The Path to The NFC East: Washington
The Giants' oldest division rivalry will not be the same in 2020, as Washington's NFL franchise is in the midst of a significant organizational makeover.
Owner Dan Snyder's mission to preserve the team name reached its breaking point after mounting pressure from sponsors, public figures, and even the federal government, causing the organization to recently announce that it would retire its longtime nickname.
The change will mark the first official re-branding of an NFC East team in the Super Bowl era, but its history and rivalries will continue.
The two teams met for the first time on October 9, 1932, when the Washington Football Club was known as the Boston Braves. The next year, the organization changed its nickname to the recently retired name it had held for decades but didn't move to Washington, DC until the 1937 season, where they have been ever since.
There have been some classic moments between the two clubs, such as the embarrassing 72-41 thrashing Washington administered to the Giants on November 27, 1966. Years later, though, the Giants would get revenge of sorts when in the 1986 season, they became the first team to defeat Washington three times int he same season, including in that year's NFC Championship Game.
More recently, both teams have fallen on hard times from a football perspective. Instead of battling it out for the NFC East title, the Giants and Washington Football Club have instead battled for the division's cellar--and the higher draft pick. The Giants narrowly avoided landing at the bottom of the NFC East last year for the third season in a row, as Washington had a significantly more tumultuous season.
With a new decade--and season--upon the NFL, both teams will look to turn their fortunes around under new leadership in 2020, but with starkly different directions.
Washington is entering unexplored territory as an organization. Long-time Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera will attempt to lead the team back to credibility as a winning organization as a key figure in its quest to gain a diverse and tolerant team image under its new identity.
Meanwhile, in New York, the Giants are hoping the third time is a charm as they hired Bill Belichick and Nick Saban disciple joe Judge to usher in an era of Giants football of which the fan base can be proud.
Washington in 2020
Key Losses: CB Josh Norman, OT Trent Williams, OT Donald Penn, RB Chris Thompson, DE Chris Odom, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, DE Treyvon Hester, TE Jerome Cunningham, CB Aaron Colvin
Key Free Agent Signings: CB Kendall Fuller, LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, S Sean Davis, OG Wes Schweitzer, RB J.D. McKissic, OT Cornelius Lucas, TE Logan Thomas, RB Peyton Barber, TE, Richard Rodgers, CB Ronald Darby, WR Cody Latimer
Draft Picks: DE Chase Young, RB/WR Antonio Gibson, OT Saahdiq Charles, WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, C Keith Ismael, LB Khaleke Hudson, S Kamren Curl, EDGE James Smith-Williams
What it Means For The Giants
Defensive end Chase Young, Washington's second-overall pick out of Ohio State, comes into the NFL as one of the most heralded pass-rushing prospects in recent memory.
The expectation is that at some point, Young will do battle twice a year against Andrew Thomas, the fourth overall pick in the draft the Giants selected out of Georgia to (eventually) be their long-term franchise left tackle.
The 2020 season also marks Year 2 for the two teams' young franchise quarterbacks, both selected in the first round of the 2019 draft.
Daniel Jones, drafted by the Giants at sixth overall, was initially an eye-raising choice for many Giants fans, who slammed general manager Dave Gettleman's decision to select the Duke passer ahead of Ohio State signal-caller Dwayne Haskins, who ultimately went to Washington at No. 15.
But based on the way both players' rookie seasons unfolded, the Giants appear to have made the better decision. Jones threw 24 touchdowns and engineered a series sweep over Haskins and Washington.
While Jones had his share of struggles behind an inconsistent offensive line while also dealing with some injuries (his own high ankle sprain that cost him two games, and injuries to his top skill players like receiver Sterling Shepard, running back Saquon Barkley, and tight end Evan Engram), Jones never looked flustered and stayed the course, determined to navigate through choppy waters.
It's hard to say the same for Haskins, who looked unprepared for the starting role, at least at the beginning of his tenure, and whose supporting cast isn't thought to be as strong as Jones'.
Even as the two teams head into the 2020 season, there is thought to be a significant discrepancy int he talent level. Jones has his entire supporting cast returning in 2020 plus an upgraded offensive line. Haskins has running back Adrian Peterson and receiver Terry McLaurin, and an offensive line that traded away disgruntled left tackle Trent Williams.
Washington is believed to be planning to lean heavily on its running game this season with 35-year-old Peterson and third-year running back Derrius Guice, who has missed 27 games to injury since coming into the NFL in 2018.
While there will be substantial interest in each team's offenses, the real story will be the play of the defenses. Washington has five first-round picks in their front seven, the addition of Young giving new defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio four first-round pick on the defensive line alone.
Veteran defensive linemen Ryan Kerrigan and Matt Ioannidis round out a deep front for Washington that has the potential to cause a lot of problems for Jones in his second season.
The Giants defensive line isn't exactly a slouch as a unit, but a big key for them will be stuffing the rushing attack and forcing Haskins to throw.
Defensive tackles Dalvin Tomlinson, Leonard Williams, and Dexter Lawrence combined for 82 run defense stops of zero or negative yards. If that group can contain Guice, then it will leave a lot of pressure on Haskins to carry the offensive against the team that passed on him.
