The NFC East is probably the most competitive division in the NFL this season. If the playoffs started today, all four teams would make the postseason.
That makes the New York Giants’ game against the Washington Commanders this Sunday of the utmost importance for both teams. The Giants are having their best season in a long time, and Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen attributes that to the improvement of Daniel Jones.
“Daniel Jones is a guy who will hurt you with his legs — if you let him,” Allen said during his weekly appearance on “Sports Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan.
“And on top of that, if you get too enamored with his legs, he can take the top off and hit you over the top deep. And on top of that, they got Saquon Barkley. So, for me, immediately as a defensive lineman, we gotta be able to stop this run with a lightbox. Give our guys on the backend help, let us do what we do up front and dominate the line of scrimmage, and I think we have a good opportunity to do that. They’re a really good football team.”
Jones is 4-1 in his career against the Commanders, racking up 1,150 passing yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. He has 218 rushing yards against them, the most of any team in the NFL. He completes close to 70% of his passes against the Commanders and boasts a passer rating of 100.4, which is far above his season average.
Jones is having the best season of his career in 2022, and that isn’t lost on Commanders’ head coach Ron Rivera.
Washington faced the Atlanta Falcons last week, eking out a 19-16 win, and Rivera indicated that facing Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota helped them prepare for facing Jones. But the Falcons don’t have Saquon Barkley, so the dynamic is different.
After suffering two losses in a row, the Giants sorely need to win this Sunday. Not just to keep their playoff hopes alive, but to elevate team morale. When players are happy, they perform better. Winning makes players happy, so getting a check in the win column will see the Giants continue to play well and improve.
This could be a make-it or break-it game for both teams, so it’s important the Giants go in with a solid strategy to come away with a win.
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