New York Giants Week 15 Storylines: Do or Die Time

Here's a look at the developing storylines ahead of the New york Giants' Week 15 game against the Washington Commanders.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Dec 14, 2022 8:00 AM EST

In this story:

New York Giants

Every week in the NFL is technically a must-win. But let's face it, some must-wins mean a heck of a lot more than others.

That's the case this week with the New York Giants, who head to Landover, Maryland, for a rematch with the Washington Commanders Sunday night in a high-stakes game.

Simply put, if the Giants win, they gain the head-to-head tiebreaker over their division rivals, who, thanks to the tie between the two teams a couple of weeks ago, hold the second tiebreaker over the Giants, which is the better division record.

If the Giants lose, their playoff hopes aren't over, but they will lose more control of their destiny if they want to get into the postseason tournament.

Is Help Coming This Week?

The Giants have a few injured starters that they're hoping will be ready to go this week, among them defensive lineman Leonard Williams (neck), cornerback Adoree' Jackson (knee), safety Xavier McKinney (and/NFI), and guard Ben Bredeson (knee/IR).

One guy who should be back is Bredeson, whose 21-day window expires this weekend. If Bredeson is ready to go, don't be surprised if the team puts one of Shane Lemieux (toe) or Joshua Ezeudu (neck) on injured reserve to create a roster spot.

Jackson could also be ready to practice on a limited basis this week, though whether he's ready to roll is 50-50 at best, given what we know so far. Even if Jackson were to return, there would be some question as to whether he'd be ready to take on a full workload against a Washington Commanders team whose top receiver, Terry McLaurin, had his way with the defensive secondary in the first meeting.

But even if Jackson isn't at full speed, having him for some of the game is probably better than not having him at all.

As for McKinney, who had the pins removed from his hand last week, he could still be at least another week away, depending on how well the pins did their job. The Giants, remember, get a 21-day window to work McKinney back into the fold, so while there is a good chance his window could open this week, how well he practices, if at all, will say a lot.

Will Saquon Be Ready for a Bigger Workload?

Saaquon Barkley played against the Eagles last week despite having a neck/shoulder issue. The good news is that he came through the game relatively unscathed and expressed confidence in being ready for a larger role in the offense this weekend.

The Giants have suffered ever since teams figured out how to stop Barkley, going 1-3-1 in the last five games, the one win coming against the Texans when Barkley ran 35 times for over 150 yards.

Washington no doubt knows this and will likely look to take Barkley out of the equation, just as it did in the first meeting, and challenge Daniel Jones and his MASH unit of receivers which could be without Richie James (concussion) this week, to beat them.

Chase Young Returns

Washington held out star pass rusher Chase Young in the first meeting, probably due to concerns over the MetLife Stadium turf. But Young is expected back this week at home when the Commanders face the Giants, who will have to contend with his fresh legs.

Young primarily has lined up on the left side of the formation, which means he'll likely see a lot of rookie Evan Neal on Sunday. Neal is coming off his worst pass-blocking performance last week, where per Pro Football Focus, he surrendered eight pressures, including a sack.

What Did the Giants Learn?

The Giants and Commanders played just two short weeks ago. Since then, the Commanders have had a bye to rest and recharge, while the Giants had their doors blown off by the Eagles last week.

Forget about the Eagles game, as the Giants, in Year 1 of their rebuild under Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll, are nowhere near as loaded as the future NFC East champions. But they are much closer to Washington, and there are lessons they can take from the 20-20 tie to help them move forward.

The Giants cannot make mistakes that lead to Washington cashing in with points. Last time, the Giants spotted Washington 10 points on two major gaffes (a turnover by Daniel Jones and a whiff by Fabian Moreau on a tackle). If nothing else, the Giants have shown they're not good enough to overcome mistakes.

What little hints in the film did the coaches and players pick up that they can use to their advantage this time around? Granted, they didn't have as much time to study Washington as the Commanders did to study the Giants, but with so much on the line, it's hard to imagine that the coaches and players didn't give that tape from the first game a thorough look.