The Washington Commanders are on the road again this weekend, heading to East Rutherford, New Jersey, for a divisional clash against the New York Giants.
It's a game that will have more implications for the 2026 NFL Draft than for the rest of this season. But it doesn't mean the Commanders shouldn't give it their best effort.
A victory for head coach Dan Quinn's unit would bring Washington at least a momentary sigh of relief after what's been a horror show campaign, and it might be the Commanders' last chance before closing out the year against the Philadelphia Eagles twice and the Dallas Cowboys. But is it in the cards?
Here are three predictions for how Week 15 will play out.
Wildly bold Commanders' predictions for Week 15 against the Giants
Jaxson Dart makes the Commanders' defense look silly (again)
The Commanders' defense has made just about every opposing quarterback look good this year, even J.J. McCarthy of all people a week ago. It's hard to perform well as a unit when you're missing both starting edge rushers and outside cornerbacks, and Washington's defensive unit wasn't even good before that.
There was a brief improvement after Quinn demoted Joe Whitt Jr. and took over play-calling duties, but they could only hold up for so long. Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart will have his way against Washington with one of the best games of his rookie season, all while humiliating Commanders fans with his confident swagger.
Commanders' offense runs through Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was raked over the coals this week, and rightfully so, about why he didn't run the ball at the goal line on Washington's opening drive against the Minnesota Vikings. He told the media he'd love to have that sequence back and knows he needs to be better.
Now it's time to prove it, and this week will be an overcorrection. Chris Rodriguez Jr. will be fed early and often, and he'll vindicate all of the fantasy football managers who picked him up off the waiver wire for their playoff matchups. He'll score at least once and could end up having his first career 100-yard rushing day.
That's if he plays, of course. And that could go either way.
Commanders keep it competitive, but lose their ninth in a row
The Commanders won't get shut out this week, at the very least. In fact, expect this game to be one in which a lot of points are scored, much like their 2019 Week 16 matchup, in which crucial draft positions were at stake. Both offenses are better than their defenses, and neither team has anything to play for besides their pride.
Washington will make it a contest, just as it did against the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos in recent weeks. Marcus Mariota will be an effective game manager while Rodriguez carries the load. But at the end of the day, Dart will lead a clutch game-winning touchdown drive to add one more infuriating defeat to the Commanders' nightmare of a season.
Final score prediction: Giants 28, Commanders 24