Big Blue View
Giants will try to avenge their Week 2 loss
The New York Giants return home to host the Washington Commanders in Week 9.
This is the first rematch of the season for the Giants, and a lot has changed since Week 2. Back then, the Giants were largely expected to steamroll a Washington team that was on the second game of a franchise-wide reset. Instead, the Giants lost despite not giving up a single touchdown and stumbled their way to a 2-6 record. On the flip side, Washington has sprinted out to an NFC East leading 6-2 record and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is the frontrunner for Offensive Rookie Of the Year, and is even getting MVP buzz.
The Giants are (once again) underdogs at home, and the Commanders are favored to win by FanDuel sports book.
Want to join FanDuel Sportsbook? Click here for deals.
Who does the Big Blue View staff think will win?
This game pits two franchises going in opposite directions. The Commanders are the darlings of the NFL. The Giants may not even be the darlings of their own mothers. Washington should win. But here’s a secret: They’re not that good. No doubt, Jayden Daniels is the star of the 2024 draft class, and he has great chemistry with Terry McLaurin. Washington’s defense is solid up front though not the equal of Pittsburgh’s. The Commanders also now have good coaching. But if the Giants had elevated a healthy kicker in Week 2 and Tyrique Stevenson had actually played the final play rather than taunting the crowd last Sunday, Washington would be 4-4.
As in several other games so far, this will come down to Giants mistakes. It’s shocking how many they make, especially on offense. If it continues this Sunday, they’re toast once again. I’m going to guess that this is the week they finally cut down on the illegal shifts and formations, the false starts, the failures to set the protection properly. This is the week they avoid the air-mailed or wounded duck passes in scoring territory and actually score some touchdowns. This is the week Tae Banks finally starts to play like a Round 1 pick.
Pick: Giants
The usual caveat applies: This is a game the Giants can win. The fact of the matter is that there aren’t many teams that the Giants can’t compete with. However, my usual rule applies, too: I can’t pick the Giants to win until they actually show that they can consistently win.
I can see this game going one of two ways: Either the Giants offense finally breaks through and the Giants are able to pull off the upset, or the defense finally crumbles after trying to haul an albatross of an offense across the line — again.
The Giants’ defense has gelled since Week 2, but Washington has improved on both sides of the ball as well. The key to the game will be whether or not the Giants...
