5 positives for Washington Football Team vs Giants

After a short week following the first game of the season, the Washington Football Team was back at FedEx Field on Thursday evening for a key game against a division rival, the New York Giants.

It seems peculiar to say that the second game of the season is a make or break contest, but that is what Washington and New York were essentially facing after both teams went down to defeat in the first game of the season.  Franchises that start the season 0-2 rarely make the playoffs and both teams were in desperate need of a victory on Thursday night.

Welcome to the week two analysis and our focus on the positives for this week.  With a 30-29 victory over the Giants, the Washington Football Team evened their record at 1-1 and fans are still trying to catch their collective breaths after a nail biter that frayed the nerves more than once.

The Burgundy and Gold has certainly put their fans through a roller coaster ride in the first two games.  Putting aside the anxieties for now, we will also post the weekly grades for Thursday’s game and give you a preview and prediction for the upcoming Bills game.  Also, we will award four game balls – a feature that we give to deserving players after each victory.  Here are your positives for week two.

1. The Taylor Heinicke excitement

The first positive for the Washington Football Team from Thursday’s game is the most obvious – the superb play of quarterback Taylor Heinicke.  At this time last year, he was taking classes at Old Dominion University and was in the process of completing his requirements for an undergraduate degree.

If Heinicke can continue to perform at high levels, he will be the starter for the rest of the season.  The former Old Dominion star has earned the chance to prove he can live up to the hype and lead this team to a second straight division title.

Late in the game, Heinicke forced a pass to Terry McLaurin and it was intercepted.  The defense was able to give the offense one final chance to win the game and number four was up to the challenge.  His stellar play is this week’s first positive.

2. Washington’s running backs shine

Washington Football Team running back J.D. McKissic had almost no impact against the Chargers, but he was a bona fide star on Thursday evening.  Antonio Gibson carried the ball 13 times for 69 yards for another solid outing.  He provided key yardage throughout the game.

McKissic provided the fireworks that sparked Washington to the go ahead touchdown late in the game.  The 56-yard catch and run came on a perfect throw by Heinicke and McKissic blazed a path down the right sideline.  One play later, Washington was in the end zone and a victory was within reach.

3. Washington’s tight ends are clutch

Logan Thomas continues to prove that he is one of the better tight ends in the league and Thursday’s game was no exception.  He is on pace for 68 receptions, 638 yards, and nine touchdowns – a solid season by any measure.

When Thomas signed with Washington during the 2020 offseason, there were many skeptics who said that the former quarterback would never successfully transition to a franchise tight end.  The doubters have been proven wrong and Thursday’s game (five catches for 45 yards) is just another verification of his talent.

Tight end Ricky Seals-Jones has one catch after two games, but it was a gem.  His acrobatic catch on the right side of the end zone late in the fourth quarter elevated the Washington Football Team to a one point lead.

Washington is resilient to the end

The Washington Football Team had a lot of clutch plays against the Giants, but Seals-Jones produced the best highlight of all and it came at a crucial point in the game.

Bonus:  The defensive secondary in game one was abysmal, but rebounded nicely against the Giants.  There is still plenty of room for improvement, but game two was encouraging.  Improving in game two includes Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste.