The Washington Commanders meet the New York Giants on Sunday in a critical NFC East game for both franchises. Washington looks to win its second game in a row after a three-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Giants are looking to avoid a fifth consecutive loss.
New York could be without quarterback Daniel Jones, who missed last week’s game with a neck injury. Jones was limited in practice this week, and the Giants listed him as questionable on the final injury report.
The good news for the Giants is running back Saquon Barkley will play.
Both meetings between these longtime rivals occurred two weeks apart in December. The first game ended in a tie, while the Giants won the second game.
What must the Commanders do to beat the Giants on Sunday?
Here are four keys to victory for Washington.
Keep Sam Howell upright
Yes, we know Sam Howell has been sacked 34 times and is on pace to shatter David Carr’s 21-year-old record as the most-sacked quarterback in NFL history in a single season. Some of that is on Howell, some is on offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, and, of course, the offensive line.
If the Commanders can keep Howell upright on Sunday, they will win this game. The Giants are a much better defense than the statistics indicate. However, nothing has killed Washington drives more this year than the sacks. The Giants defense was outstanding last week against the Bills, while the Commanders offense managed 193 total yards in a win at Atlanta. I expect Washington’s offense to be better in Week 7.
Don't forget about Brian Robinson Jr.
Brian Robinson Jr. was in the middle of an outstanding three-game stretch late last season, and two of the games were against the Giants. In those three games, Robinson rushed for 290 yards. In the Week 15 game that the Giants won, Robinson had 12 carries for 89 yards. A controversy after the game was why Robinson only had 12 rushing attempts. Yes, the Commanders have a new offensive coordinator now who loves to throw the ball, but he can’t forget about Robinson and the running game. Every team has had success running against the Giants so far this season. Eric Bieniemy should find 20 touches for Robinson in this game.
It's time for the defensive line to dominate
Washington needs its defensive line to take over games. Yes, all four former first-round picks have had their individual moments this season. The Commanders need this group to dominate the opposition collectively. The Giants have all sorts of problems on the offensive line right now, and the Commanders must take full advantage. If Washington can’t take advantage of New York’s current offensive line, it’s entirely fair to question why you should keep this entire group together beyond this season.
Eliminate the big plays
Let’s operate under the assumption that Daniel Jones is not playing in Week 7. That’s what most seem to think. That means veteran Tyrod Taylor will start, and Taylor is no slouch. Still, the Giants are battling injuries on offense, specifically up front. What the Commanders cannot do is give up big plays. Washington’s defense has allowed big plays in almost every game this season. The goal is to jump on the Giants and make sure they aren’t in the game at the end. That means eliminating all big plays. The Commanders should focus first on bottling up Saquon Barkley, which means there should be plenty of one-on-one opportunities for the secondary. Can they handle it?
