The New York Giants get the rematch they’ve been waiting for in Week 9, when they get to host the Washington Commanders. Last time they played against each other, the Giants kept the Commanders out of the end zone, scored three touchdowns, and still managed to lose the game in brutal fashion.
Unfortunately for the Giants, the Commanders have truly ascended to one of the top teams in the NFL, so getting a win will not come easy. Can they pull it off? These are the keys to this NFC East matchup.
New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders Matchup History
The two division rivals have met a total of 185 times, with the Giants leading the series 108-72-5, including each getting a playoff win against the other. Over the past five years, the Giants lead the series 8-2-1, including the aforementioned historic loss this season in Week 2.
Key Players For The Giants
Whenever we mention key players for the Giants, we have to start with Malik Nabers. He’s the best player on the offense and gives this team a capability they haven’t had in years. When these teams faced each other in Week 2, Nabers commanded a 67 percent target share and went 10-127-1. It’s safe to say this team will rely on him early and often.
Wan’Dale Robinson is quietly a key part of this offense. Robinson has the third-most targets in the entire NFL, and is only behind Nabers by one target. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been doing that much with the targets. He’s got a -25.5 EPA on all his targets this year, so there’s more to be desired from this wide receiver on the field.
Darius Slayton is also a valuable part of this team. Slayton has been a key receiver for Jones, and both Slayton and Robinson will be utilized in this game to spread the ball around.
Finding a steal in a later round of the draft is crucial for teams to compete, and it looks like that’s what the Giants found in fifth-round rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. Tracy racked up 145 yards on 20 carries against a top-3 rushing defense in Week 8, and has gone over 100 yards twice since getting the start in Week 5.
Devin Singletary has been relegated to the role of backup running back, but he did have a good game against the Commanders in Week 2, racking up 95 yards and a touchdown. Singletary can be utilized in this game as well. Getting the run game going will be key for a team with an inconsistent QB who’s prone to mistakes.
For Daniel Jones, facing the Commanders has historically been a rare bright spot for him. His overall record against their division rival is 5-2-1. The team competed well against them in Week 2, even though they lost the game. Still, the Commanders have been playing better each week, so we’ll see if that still holds up. Jones will need to play at his best if he’s to beat them this week.
The Giants defense leads the league in sacks, being able to sack the opposing QB on 13.3 percent of their plays this year. That ranks first for any team since the 2000 season. New York has not been a pushover, even though they have a bad record. If the Giants have any shot at winning, New York needs to get some sacks against a quarterback that has been evasive and able to extend plays with his legs. Dexter Lawrence, Azeez Ojulari, and others on the defensive line will need to apply pressure like they have been to keep the Commanders out of rhythm.
Last time, the Giants were able to keep the Commanders out of the end zone. They will need to do that again if they want to win. Minus that last hail mary, the Commanders were kept out of the end zone for the game against the Bears, so at least there’s a shot.
Key Players For The Commanders
We can’t start this list without mentioning their superstar quarterback in the making, Jayden Daniels. Daniels has been electric to start the season, highlighted by his hail mary touchdown pass for the win in Week 8. He’s on pace for 3,960 passing yards, 905 rushing yards, and 25 total touchdowns. There’s no player on the Commanders more key than him in this game.
Daniels has been relying heavily on Terry McLaurin in the passing game, and it looks like the two have great chemistry so far. McLaurin is averaging 72 yards a game and always has the chance to hit a big play. McLaurin will be a key player for the Commanders passing game and key for their chance to win the ballgame.
Along with their passing game, they have an effective running game led by Brian Robinson Jr. with Austin Ekeler as his backup. Robinson had 133 rushing yards against the Giants back in Week 2 and will be a key player in this matchup on Sunday. On top of that, Ekeler has been having a good year as his backup averaging 6.2 yards per carry.
* Editors Note: Brian Robinson Jr. has been declared OUT for this matchup*
Another player that’s regained relevance on this team as an aging veteran is Zach Ertz. Ertz isn’t the player he used to be on the Eagles in his prime, but he’s been a reliable short field target and useful safety valve when the first read isn’t available. The Giants will need to keep their eye on him along with all the other weapons this team has.
Entering the season, the Commanders defense was viewed as subpar, and early in the season that seemed to be true. However, with every week they’ve been playing better, with their passing defense now in the top-10 in yards allowed per game. If they can shut down Nabers, Slayton, and Robinson, they have a good shot at winning the game.
The defense’s weakness remains the running game, and they will have to worry about Tracy, Singletary, and even Jones on the ground. However, if they can keep them out of the end zone, then they can rely on their strong passing defense to win the game.
Keys to a Giants Victory
Just like in Week 2, the Giants need to get the ball to Nabers as often as possible. In that game, Nabers got 67 percent of the targets and it worked to move the offense. He doesn’t need to hit that high a target volume this week as they also have Slayton and Robinson, but should be a key part of the game plan.
Since the Commanders’ defense has a weakness in the running game, and Tracy was able to go for 145 yards against a top tier defense, they should lean in on the run game as well. Singletary had success against this team in Week 2. They need to run the ball with Tracy and Singletary, with some designed runs for Jones, to get the ball down the field.
The Giants defense leads the league in sacks, so if they are able to get to Daniels, or at least keep him on his heels, they have a chance to disrupt the offensive scheme. They were able to keep the Commanders out of the end zone in Week 2, and if they do that again they have a shot at winning the game.
It’ll all come down to how effective they are at converting in the red zone. Can the Giants get the win they so desperately need?
Evan Solomon
Evan is originally from Queens, NY and grew up on Long Island, and grew to love The New York Giants being surrounded by Giants fans. He's a social media marketer and content creator by day, which is what led him to joining The League Winners creating content about something he loves - football. Keep an eye out for his fantasy content and NFL team breakdowns.