ClutchPoints
For the first time since 2011, the New York Giants and Washington Commanders will face each other in Week 1 to begin the 2025 NFL season. Ahead of the marquee matchup, we will break down our Giants-Commanders Week 1 predictions.
The Commanders, who surprisingly went 12-5 in 2024, swept the season series a year ago. Their 21-18 victory in Week 2 gave rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels his first career victory. Washington backed up that performance with another narrow win on the road in Week 9 that capped a three-game win streak.
Before the 2024 season, the Commanders had not previously beaten the Giants since the 2021 season. New York went 3-0-1 in 2022 and 2023, further solidifying its recent dominance in the series.
The results epitomized the two vastly different seasons each team had. The Commanders were arguably the biggest shock of the year after sneaking into the playoffs and making it to the NFC Championship Game. Washington ended the year with a lopsided loss, but it was a significant turnaround after going just 4-13 in 2023.
Conversely, the Giants suffered another losing season, going just 3-14 on the year. After going 2-3 through its first five games, New York ended the year winning just one of its final 12 outings.
The 2025 season will begin a new chapter for both teams. The teams were two of the most aggressive teams in the offseason and will look substantially different in Week 1. The Commanders salvaged what would have been a disastrous summer by extending Terry McLaurin just one week before the start of the 2025 season.
Both teams have reasonably high expectations for the 2025 season and must start the year on the right foot. Before they meet at Northwest Stadium, we will make our Giants-Commanders Week 1 predictions.
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Terry McLaurin ultimately received his payday, but it came at a cost of nearly his entire offseason. McLaurin ended up joining the team for its final few practice sessions, but otherwise held out of OTAs, minicamp and training camp while waiting to receive his day in court.
His situation was not unique, and unfortunately, it tends to affect the on-field results. Receivers in similar situations — including Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins and CeeDee Lamb in 2024 — have started the season slowly. Unsurprisingly, missing months of valuable field time tends to disrupt their rhythm in the offense and with their quarterbacks.
McLaurin had one of the best seasons of his career with Jayden Daniels in 2024, but it is not as if they had spent years together on the field. The two have spent just one year together and now have only one week to rediscover their rhythm after being apart for four months.
McLaurin is not only returning from a lengthy layoff, but he is joining an entirely different offense from the one he left. Washington added Deebo Samuel, Laremy Tunsil and Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the...
