Singletary carried 16 times for 95 yards and a touchdown. The offensive line, which gave up five sacks last week, allowed one.

The run defense has struggled, giving up an average of 163 yards in two games. The Commanders ran for 215 yards Sunday led by Brian Robinson, who gained 133 yards with an 7.8-yard average.

Inside linebacker Micah McFadden led the team with 13 tackles and rookie cornerback Dru Phillips added 12, including seven solo. Each had a sack.

Second-year receiver Jalin Hyatt. The third-round draft pick in 2023 got a lot of time in training camp with the first team, but he has not been targeted this season in limited time. The bulk of the first-team reps for the wide receivers has gone to Nabers and veteran Darius Slayton.

Gano, who entered the game with a groin injury, pulled his hamstring chasing Austin Ekeler on a kickoff return and is out for a couple of weeks. Practice squad kicker Jude McAtamney will compete against a few free agents for the job this week.

21-49. Nabers become the youngest player in NFL history with at least 10 receptions, 100 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in a game. His mark is 21 years and 49 days. Gern Nagler was 21 years and 251 days old on Nov. 1, 1953, when he did it for the Chicago Cardinals.

Travel to Cleveland to face the Browns, who are coming off a road win in Jacksonville.

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New York Giants running back Devin Singletary (26) celebrates his touchdown run against the Washington Commanders during the first half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) runs after a catch against the Washington Commanders during the first half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) looks to pass against the Washington Commanders during the first half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Washington Commanders place kicker Austin Seibert (3) kicks a field goal against the New York Giants' Dru Phillips (22) during the first half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) throws a pass against the Washington Commanders during the second half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson, right, runs into the end zone for a touchdown as Washington Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil, left, defends during the second half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) celebrates his touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the second half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) throws an incomplete pass past Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) on a two point conversion attempt during the first half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) reacts after missing a pass on fourth down against the Washington Commanders late in the second half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Taliban run-media have stopped showing images of living beings in some Afghan provinces to comply with morality laws, an official confirmed Tuesday.

In August, the country’s Vice and Virtue Ministry published laws regulating aspects of everyday life like public transportation, shaving, the media and celebrations reflecting authorities' interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

Article 17 bans the publication of images of living beings, sparking concerns about the consequences for Afghan media and press freedom.

A spokesman for the Vice and Virtue Ministry, Saif ul Islam Khyber, said government media in the provinces of Takhar, Maidan Wardak and Kandahar have been advised not to air or show images of anything with a soul — meaning people and animals.

Khyber told The Associated Press a day earlier that the ministry was responsible for implementing the morality laws.

He did not clarify if the rules affected all media, including foreign outlets, or only Afghan channels and websites.

Nor did he say how the laws would be enforced or if there was a deadline for compliance.

No other Muslim-majority country imposes similar restrictions, including Iran and Saudi Arabia. During their previous rule in the late 1990s, the Taliban banned most television, radio and newspapers altogether.

FILE - Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid speaks at his first news conference, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)

FILE - TV anchor Nesar Nabil wears a face mask to protest the Taliban's new order that female presenters cover their faces, as he reads the news on TOLOnews, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - TV anchor Nesar Nabil is seen on studio monitors wearing a face mask to protest the Taliban's new order that female presenters cover their faces, as he reads the news on TOLOnews, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)