Commanders vs. Giants: 5 Questions Ahead Of NFC East Division Matchup

Discussing the weekend's contest between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants with a team insider from Sports Illustrated's FanNation.

With the Washington Commanders getting set to take on the New York Giants this weekend there are plenty of questions. 

Who will be the quarterback the rest of the season, which running back will be the primary moving forward, and will injuries in the defense finally catch up with the Commanders in their pursuit for a playoff spot?

Of course, there's also an opponent to discuss. And for that, we posed five questions to Patricia Traina of Giants Country.

Q: Commanders coach Ron Rivera once said the difference between his team and the other NFC East teams that were winning more at the time was the quarterback position. Specifically that the Giants and other teams in the division had rosters and schemes built around theirs while Washington was still figuring it out on their end. We contended New York was and does win in spite of Daniel Jones, not because of him. Are we accurate in this?

A: I’ve always said that Daniel Jones is a guy that the Giants can win with. Now is he a guy that can elevate the talent around him? No, not like how Eli Manning could, or how Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes can. That said, it’s pretty clear that the Giants have based the offense on the running game, which is what I said they would do way back during training camp. My logic was simple. Given Jones and the receivers time to get used to each other and in the interim, go with the more proven commodity. Obviously, no one saw the injuries to Golladay and Shepard, the trade of Toney, and the other problems they’ve had at receiver coming. And all of that has meant that the Giants have had to stick more with the running game rather than seek more of a balanced offense.

Q: Running back Saquon Barkley has obviously been a big key to the Giants’ success this season. What is it he and/or the team’s offensive scheme is doing to exploit opposing defenses?

A: I think what they have been doing is winning at the second level. During this mini-slump they’ve been in, the Giants aren’t winning their battles at the second level, so there’s been no room to run. I also think they were getting him on stretch runs far more often earlier in the year. Now? Not so much so. The other factor is that Daniel Jones hasn’t been running as much during the slump. I think when defenses had to account for Jones as a runner, that changed how they allocated covering Saquon. Hopefully, the Giants get Jones involved more in the running game.

Q: Washington has been running the ball a lot lately, and many have wondered just how long they can keep up this approach to winning games. Is this the week an opposing defense forces the ball into quarterback Taylor Heinicke’s hand more than the Commanders may prefer?

A: I don’t think so. The Giants' run defense hasn’t exactly been tearing things up. They’re ranked 26th in the league, allowing an average of 138.9 yards per game to opponents. I also saw a stat posted by John Keim: the Giants allow 3.15 yards before contact per rush (third worst in the NFL) and they rank fourth in yards after contact (2.01). So if I’m Washington, I stick with the running game. It’s been working so why change it up?

Q: Health is a big topic this time of year, and we know the Giants have gone through their fair share of injuries. What’s the current outlook on roster health, and are there any big names you expect to come back for this contest?

A: Overall things are trending in the right direction for a bunch of guys. The Giants should have tight end Daniel Bellinger (eye) and offensive tackle Evan Neal (knee). From IR, they could have OLB Azeez Ojulari (calf) and DB Tony Jefferson (foot) back as well. And going back to the offensive line, it looks like Jon Feliciano (neck) will be back from last week’s absence while Nick Gates slides over to left guard.

Q: Who’s the unsung hero of this game for the Giants if they snap Washington’s three-game winning streak?

A: Oh, this is a tough one. I’m really not sure, to be honest. I guess I’ll go with Leonard Wiliams. He’s been kind of quiet these last two games, recording just four quarterback pressures over that time span, per PFF. I think Williams is due to have a big breakout game sooner than later, so let’s go with him as the Giants' unsung hero.

Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82 and on the Locked On Commanders podcast.

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