NFL Preview: Giants vs. Commanders (9-14-24)

By: Jaden Golding

All Photo Credit: Emilee Fails-Washington Commanders

Landover, MD- Onto week two for both of these NFC East foes, the Washington Commanders host the New York Giants for its 2024 home opener. New York is coming off a week one loss as well to the Minnesota Vikings, who dominated both sides of the ball to a 28-6 victory at Metlife Stadium. 

Quarterback Daniel Jones had a rough outing completing 22-42 passes, for 186 yards, two interceptions, and zero touchdowns. Jones faced heavy scrutiny for Sunday’s performance, as he was booed by fans exiting the stadium, and head coach Brian Daboll faced questions about his future as the starting quarterback after one week. Week two against the Commanders could be a blessing in disguise for Jones who always performs well against Washington. Jones has a 5-1-1 record against the Commanders in his career throwing 10 touchdowns to three interceptions with a QB rating of 98.0. Can Sunday be the game that Jones needs to get back on track?

Alright, on to the Commanders. Last Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers left much to be desired by the players, coaches, and fans. Fans quickly panicked after one week, citing the poor defensive display, questioning the offensive play calling, and worrying about Jayden Daniels’s lack of throws and targets to his receivers, mainly star Terry McLaurin. I advise Washington fans to calm down, about 60-70% of the players on this roster are new and even if they won’t say it they’re still figuring out how to gel as a unit. 

Washington knows how important it is to pick up a win against this New York squad, not just because they don’t want to drop to 0-2 on the season but due to how winnable this game is for them. Both of these teams are similar in how they’re constructed so it’s easily a get-right game for either one. The Commanders are 0-1-3 in the last four contests against the Giants, it’s time for them to change the narrative. 

Keys to Victory for Washington:

➢ Get 17 the Ball: Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury knows he has to get Scary Terry the ball more, and I believe he will. I’m expecting on the opening drive for Washington to call McLaurin’s name a lot to set the tone. Scheming him open can be quick screens out to him, drawing up some short underneath routes so it doesn’t take longer for the route to develop, moving him around the field, and getting some pre-snap motion to confuse the defense as well. 

➢ Hit home on your pressure: Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. spoke in their pressers about how the defensive line was able to draw up pressure against the Bucs last Sunday but was unable to finish out plays. The defensive line needs to clean up the plays with sacks, hits, or forcing Jones into bad throws. This can help take off some pressure on the secondary and make life harder for Jones. On top of his victories over the Commanders, Jones has shown the ability in the past to make plays with his legs which has haunted this Washington squad. Making sure to contain the edges, and middle and not allowing Jones to slide up and extend plays. The Commanders need to hear Jonathan Allen and D’aron Payne’s names more on Sunday because it starts with them on the inside. 

➢ Communication and Staying Disciplined: This is for both sides of the ball, there were too many instances on Sunday where the Commanders looked confused or took too long to get set up on both offense and defense. That resulted in timeouts being called, mistakes, and in some instances penalties being called. Now, staying disciplined is more so for the defense, the secondary had moments where they allowed too much space between them and receivers which led to easy receptions or catches that were pretty open. There was also some miscommunication or not enough communication on plays which caused blown assignments. Whitt Jr. most likely made that emphasis in practice this week. You clean this up and it can make plays much easier for everyone.

Key Matchups Sunday:

● Andrew Wylie & Cornelius Lucas / Brandon Coleman vs. Kayvon Thibodeaux & Brian Burns: Last season, Thibodeaux feasted on this Washington line as a whole. It’s important that this time with running mate Brian Burns that does not happen. The good thing this time around they have Jayden Daniels who’s a threat with his legs. Wylie had instances Sunday where it looked like he was pushed back by Tampa Bay’s edge rushers. Lucas was rated as one of the top five pass blockers last Sunday. Hopefully, that continues if he starts over Coleman or rotates with him. Coleman is still getting up to game speed, he only had 14 snaps last week but displayed why Washington was excited about him displaying his athleticism and agility. Burns and Thibodeaux are looking to dominate and fill up the stat sheet. Hopefully, Washington’s tackles are ready for this early test. 

● Brian Robinson Jr. & Austin Ekeler vs. Bobby Okereke & Micah McFadden: Washington didn’t do a whole lot of running with the duo last Sunday, Daniels had 16 rushes while Robinson Jr. and Ekeler combined for 14 attempts. That must change Sunday, when Robinson Jr. got some good blocking from his line he took advantage with some tough physical runs that moved the chains. Ekeler won’t get as many as B-rob but he showed he still has a lot left in the tank. Look for more rushes overall and even some formations that put both running backs on the field at the same time. 

● Terry McLaurin vs. Deonte Banks: Last year, Banks held his own against Scary Terry even talking a little trash to him in matchups. Terry did beat him twice for big-time receptions in that week 7 loss last season. McLaurin knows his team needs him and will be looking to make plays like he always has done. Banks is a speedy, athletic corner that McLaurin needs to exploit and use his savviness to beat him deep and over the top. 

NY & WAS Player To Watch

Dexter Lawerence: One of the best interior D-Lineman in the league and arguably the Giants’ best player. Mr. Lawrence is a powerful, strong defensive tackle who sets the tone on the inside, disrupting runs and shooting up the middle to cause chaos for quarterbacks. Washington has to account for 97 or it could be a long afternoon.

Jayden Daniels: The offensive rookie of the week in week one displayed some nice showings last week. He’s looking to build and learn from his first NFL game. Daniels knows he has to be a little crisper with his reads and try to find his receivers down the field but also be cautious with how much he runs the ball and protects himself. He has the arm and talent, look for him to display that tomorrow.

Final Verdict

Both teams know what they must do to come out with a victory Sunday. It’s a must-win game, with a lot of criticism coming to the losing team. Washington wants to usher in this new era of football, a victory tomorrow can start that and prove to the fan base this isn’t the same squad of the past.