Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants GAMEDAY Preview: NFC East Foes Clash

The New York Giants host the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium this afternoon.

The Washington Commanders hit the road to face the New York Giants this afternoon at MetLife Stadium. 

The NFC East Division matchup could have wild card implications for the Commanders. 

Washington is looking to build on last Sunday's 24-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Quarterback Sam Howell finished with a career-high three touchdowns in the victory, competing 14-of-23 passes for 151 yards despite being sacked five times. The Commanders defense was a highlight, with three interceptions (including two in the 4th quarter) while holding Falcons' star rookie running back Bijan Robinson to 37 yards.

This week, Washington's defense looks to get after either quarterback Daniel Jones or backup Tyrod Taylor. Taylor played in Week 6 after Jones was rules out due to a neck injury suffered in Week 5. According to Giants coach Brian Daboll, Jones has been cleared to return to practice but has not yet been cleared for contact.

With Taylor at the helm, the Giants nearly upset the Buffalo Bills. The Bills stopped Taylor and the Giants at the goal line to snag a 14-9 win. Taylor went 24-of-36 for 200 yards and was sacked three times. In Saquon Barkley's return from an ankle injury, he had 24 carries for 93 yards.

This could be considered a 'must win' for the Commanders, as the schedule gets tougher from here... with matchups against the Philadelphia Eagles, twice against the Dallas Cowboys, the Miami Dolphins, and the San Francisco 49ers still awaiting them.

Entering Week 6, Washington is third in the NFC East division behind the 4-2 Dallas Cowboys and 5-1 Philadelphia Eagles.

Washington Commanders receiver Jahan Dotson / Vincent Carchietta, USA Today

NOTABLE: Jamison Crowder was named the NFC Special Teams Player Of The Week. Crowder had a huge 61-yard punt return that positioned the Washington offense at Falcons' 11-yard line. Washington capitalized three plays later on a one-yard touchdown pass from Sam Howell to Antonio Gibson, which gave them a 10-7 lead and they didn't trail for the rest of the game. 

RECORDS: Washington Commanders (3-3) at New York Giants (1-5)

ODDS: Washington is a 2.5-point favorite vs. the Giants 

GAME TIME: Sunday, October 22nd, 2023 at 1 p.m. ET

LOCATION: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

TV/RADIO: CBS, BIG 100.3 FM

THE FINAL WORD: Commanders coach Ron Rivera evaluates the Giants offense:

"They're going to come in, they have Saquon and we know how special he is as a running back," Rivera said. "We’ve got to be able to contain him. We got to be able to contain the quarterback (Daniel Jones). A lot of those things that we did on Sunday are things that are going to be reflected in what we're going to need to do this coming Sunday as well."

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