Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
What to Watch in Giants' Week 13 Game vs. Washington
The New York Giants have lost three of their last four games and are entering ‘must-win’ territory as the playoffs draw closer.
But the upcoming stretch of games for the Giants is far from easy. Following their tough loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, the Giants will now face a red-hot Washington Commanders team that has won six of their last seven.
With the Giants’ extended break to rest and recover from playing last Thursday, their battered roster should receive a bit of a lift in certain areas for their upcoming game against the Commanders.
But the Giants' woes have been greater than their injury setbacks, and they are hungry to get back on track no matter how many of their starters return on Sunday.
On that note, here’s a look at what to watch in the Giants clash against the Commanders on Sunday.
RB Saquon Barkley
Regardless of the reason, the Giants running game is currently in a slump, having failed as a group to rush for 100+ yards in three of its last four games. And no surprise, but those three games where the Giants haven't rushed for 100 yards have all been losses.
Getting the running game going again is vital to the Giants' late-season playoff push. Saquon Barkley, the featured back in the running game, has, according to Sports Radar, already been stuffed 24 times this season, with 11 coming over the last four games (around the time the Giants lost tackle Evan Neal, guard Ben Bredeson, and tight end Daniel Bellinger to injury).
The Giants might also want to get quarterback Daniel Jones going on more designed runs. Over the last four weeks, he's averaged 5.25 carries, most of which have been scrambles rather than designed runs. That average is down from the 8.28 rushing attempts he had in the first seven games.
The good news is the Giants should be getting tackle Evan Neal and tight end Daniel Bellinger back for this game. The potential return of Bellinger to the lineup is huge, as the Giants' rushing game averaged 173.4 yards per game with him in the lineup and 112 yards per game without him.
Washington has a stout run defense ranked eighth in the league (108.4 yards/game), but the Giants must find a way to get their running game going if they want a chance at the playoffs.
CB Darnay Holmes
One of the most underrated matchups this weekend will be Giants slot cornerback Darnay Holmes vs. the Commanders slot receivers. Thus far, Curtis Samuel and Terry McLaurin have received the bulk of the targets from the slot, but it's been Jahan Dotson who has scored the most from the slot (2 touchdowns on two receptions).
Holmes, who has seen the most snaps in the slot, has yet to allow a touchdown in 37 targets against him. Regardless if the Commanders put Dotson in the slot or mix in McLaurin or Samuel, Holmes will have his hands full in trying to limit that part of the Commanders passing game.
Giants Pass Rush
In 11 games this season, the Giants defense has failed to record a single sack in four, with two of those four sackless performances coming in the Giants' last two games.
This two-game sack draught is a microcosm of the struggles this Giants pass rush has endured throughout the season. Though generating pressure has not been an issue, translating them into sacks is a persistent concern that has yet to improve.
Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has a team-leading 39 pressures to go along with five sacks, but Leonard Williams, Jihad Ward, and rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux have combined to record 4.5 sacks.
This week, the Giants pass rush has a golden opportunity to change that narrative. The Commanders' offensive line has conceded the most pressures on the season (144), is second to last in pass-blocking efficiency (81.6), and is third in sacks allowed (23).
Although the Commanders have not allowed a single sack on quarterback Taylor Heinicke over their last two games, the Giants pass rush figures to come after Heinicke, given the stakes.
If you need further hope, not only are the Giants expecting to have Azeez Ojulari back, but the last time the Giants went against an offensive line that was as bad as the Commanders was in Week 4, against the Chicago Bears. That week, the Giants recorded five sacks on the day.
Giants Offensive Line
The Giants offensive line has suffered its fair share of injuries over the last two weeks that have derailed the cohesion this group was able to meld in the early half of the season. Before their Thanksgiving game, four different Giants offensive linemen did not make the trip to Dallas, including center Jon Feliciano, guards Shane Lemieux and Joshua Ezeudu, and right tackle Evan Neal.
Neal, a full participant in the Giants' last two practices, is trending toward a return, as is Feliciano, who has been limited. Ben Bredeson, who is on IR but whose 21-day window opened this week, figures not to be ready.
That would mean a likely starting offensive line combination of Andrew Thomas, Nick Gates, Feliciano, Mark Glowinski, and Neal to face a very good Washington defensive front that ranks 12th in the league in sacks per pass attempt (8.04).
Washington has also recorded 30 sacks, 20 of which have been secured by their ‘Big 3’ on their defensive line in Montez Sweat (7), Jonathan Allen (6.5), and Daron Payne (6.5), so they are a formidable challenge for the Giants' offensive line.
Giants Run Defense
The Giants' run defense has been an enigma virtually all season. Eleven games in, the Giants run defense still ranks 26th in rushing yards allowed per game (138.9) and 30th in rushing yards per play (5.16). After allowing the Lions to run for 160 total yards and four touchdowns in Week 11, they allowed the Cowboys to rush for 169 yards and two touchdowns over Thanksgiving.
This Sunday won’t be any easier as the Giants run defense takes on a Commanders one-two punch in rookie Brian Robinson Jr. and Antonio Gibson (if he plays), that have been at the forefront of their offenses’ success this season. The two running backs balance each other well, with Robinson commanding more of the bruising rusher role while Gibson has shifted more into a receiving back position.
That said, each brings a level of strength and force that makes it difficult to take down on the move (both have over 330 yards after contact) and have accumulated five rushing touchdowns. In addition, neither has committed a single fumble on the season, illustrating how good they are at avoiding costly turnovers.
The Commanders figure to try to run the ball as much as possible to take the onus off the passing game. The Giants should expect nothing less on Sunday and will need to do a much better job stopping the run if they want to give this team a chance to come away with a win.
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