5 Commanders reality checks for Week 15 against the NY Giants
By Tim Payne
1. The Reality Is, there’s no excuse for losing this game.
Washington has been preparing for New York for three weeks. They are coming in off a bye and getting a few key pieces back and healthy. They are the home team. They have the better roster. They have their playoff destiny in their own hands. There is simply no excuse for Washington not to find a way to win this game.
Additionally, the Commanders have the superior special teams unit…and in their first meeting, that unit played uncharacteristically poorly, with Joey Slye missing a kick and the coverage unit committing multiple costly penalties. They should return to form in the rematch after getting scolded by Nate Kaczor.
Washington’s offensive weapons are far superior to their counterparts on the New York defense. In the first game, that disparity was only on display in a few sporadic moments. The coaching staff needs to find ways to consistently exploit it.
The single area that favors New York is their defensive line vs the Commanders’ offensive line … and that’s where some strategic use of Heinicke’s legs and a more aggressive approach to getting the ball quickly into the hands of the receivers will be key in this game.
With two weeks to prepare, there is absolutely zero excuse for Washington to not find a way to make that happen.
