Giants activating Landon Collins vs Commanders adds extra flavor to SNF

The Washington Commanders’ clash against the NY Giants on Sunday Night Football in Week 15 doesn’t need any more hype. Both team’s fan bases have been hyping up the game on social media ever since Graham Gano missed the potential game-winning 58-yard field goal at the end of overtime two weeks ago.

The NFL couldn’t ask for a better matchup. The NFC East is a ratings monster to begin with, but Washington and New York have identical records at 7-5-1, and the winner will likely go on to make the playoffs, whereas the loser would have to go 2-1 (at worst) over the final three games to make the dance.

It’s the closest thing to a winner-take-all game in a non-season finale.

Short of calling Joe Theismann and Eli Manning out of retirement, you couldn’t generate more excitement for the game if you tried.

Don’t tell that to the Giants, though. On Friday, New York made a surprising — yet somewhat predictable — decision to elevate Landon Collins from the practice squad for Sunday’s game to replace healthy scratch Tae Crowder.

Commanders will face former star Landon Collins against the NY Giants on Sunday Night Football.

What a turn of events! Collins wasn’t promoted for the Week 13 meeting at the Meadowlands. Of course, Collins’ elevation (likely) doesn’t happen if not for Crowder’s postgame outburst on Twitter after Week 13.

Crowder didn’t play a defensive snap in the game, and proceeded to tweet “Free Me” with praying hands emojis. Giants fans and the media interpreted the post as Crowder asking for his release … in the middle of a playoff race.

Crowder apologized to his teammates, but he’s seemingly still in Daboll’s doghouse. With New York now thin at linebacker behind Jaylon Smith and rookie Micah McFadden, Collins will suit up against his former team in primetime, setting the stage for a revenge game for the ages if he makes a key play in a Giants win.

That is if Collins gets enough reps to make a play, however. The former Washington safety-turned-linebacker signed back with the Giants in early October, and has appeared in just two games with 30 defensive snaps to show for it.

Collins is anything but a trusted asset for Wink Martindale, but revenge games have a way of manifesting themselves.

Two weeks ago, Cowboys safety Malik Hooker had the game of his life against the Colts, the team that drafted him No. 15 overall in 2017, with an interception and a fumble returned for a touchdown, on Sunday Night Football.

Fans in the nation’s capital are hoping Collins doesn’t exact similar revenge against Washington. The odds are slim, but anything is possible. If nothing else, this should give the Commanders extra motivation to lay a beatdown on the Giants.