6 Giants Storylines to Watch for Ahead of Giants' Week 15 Clash with Commanders

The New York Giants’ bye week is over, and the team is back to work as they begin the final stretch of what’s been an absolutely miserable 2025 season.

The good news for the reeling Giants, who own the second-longest active losing streak in the NFL (seven games), is that their last four opponents have a combined won-loss record of .317, which would suggest that maybe there is a win or two (or three?) to be had.

The first of their four opponents will be Washington, who owns the longest losing streak in the league (eight games), and who, coming off a 31-0 thrashing by the Minnesota Vikings (whom the Giants see the following week, by the way), will be without star tight end Zach Ertz and could be without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Ertz suffered a season-ending knee injury on a gruesome-looking hit in the loss to the Vikings, and Daniels reinjured his elbow.

The Commanders, who join the Giants among those teams whose playoff hopes are over for the year, won the first meeting back in Week 1 by a score of 21-6.

The Commanders will look to sweep the Giants in the season series for the second year in a row, while the Giants, who are 2-2-1 at home against Washington since 2020, will look to even out their 2025 record at home to 3-3 with a win.

Here is a look at some of the storylines we’ll be watching leading up to the game.

Who Stops Streaking?

Dec 7, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) drops back to pass against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

As noted, the Giants, who are currently a 2.5-point favorite (the first time this season that they’re favored), and the Commanders own the first and second-longest losing streaks in the NFL.

One of those two streaks is going to end on Sunday, barring a tie. And when it comes to the meetings between these two clubs, something always shows up out of the blue.

Thibodeaux to Go?

Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby (37) runs against New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux has missed the last three games with a shoulder injury, but there is hope that he will be able to return to action starting this weekend.

Although it might not look like it given the struggles of the run defense, Thibodeaux has been the Giants' best performer against the run according to Pro Football Focus, who has him with a 80.7 grade. The next closest Giants defender is safety Jevon Holland at 69.3.

Thibodeau also is second on the team with 15 stops against the run, so his return will undoubtedly be welcomed.

The Disappearing Coach

In case you missed the news, Giants assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox was quietly fired by interim head coach Mike Kafka last Friday.

It was a curious move that might have gone unnoticed were it not for the eagle eye of X user DougAnalytics, who spotted that Cox’s name had vanished from the team’s website.

And it's a move that is sure to draw questions from Kafka, who is due to address the media on Tuesday afternoon.

A Lesson Finally Learned?

New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

If Thibodeaux returns as is expected, that could mean a reduction in snaps for Carter, who saw an uptick in his snaps during the veteran’s absence.

That is, if Carter has finally found his way and has stopped drawing punishments from Kafka for violating team rules, which he’s done twice in two weeks.

Darting Around

Dec 1, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) runs with the ball during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

In the loss to the Patriots last week, quarterback Jaxson Dart didn’t draw any designed runs, but he still showed his reckless side when taking off on scrambles. He has also remained defiant about his style despite the urging of his teammates, coaches, and former players.

The question here isn’t so much whether Kafka will completely cut out the designed runs, but rather whether he will reduce them.

It seems foolish to have to even think about that, as Dart’s mobility is a key asset.

But at this point in the season, the last thing the Giants and Dart should want is for the quarterback to suffer a potential season-ending injury that puts him at risk of not being ready to help usher in the next head coach’s regime.

Health Watch

Dec 1, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) is helped off the field during the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Giants have a couple of additional guys on their very long injury list whose statuses will be on the radar, including receiver/returner Gunner Olszewski (concussion) and running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr (hip).

The hope is that the week off helped both of those guys, as well as the others who have been banged up, inch closer to a return. We’ll find out more about their statuses on Wednesday when the first injury report comes out, but the Giants could surely use some good news on the injury front.

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