By Michael Stewart @TheTruthNYG
The New York Giants judgment day has arrived as they face the Washington Commanders on Sunday night in a must win scenario. Both teams are 7-5-1 with the Giants winless over the last 4 games (0-3-1). In their last meeting, the game ended in a tie (20-20); which left a sour taste in the mouths of Giant fans. If the Giants want to continue their season with playoff aspirations they will need all hands on deck for this game. Here are my top 3 ways the Giants could win:
- Daniel Jones to the Rescue: Jones has had many of his best performances in his 4-year career against Washington. The Giants coaching staff are all hoping Jones continues his early success against Washington with his arm and with his legs. Jones needs to have a solid performance along the lines of 250+ yards in the air and around 75 yards rushing with a couple of touchdowns.
- Mike Kafka Open Up the Playbook: The Giants brain trust have been spoon feeding Daniel Jones and the Giants offense a little at a time. I believe they need to open up the playbook a lot more in this game, which should include some trickery. The Giants offense game plan can’t play this game with the premise of not looking to lose. They need to stretch the field and be much more creative and leave predictability in the locker room.
- Defense Must Shine: This might be a tall order as key players may not be available such as Leonard Williams, Adoree’ Jackson and Xavier McKinney. Their absence has been felt and if the Giants want to pull off a victory, they need other players to step up and make big plays. Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari come to mind as two key players who can alter this game, but the Giants need the rest of the defense to step up.
Final Thoughts: The Giants must play with urgency, like there’s no tomorrow as this game will have serious playoff implications for both teams. I expect Daboll and the rest of the Giants coaching staff to have this team prepared, however; my concern will be if the Giants are able to execute and make the plays needed for the win. Not having that same feeling, I had earlier in the season with the Giants, look for Washington to squeeze out a victory late in this game. Final Score: Washington-20/Giants-16