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Comparing the Redskins to the Giants ahead of the 2020 season

By Jonathan Eig

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Redskins and Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants meet after their game at MetLife Stadium on September 29, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defeated the Redskins 24-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Washington Redskins and Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants meet after their game at MetLife Stadium on September 29, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defeated the Redskins 24-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 22: A Washington Redskins helmet is seen on the field before the game between the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants at FedExField on December 22, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 22: A Washington Redskins helmet is seen on the field before the game between the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants at FedExField on December 22, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Stop me when you know what NFL team I’m talking about.

  •  Disappointing 2019 led to an overhaul of the coaching staff for 2020
  • Hopes resting on a second-year quarterback who showed both promise and problems in his rookie season
  • Rebuilt offensive line featuring a stud guard and likely trying out a rookie at left tackle
  • Underwhelming receiving corps needs to step up
  • Strength resides in a young, powerful defensive line
  • Linebackers – see receiving corps note above
  • Rebuilt secondary features plenty of question marks

Did you say the Washington Redskins? Wrong. I was talking about the New York Giants (If you said the Giants, then I was talking about the Redskins. That’s what we call the old switcheroo).

The Redskins and the Giants are mirror images of each other, both securely residing in the bottom half of the NFC East, trying to climb back up into the title conversation that in recent years has only included Philadelphia and Dallas.

The numbers from 2019 confirm how alike the “burgundy and gold” and the “men in blue” are. On offense, where Dallas consistently ranked at or near the top, and the Eagles generally held the high middle, the Giants and Redskins were bottom dwellers. The Giants finished 23rd in total offense in 2019, while the Skins were a moribund 31st. The Redskins were dead last in passing yards and points, and their somewhat better rushing totals only compensated a little bit. The Giants were better balanced, rushing and throwing at just a bit behind the league average. But their turnovers – one area in which the Redskins were respectable – were abysmal.

On defense, the picture is similar, with the positions flipped. The Redskins scored slightly better than the Giants, though neither team was very good. The Redskins could not stop the run, while the Giants could not stop the pass. Again, the Redskins’ superiority in the turnover department elevated them just a bit over the Giants. A very tiny bit.

So as Washington enters the 2020 season, challenging either Philly or Dallas seems like quite a reach. But clearly moving ahead of the Giants is a reasonable and achievable goal. Of course, if you’re a fan of the Giants, you’re saying the exact same thing, only the other way around.

Both squads have retooled their rosters and their coaching staffs and are full of optimism. Let’s try to strip away all that and see how they really match up.

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