Giants at Washington: Five Stats that Matter

Here's a closer look at key stats as they relate to the Giants' Week 16 game at Washington.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants (3-11) will take to the road for the final time this year and attempt to win back-to-back games at the expense of the NFC East-rival Washington (3-11) in Week 16. 

The Giants got the best of Washington, 24-3, the last time these two teams met in Week 4. However, as many can attest to now, the Giants won’t be facing the same Washington squad they played in earlier this year.

Washington has played some pretty good football in recent weeks with rookie Dwayne Haskins under center, sporting a 2-2 record with wins over the Detroit Lions (3-10-1) and the Carolina Panthers (5-9) in their last four contests.

As odd as it sounds, Washington could be a tough test for the Giants this weekend if they stay true to their current form. However, no team is without its weaknesses and if the Giants want to leave with a win, they’ll need to put together a game-plan that perfectly exploits its flaws.

With that in mind, here are a few things that Giants fans should keep in mind for this weekend’s matchup with Washington.

1. Pressuring the quarterback has been Washington's specialty.

Washington has been subpar to downright bad in many facets of the game this year - which I’ll go into later in this piece. However, despite their defensive struggles as a whole, Washington has been one of the league’s most dominant pass-rushing team in 2019.

Washington’s front seven has played at an elite level this season and has been absolutely relentless when pursuing the quarterback. Through 14 games, the Skins have racked up 42 sacks (T-No. 6 in the NFL), 16 QB pressures (T-No. 2 in the NFL) and 84 hurries (T-No. 2 in the NFL) while leading the league in pressure rate (30.9 percent of defensive snaps). 

Their pass-rushing prowess is clearly intimidating, but what makes this team downright scary is that they’re able to generate that kind of pressure despite blitzing on just 24.9 percent of their defensive plays (No. 22 in the NFL).

With a whopping 17 defenders who have at least one sack to their name this year, Washington is capable of getting pressure from almost anyone they choose to attack the quarterback. However, the biggest threat that the Giants need to contain--if they want to win, that is--is Matt Ioannidis.

The 25-year-old defensive tackle has been an absolute pass-rushing force for Washington this year, leading the team in sacks (8.5), QB pressures (35) and QB knockdowns (seven). 

As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Ioannidis has actually been one of the league’s best at his position, as Aaron Donald (11) and Jordan Phillips (9.5) are the only two interior linemen to record more sacks in 2019.

2. Washington has finally found its rhythm on the ground.

Washington was one of the league’s worst rushing teams for a good majority of the year, but it looks like they may have finally found their groove in the running game.

After averaging just 85.9 yards rushing per game in its first 11 games, Washington has developed into a dominant force in the ground game over its last three contests, averaging 156.7 yards rushing per game (No. 4 in the NFL) and 5.8 yards per carry (No. 1 in the NFL) to go along with five rushing touchdowns.

The Giants have had their fair share of struggles against the run this season (115.1 yards rushing allowed, No. 22 in the NFL), but they’ve been a surprisingly stout rushing defense away from home, allowing 95.0 yards rushing per road game (No. 7 in the NFL). Washington’s rejuvenated rushing attack won’t be easy to stop, but if the Giants stop unit can clamp down on the run and force the Skins to rely on the arm of rookie Dwayne Haskins, their odds of winning on Sunday will greatly improve.

3. Containing "Scary Terry" is key to keeping Washington off the scoreboard.

Washington may be struggling to score this season, but the one consistent threat - regardless of Washington’s lack of offensive bite - has been rookie wideout Terry McLaurin.

The former Ohio State standout has easily been Washington’s most dangerous offensive weapon this year, leading the team in receptions (51), yards receiving (833), total touchdowns scored (seven), yards per reception (16.3) and first downs converted (40) - despite dealing with a rotating cast at quarterback.

His ability to produce no matter who’s throwing him the ball is impressive enough, but “Scary Terry” has been especially dangerous since fellow rookie - and Ohio State alum - Dwayne Haskins took over under center. 

The “Buckeye Connection” between the rookie duo has continued to thrive at the professional level, as Haskins owns an impressive 111.2 passer rating (23-of-39, 375 yards, two TDs) when targeting McLaurin in his six starts this year.

Now that cornerback Janoris Jenkins is no longer with the team, defensive coordinator James Bettcher will need to get creative with his coverage schemes if the Giants want to have any hope of containing Washington’s rookie phenom. Otherwise, the defense could be in for a very long day.

4. Opponents have run all over Washington’s stop unit.

As good as Washington’s pass rush has been this season, its run defense has been just as bad - which bodes incredibly well for a seemingly resurgent Saquon Barkley.

Washington has been one of the league’s worst at stopping the run, allowing 136.4 yards rushing per game (No. 28 in the NFL) and 4.4 yards per attempt (No. 20 in the NFL) to running backs this year. 

And luckily for the Giants, defending the run has been a much bigger struggle when Washington has played host. In seven home games, Washington has allowed a whopping 145.3 yards rushing per game (No. 31 in the NFL).

Clearly, their defense has been consistently overpowered in the running game, but the one “silver lining” for this unit is that they’ve made a habit of clamping down on the run when it matters most. In 14 games played this season, Washington has allowed “just” 12 rushing touchdowns (T-No. 16 in the NFL).

5. Washington’s offensive struggles start at home.

Just like the Giants, Washington finds itself in the middle of a lost season in 2019. Unlike the Giants, however, Washington's struggles on the offensive side of the ball - especially at home - has largely been their undoing this season.

Washington’s offense has been a bit better as of late, averaging 23.7 points per game (PPG) over its last three contests, but inconsistency has still been a considerable issue that’s yet to be remedied. Through Week 14, the Skins are averaging a pitiful 15.4 PPG (No. 31 in the NFL) and a league-worst 15.1 PPG at home this season (seven games).

There’s plenty of blame to go around for Washington’s inability to score with consistency, but a good amount of it easily falls on the coaching staff’s inability to adjust to what their opponent is throwing their way. 

In the 14 games they’ve played this year, Washington is averaging just 7.7 second-half PPG (No. 28 in the NFL). As long as the Giants can keep things close--or have a lead--heading into the halftime break, they’ll have a good shot at finishing the day with a win.