Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants: 3 Keys to Victory
The Washington Commanders snapped their three-game losing streak last weekend with a win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Now they'll look to stack wins with a second Commanders victory, this time coming over the New York Giants.
A win in New Jersey would mean more to Washington than just one more notch in the correct column as any NFC East Division contest always carries more weight.
Here are three things the Commanders need to do to beat the Giants.
KEY 1: BE PREPARED
Washington has had some issues this season giving up big plays to opposing offenses.
So much so that we're now hearing on a weekly basis about how this team could be the opponent's 'get-right' opportunity.
New York is likely to be without starting quarterback Daniel Jones which means backup veteran Tyrod Taylor would get his second start of the season.
But given the issues the Giants have had on their offensive line Taylor may be the better option anyway given his ability to escape pressure compared to Jones' brand of quarterback mobility.
Regardless, with just one game of tape to watch to accurately assess what the Taylor-led New York offense looks like, staying disciplined within defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio's scheme and plays will be even more important this week than before.
KEY 2: SPEAKING OF TYROD...
Since coach Ron Rivera arrived to coach the Commanders, Giants quarterbacks have carried the ball four or more times in five of their six matchups and gained 50 yards or more doing so four times.
New York quarterbacks have also moved the chains with their legs three or more times in half of those games.
Taylor may be older but we saw flashes of his mobility against the Buffalo Bills last week in a close loss for the Giants.
If Washington wants to get a big divisional win, keeping New York quarterbacks from doing damage against its defense with their legs will be key.
Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) is getting better each week, but is still searching for full-game consistency.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
KEY 3: QUARTERBACK FLIPSIDE
Quarterback is the most important position on the field so there's no surprise that the position is being talked about more than any other this weekend.
On the Commanders side of things, quarterback Sam Howell is continuing to grow within his role as a starter in the NFL, and as you'd expect seven starts in there's still room for improvement.
In the last three games, Howell has improved upon his previous quarterback rating showing that his game-to-game performance is getting better.
But his quarter-by-quarter play has been as up and down as ever.
In the first half of the past four outings, Howell has thrown for 96, 161, 71, and 109 in each.
Those numbers nearly flip in the second half, however, with 124, 74, 121, and 33 yards in the second half of each respectively.
Obviously, this means we've yet to see Howell put together a full game of successful football despite the fact his overall performance is getting better each week.
Which is a fact worthy of both excitement and anxiety at equal levels.
