Articles

By Michael Stewart/@golferbad

Introduction:  Daniel Jones NFL debut went extremely well as he led the winless Giants to their first victory this season with a little help from a missing field goal on the final play by the Buccaneers. Regardless; Jones play earned him offensive player of the week with two touchdown passes and two touchdowns rushes. Next up for Jones will be the Washington Redskins who are winless (0-3) and are ranked 22nd on offense and 26th on defense. The Giants could even their record to 2-2 if they can come out on top with the following matchups:

Giants Receivers-vs-Safety Landon Collins: One of the main reasons why the Giants cut ties with Landon Collins was because his pass coverage skills were well below average among the safeties in the NFL. Collins has become a one-dimensional safety best suited in the box and more like a hybrid linebacker against the run. Luckily for the Giants, he still needs to defend the pass and the Giants must capitalize on this no matter who Collins is covering.  

Giants Offensive line-vs-Washington’s defensive line:  Unfortunately the Giants will be without their best running back Saquon Barkley, but that doesn’t mean they should abandon the running game entirely.  Washington has surrendered 142 yards on the ground and 260 yards in the air, so the Giants must have a balanced attack.  On defense, the Giants must focus on Case Keenum and challenge the Redskins ground game to beat them.

Create Turnovers:  Both teams have struggled in this category as the Redskins are currently at -3 in their turnover ratio and the Giants are -5. In the past, turnovers have played a big part in determining the winner, so I expect this game to be no different.

Time of Possession: This is another category that both teams have done poorly in thus far this season. Opposing teams have had the ball on an average at least 5-6 minutes more on offense. Although the Giants defense played better in the 2nd half against the Bucs, this is still their weakest link and it would benefit the Giants to keep the defense off the field as much as possible.  

Final Thoughts:  The Giants and Redskins are averaging 21 points per game; while each has surrendered 31.3 points per game. Based on those stats, we should expect a high scoring game. The last time these two teams met, they combined for 56 points with the Giants scoring 40 to the Redskins 16. Daniel Jones will get his first taste as a starter at MetLife Stadium during the regular season and the place should be jumping.  When two divisional rivals meet, it’s always physical and expects this game to be no different.

Final Score: Giants-30/Redskins-27