New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins: Complete Week 4 Preview for Washington
Coming off a tightly contested game with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, the Washington Redskins have little time to lick their wounds. Slated to play the New York Giants on Thursday night, the quick turnaround could inhibit some key Redskins players from suiting up.
While Washington may have gained a moral victory in its 37-34 loss to the Eagles, the headlining story in the game's aftermath revolved around the litany of injuries the team had—most notably the Achilles injury suffered by top cornerback DeAngelo Hall.
On the Giants' side of things, New York averted another dreadful start to its season by defeating the Houston Texans in Week 3. Behind a turnover-free performance from Eli Manning and a defense that forced three turnovers, the Giants prevailed 30-17.
A week after Washington played for first place in the NFC East, the loser of this Week 4 bout will hold the early distinction of being the worst team in the division. So, who will prevail?
Let's find out. Here is the Week 4 preview for Washington.
Washington Redskins Week 3 Recap
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Despite being without the services of their franchise quarterback, the Redskins had little trouble keeping up with the NFL's top offense.
Ultimately, though, the Redskins came up short in their bid to capture first place in the NFC East and lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 37-34 in a wire-to-wire thriller.
A matchup that was slated to pit the NFL's top offense and defense against each other, this contest instead had the look of a shootout. The two teams combined for 990 yards of total offense, with 752 yards coming through the air.
In place of the injured Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins had a spectacular day. He completed 30 of 48 passes for three touchdowns, and his passing total of 427 yards nearly approached the franchise record for passing yards in game.
Be that as it may, Cousins unraveled in the late moments of the game. His interception midway through the fourth quarter handed the Eagles a double-digit lead. While he promptly responded with a touchdown drive, he came up small on Washington's final possession. Needing eight yards to enter field-goal range, Cousins threw three straight incompletions that effectively ended the game.
Even with that said, it's not as if he didn't post enough points to win this game. While the Redskins special teams did surrender a kick-return touchdown, their defense was far too generous to Nick Foles.
Despite playing behind a makeshift offensive line, Foles wasn't sacked and threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns. While Washington's defense corralled both LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles, miscues in the secondary were too much to overcome.
Washington is two games behind the Eagles in the NFC East. With the prospects of overcoming a 1-3 record and a 0-2 start in the division are daunting, the Redskins' Week 4 contest with the Giants is one they can ill-afford to lose.
News and Notes
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Will Washington's Pass Rush Show Up?
In light of the franchise-record 10 sacks Washington posted in Week 2, the team's pass rush is more than capable of taking over a football game. Even with that said, the sack-less performances in Washington's other two contests highlight a problem with consistency.
While injuries in the secondary have impacted defensive coordinator Jim Haslett's level of aggression, in terms of play-calling, with the likes of Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan and Jason Hatcher, the Redskins should be able to sack the quarterback without sending blitzes.
Looking at the team's inability to bring down Foles and Ryan Fitzpatrick, it was clear that the quarterbacks' mobility presented problems for this unit. Doing their best impersonation of one Ben Roethlisberger, both players were able to extend plays by breaking containment.
Facing a more stationary target in Eli Manning, this problem shouldn't resurface in Week 4. But with New York's offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo putting an emphasis on getting the ball out quickly, it doesn't mean the Redskins will repeat their Week 2 performance either.
Going against a Giants front that has allowed a sack in each of the team's first three games, though, Washington should have its share of sacks Thursday night.
Bashaud Breeland's Starting Debut
Lauded for his physical brand of play, Bashaud Breeland had one knock coming out of Clemson: his readiness to play. Consistency was an issue for the former fourth-round pick, and barring injury, ESPN.com's John Keim projected that it would take a year or two before he'd contribute.
Although Keim reiterated that Haslett expects Tracy Porter to make his Washington debut, for Keim, the injury to Hall will push Breeland into the starting lineup.
Going against a veteran quarterback in Manning, one could expect for Breeland to be the target of New York's passing attack. Fortunately for him, though, the receiver position is no longer a strength of the Giants.
Manning's only reliable target is Victor Cruz. While the team's receiving corps boasts a talented pair of former LSU Tigers, Odell Beckham Jr. and Rueben Randle, neither creates the type of matchup with Breeland that Manning could exploit.
If he can avoid the illegal contact penalties that plagued him in training camp, Breeland shouldn't be a liability for Washington's defense in this one.
Redskins' Turnover Differential
The story is in the numbers. Washington won the turnover battle in its win and lost the battle in its two losses. For all the analysis that goes into predicting the winners of NFL matchups, the outcome of these games often comes down to turnover differential.
Looking at this contest between New York and Washington, the winner will be the quarterback with the fewest interceptions.
For all the talk about how efficiently Cousins runs the Redskins offense, his penchant for turnovers can't be overlooked. In 10 games, not starts, he has 11 interceptions. In a battle with a quarterback who already owns four interceptions this season, a turnover-free performance is all Cousins needs to net Washington a win.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Chris Baker | DL | Probable |
| Kai Forbath | K | Probable |
| Jason Hatcher | DL | Questionable |
| Frank Kearse | DL | Questionable |
| Akeem Jordan | LB | Questionable |
| Alfred Morris | RB | Probable |
| Tracy Porter | CB | Questionable |
| Jordan Reed | TE | Questionable |
| Kedric Golston | DL | Questionable |
| Robert Griffin III | QB | Out |
| Keenan Robinson | LB | Probable |
| Trenton Robinson | S | Questionable |
| DeSean Jackson | WR | Questionable |
| Brian Orakpo | LB | Probable |
*All injury statuses from CBSSports.com.
At this juncture, the question is, who isn't hurt on the Redskins?
Fourteen players comprise this list, and this doesn't include Hall or Leonard Hankerson, who are on the physically unable to perform list or injured reserve.
Looking at this list, though, the injuries along the front seven are the biggest area of concern. The strength of the defense, the combination of a power-running game and a no-huddle offense could wear down this unit.
Lacking the bodies to spell defenders, Washington's defense could succumb to fatigue in the second half and surrender the type of big plays that were instrumental in the team's two losses.
On the offensive end, Alfred Morris' injury is one to worry about. While he's likely to play, you have to wonder how much of an impact his knee injury had on his lackluster performance in Week 3. While Cousins is more than capable of carrying the offense in his absence, because of the lack of depth on defense—and Cousins' propensity for turnovers—Washington has to dominate the time of possession if it's to win.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Tyler Polumbus vs. Giants' Pass Rush
Tormented by Justin Tuck a season ago, Tyler Polumbus can take solace in the fact that Tuck is no longer a Giant. Still, in light of Washington's interior line play, you can expect the Giants to bring pressure from the edge in an attempt to make Cousins step up in the pocket, possibly into a sack.
With Trent Williams on the other side, look for New York to rotate Mathias Kiwanuka and Jason Pierre-Paul in an effort to expose Polumbus. If Washington is to duplicate its aerial assault from Week 3, this is a matchup Polumbus must win—with the aid of the tight end and running back, of course.
Washington's Front Seven vs. Rashad Jennings
While Washington didn't live up to its billing as the NFL's top defense against Philadelphia as a whole, the team's run defense was again phenomenal. McCoy was held to 22 yards on 20 carries. For the season, the Redskins are surrendering just 64.7 yards per game.
Even with that said, Arian Foster did tally more than 100 rushing yards in the season opener. He averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, but his ability to finish runs wore down the Redskins defense. Against Rashad Jennings, Washington will face a similar back.
In Week 3 against the Houston Texans, he had 176 yards on 34 carries. With Manning prone to throw interceptions, Washington no doubt wants to make the Giants a one-dimensional offense.
Redskins' X-Factor of the Week: David Amerson
Talk about a leap on the depth chart. The No. 3 corner his rookie year, because of Hall's injury, David Amerson now has the chief responsibility of defending the opposition's top receiver.
But if his comments to ESPN.com's John Keim this offseason are any indication, it's a role Amerson is ready for.
"I want to go out there, and whoever shows up in front of me, play them or if they want me to follow somebody, go at him," he said.
While Cruz is a tough assignment for any cornerback, Amerson's experience in practice against Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson should have him up to the task.
If Amerson can neutralize Manning's safety blanket in the manner that the Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions did, then the Giants should be staring at another loss.
Prediction
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Looking to avenge two losses from last season, the Redskins have the horses to upend the Giants. Problem is, a lot of them are currently being tended to by the vet.
On offense and defense, Washington has more talent. Even at the all-important quarterback position, with the way Manning has played the past two years, you could argue the Redskins have the edge.
What does it matter, though? Washington has outplayed all three of its 2014 opponents and has just one win to show for it. The perception surrounding the team may have changed—Washington has clearly improved from last season—but behind untimely turnovers and poor special teams play, the reality remains the same.
For the Redskins to take the step from pretender to contender—in the NFC East, anyway—this is a game the team has to win, especially with the Seattle Seahawks next on the schedule.
Going against a porous New York offensive line and a lackluster receiving corps, this contest plays to the strengths and weaknesses of the Redskins. Utilizing a ball-control offense that shortens the game, look for Washington to ride a pair of Manning turnovers to victory.
Prediction: Redskins 23, Giants 13
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