Jameis Winston brought a little karaoke to a tense fourth quarter. Donte Whitner wanted him cleaning out his locker the next morning.

The Giants quarterback’s unusual attempt to draw Washington offside became a talking point after New York’s Thursday night loss. For Whitner, a three-time Pro Bowl safety, the routine was tough to stomach with a game still hanging in the balance.

Donte Whitner Questions Jameis Winston’s Priorities

Appearing on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Friday, Whitner delivered a personnel recommendation that probably would have made for an awkward conversation in the Giants’ facility.

“I’d cut Jameis Winston this morning,”Whitner said.

Then came his assessment of Winston’s motivation.

“He’s clearly just trying to go viral on social media,” Whitner said.

That was Whitner’s interpretation. Giants head coach John Harbaugh had a football explanation for sending Winston out there.

New York faced fourth-and-1 at its own 11-yard line while protecting a 21-17 lead late in the fourth quarter. A Washington defender jumping offside would have handed the Giants a fresh set of downs and a chance to keep draining the clock.

The Commanders stayed put. New York took a penalty and punted.

Whitner’s criticism went beyond disliking the performance. Drawing someone offside requires that defender to believe a snap could be coming. In his view, Winston’s delivery gave away the trick before Washington had any reason to bite.

That is a fair football question. Calling for Winston’s release over it is a considerably bigger leap, especially given what his coach said afterward.

John Harbaugh Explains the Giants’ Fourth-Down Gamble

Harbaughexplained the thinking behind Winston’s cadence after the game.

“It’s part of the cadence. … You know, teams do jump in those situations sometimes, so that was the idea,” Harbaugh said.

Winston had used the cadence in practice. The Giants were trying to steal five yards without snapping the football, and Washington showed the discipline to deny them.

Unfortunately for New York, that failed attempt became an easy clip to replay alongside a painful finish.

The Giants’ defense intercepted Jayden Daniels on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions. Both times, the offense followed with a three-and-out. Washington eventually cashed in when Daniels found Stefon Diggs for a 32-yard touchdown with 57 seconds remaining, producing a 24-21 win.

New York ranks No. 25 with a grade of 70.5 onPFN’s NFL Offense Impact metric. Thursday’s closing possessions supplied another example of how costly an offense’s inability to sustain drives can become.

The Giants had chances to put Washington away after their defense delivered takeaways. Getting one more first down would have done considerably more for them than winning any debate over Winston’s song selection.

Whitner clearly believed the moment demanded a different approach. Harbaugh was willing to try it, and the Commanders were prepared to sit through the performance.

Winston gave everyone a memorable clip. The Giants left MetLife Stadium needing answers for the possessions that followed.