Giants - Washington Preview: When the Winner Can Become the Loser

Both the Giants and Washington are looking to win Sunday's meaningless game because of pride. But the winner might end up losing valuable ground in the race for Chase.

Eli Manning got his win last week. Will Daniel Jones get his?

Jones has navigated eight straight losing games. He could use a win, even if his team needs a loss. Yes, we’re talking draft picks once again. It’s a broken record and a sad state of affairs, but a loss makes sense.

The players want to win, as do the coaches, but the fans are thinking draft pick. It’s a loser’s mentality, but that’s what losing does to a team’s fan base.

Back to young Mr. Jones, the rookie’s health remains the team’s prime directive. If there’s any sign of a limp from the ankle injury that kept him out of the last two games, there will be heck to pay.

Jones practiced all week and seemed fit enough. He will start, and he needs to play.

Last week the offense kept Manning upright. Let’s hope the team gives Jones as much time as they gave the popular vet.

There are other “kids” who, like Jones, need to play. We’re most interested in watching the ones in the secondary. All of them will be getting plenty of playing time these last two games. It’s something for the fans to monitor, at least.

Julian Love at safety has been this group’s most pleasant surprise. He has shown good instincts around the line of scrimmage, but he’s not built for the strong safety spot like Julius Peppers is.

Bottom line, Love needs to show that he can play deep safety. Antoine Bethea will probably not be back. Love needs to take over back there. It’s a position change for this college corner, and it looks like it could fit.

The three B’s at corner – Baker, Ballantine, and Beal – have all flashed. They have also struggled. They need experience. They will lose some of their battles, but they also need to win some.

Ballantine is playing the toughest spot of all. The slot is a near-impossible position to step in and excel at. It’s one of the toughest positions for veterans to excel at! Ballantine has one huge requisite – he has the makeup speed the position requires. He can also tackle a bit. 

What he lacks is that stop-and-go, short-area quickness that the position demands. Ballantine also lacks experience. Expecting him to step in and excel is beyond crazy. We want to see him compete, and he’s done plenty of that already. At this point, he needs to play.

Besides the secondary kids, there are additional first-year players to monitor like tight end Kaden Smith, offensive lineman Nick Gates, and edge Oshane Ximines. Each looks like a legit player at positions of need and importance.

Ximines is the one that intrigues us the most. The kid’s pass rush is coming on. He’s attacking and setting up legit tackles like a cagey veteran and beating them. If he can continue to grow, he could be one of the pass-rush edge answers that this defense so desperately needs.

We also want to see Jones under center as much as Eli Manning was last week. That formation seemed to benefit both Saquon Barkley and the play-action passing game. Jones has to learn how to turn his back on the defense, fake the handoff, and re-focus downfield. He didn’t do much of that in college; he needs to learn how at this level.

As for the game itself, the loser of this matchup of 3-11 squads will have the inside track for the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft. 

Logically, the Giants need that pick. For three hours, the fans will root for a win, and the players will play for a win, but the reality remains that a loss makes the most sense.

Washington is learning how hard it is to win with a rookie quarterback in this league. To be kind, Dwayne Haskins has struggled, though he made some good throws last week vs. the Eagles.

The Giants defense has finally started to approach a small level of competitiveness of late, notably the run defense. If they can stop the run and make Washington’s offense completely one-dimensional, they could make Haskins’ life in the pocket uncomfortable.

Like the Giants’ dynamic rookie receiver Darius Slayton, Washington has a dynamic speed kid of their own on the outside in receiver Terry McLaurin. When McLaurin lines up in the slot, he will be a tough matchup for Corey Ballantine. We’d suggest the Giants throw a lot of attention and brackets McLaurin’s way no matter where he lines up, as he’s Washington’s lone big playmaker on offense. 

On defense, look out for third-year outside linebacker Ryan Anderson, who has four sacks and five forced fumbles in his last five games.                                                                      

Washington gave the Eagles a heck of a game last week. They are still playing hard. So are the Giants. We’re expecting a hard-fought, tight game between these two downtrodden teams. The loser wins, and the winner loses. So if you’re a fan of either team, enjoy the game and wish for the worst.

It’s the only thing that makes sense.