Washington Football Team vs. Giants Week 6 preview, matchups to watch, score prediction
Washington Football Team defense vs. Giants offense
Defensively, things are looking better for Washington. The Giants’ offense has been horrible this year. Despite scoring 34 points last week against the Cowboys (36 points per game allowed), the Giants are still averaging just 16.2 points per game, the second-fewest in the league this season. That will give Washington a chance to contain the unit.
The best chance for Washington to win will be in the trenches. Washington has a top-tier defensive line featuring Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, and Daron Payne. They were one of the major reasons the team won against Philadelphia in Week 1, and they could have a similar impact against the Giants.
The Giants’ offensive line has not been good this year. No. 4 pick Andrew Thomas has been awful at left tackle so far while the interior line hasn’t lived up to expectations either. Washington will mostly shut down the run game and should have a chance to get a lot of pressure on Daniel Jones.
More from Commanders News
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
That will be good news, as Jones has turned the ball over eight times through five games and has been sacked 17 times. And when he gets pressured, he plays scared. He gets happy feet. He makes mistakes. That’s what Washington will want, as Jones playing scared will allow them a chance to emerge victoriously.
Of course, the secondary will have to hold up for this to be effective. Landon Collins and Troy Apke have struggled at safety and that has created some coverage busts in recent weeks. They’ll need to bring their A-game along with Kendall Fuller, Jimmy Moreland, and Ronald Darby to contain the likes of Darius Slayton, Evan Engram, and Golden Tate in the passing game.
The Giants have a slight advantage in that area. But if the pass rush rules the day for Washington, this matchup could be even as the Washington secondary can stick with receivers very well in short bursts and force turnovers, as we saw them do against the Eagles in Week 1. That type of performance should be possible against New York.
Last but not least, the Giants are without Saquon Barkley (torn ACL) so Washington should be able to contain Devonta Freeman on the ground. That said, they’ll need to make sure they limit him as a pass catcher and in the red-zone, as that’s something they had trouble with against the Rams and Darrell Henderson last week.
Winning on defense is certainly possible for Washington. It’s not a guarantee, but if they come focused and play up to their ceiling on that side of the ball, they will be able to make life difficult for Jones and Co.