The Washington Commanders should have picked up a win against the New York Giants this season. Or at least a field goal attempt for the win.
The last time the Commanders and Giants played, it ended in one of the worst game management fiascos in recent memory. The Commanders were in contention for a game-winning 42-yard field goal in overtime. Then it got weird. Washington was painfully slow to execute a play from scrimmage in the final minute; Jayden Daniels inexplicably allowed himself to be tackled, and time ran out before Washington could put him in front. The game ended in a tie, with Washington never making the field goal attempt.
Washington is 1-2 since then, and its record this season is a disappointing 2-5-1. The Giants, who benefited from a half-win in Washington, are 2-1 since then and 5-2-1 overall, good for first place in the NFC East.
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The Giants are not a dominant team, but they are in a great position to win the division and host a playoff game. If the season ended now, they would be the No. 3 seed in the NFC. Acquiring JJ McCarthy for a fifth round pick had a big impact on their season (and the Vikings’ as well). McCarthy isn’t coming off his best game — Jameis Winston led the Giants’ only touchdown drive in a 19-11 win over the Eagles last week — and is facing a hip-pointer, but overall he’s shown promise.
The Commanders have been a mess for most of the season, and Daniels rightly said after last week’s loss to the Rams that the Giants game was a “must-win.” They can’t afford a loss. Or even a half-defeat like in the first meeting of these teams.
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn watches his team’s tie with the Giants in Week 5. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Who needs it most?
The Commanders’ season is all but over and Dan Quinn’s employment status could be in jeopardy if they lose on Thursday. If Washington loses, it would be four games behind the Giants and New York would hold the tiebreaker. There wouldn’t be much reason for hope if that happened. But if the Commanders win, they will only be two games back and will have the tiebreaker. This is a huge change. The Giants want to get this win to all but eliminate the Commanders and move closer to an NFC East title, but Washington is clearly the more desperate team.
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Key player: Giants WR Malik Nabers
Malik Nabers entered the season with some questions about his health, as he was coming off a torn ACL. But over the first half of the season, he reestablished himself as one of the best young receivers in the NFL. He has 53 catches for 648 yards, and that’s after a pretty slow start. He’s had four straight 100-yard games, a streak that was snapped last week. In the first meeting with the Commanders, Nabers had 11 catches for 121 yards and a game-tying touchdown with 1:43 left in regulation. The Commanders don’t have a cornerback who can reasonably compete with Nabers. Washington is 30th in passing yards allowed and 28th in passing touchdowns allowed. If they fail to contain Nabers, it could be a long night.
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The New York Giants have a sizable lead in the NFC East and have also been one of the most reliable teams for oddsmakers to back this season (6-2 ATS). It wasn’t pretty, but JJ McCarthy, Jameis Winston & Co. won (and covered) Sunday against the Eagles. Although McCarthy briefly left the game with a hip injury, it appears he will play.
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On the other hand, the Commanders made another late mistake in a 20-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9. Washington isn’t going anywhere quickly and the team has a lot more questions than answers at the moment. It’s a little surprising that this spread is only -2.5 in New York, but it’s also hard not to root for Big Blue under a basket. —Ben Fawkes
Check out more of Ben’s work at the Yahoo Sports betting center.
The Giants and Commanders played an adorable draw five weeks ago, with both teams losing a likely overtime victory. Thursday evening, they get the expected revenge. Here are three fantastic themes to follow while you watch the game.
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1. Will Malik Nabers leave again? Nabers had a four-game streak of 100-yard efforts broken last week, but this is a great opportunity to get back into action. He hauled in 20 targets and posted an 11-121-1 return the last time he faced Washington’s beatable secondary.
2. Can Jayden Daniels regain his enthusiasm for running? Daniels has to run proactively to be at his best, and he gashed the Giants for 103 yards in that previous meeting. He has only 49 rushing yards in his last three starts. Washington’s pass catchers are ordinary, so if Daniels wants to be a fantasy-worthy start here, he needs to utilize his athleticism.
3. Is Cam Skattebo back in the Circle of Trust? It’s been a whirlwind sophomore year for Skattebo – fumbles, injuries, soft benches. And the Giants kicked the tires on a Jonathan Taylor trade this week. Alas, Skattebo is someone they probably need, given Devin Singletary’s poor performance against the Eagles. Washington’s run defense has been solid all year, a stark contrast to the pass defense. —Scott Pianoowski
See more of Scott’s work at Yahoo Sports Fantasy Center.
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