Big Blue View
The New York Giants and Washington Commanders are playing out the string of disappointing seasons as we reach NFL Week 15. Which team will win when they meet Sunday at MetLife Stadium? See how the Big Blue View staff views that, and the rest of the Week 15 games, below.
I can honestly say I don’t really know what to expect from either of these teams. We’ve seen the Giants put some of the top teams in the NFL on the ropes despite being double-digit underdogs. We’ve also seen them embarrass themselves against the Saints.
Two weeks ago, Washington took the Broncos to the brink in overtime… Only to get shut out by the Vikings the very next week.
I don’t think anyone knows which version of either team will show up this week… Or when they’ll show up, for that matter. Washington being without Jayden Daniels and Zach Ertz is a massive blow, but they still have a very good running game. The Giants, meanwhile, may be getting healthier and Jaxson Dart is going to want to finish the season with an exclamation point.
I’m going to pick the Giants here, because I think Washington will be reeling from a shut out loss in which they also lost their starting QB and second-leading receiver (Ertz). I also suspect that the Giants’ interim coaching staff’s emphasis on fundamentals and accountability will start to pay dividends this week.
Pick: Giants
This is a difficult game to call…and really, who cares anyway? At this point there are probably as many Giants fans hoping for the team to lose out and preserve the No. 1 draft position so they can trade down for a haul of picks as there are are fans who’d like to see the home team win for a change. Making that No. 1 pick more likely is the ever-growing “Did Not Practice” list that we saw on Wednesday. What we know from Hard Knocks, though, is that foul-mouthed Mike Kafka will have none of it. There are now three empty offices, and counting, at 1925 Giants Drive, so the threat is there for more early exits on the coaching staff if they don’t motivate the players to do their best. The Commanders followed their inspiring OT loss to Denver by being embarrassed in Minnesota 31-0. They haven’t fired any coaches, but head coach Dan Quinn did demote defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.
What we also know is that Jaxson Dart wants four wins in these last four games, and that may matter more. The Giants’ offense laid an egg in New England, but the Commanders’ defense is as bad as the Giants’ defense, just in a different way – Washington’s secondary is even worse than the Giants’ if you can believe that, but their run defense is somewhat better, which is easy to believe. Jayden Daniels will be out again, and although Marcus Mariota is one of the NFL’s better backup QBs, he’s...
