Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants: Full New York Game Preview
The New York Giants are thankful that their Week 3 game is on a Thursday night, allowing them to have a short week after yet another disappointment.
The quick turnaround will allow Big Blue to bounce back against a division foe and erase all the memories of their brutal 24-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. It was the second week in a row the Giants defense failed to get key stops late in the game and surrendered a game-winning touchdown within the final two minutes.
This NFC East showdown against the Washington Redskins will play a massive role in determining what type of season the G-Men have in 2015. If they fall to 0-3, they may never recover, especially with a Week 4 road game in Buffalo next.
Expect the Giants to bring their best possible game and for this one to be exciting throughout. Here's all you need to know to prepare for this Thursday night battle.
Viewing Info
Date: Thursday, September 24
Time: 8:25 p.m. ET
Location: MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
TV: CBS (local), NFL Network (national)
Week 2 Results and Recap
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After entering the fourth quarter up 20-10, it seemed as if the Giants were going to hang on and even their record on Sunday against the Falcons. After all, it was the home opener and the Giants had just squandered a huge opportunity to steal a road game in Dallas in Week 1. Surely it wouldn't happen again.
Just then, quarterback Matt Ryan and the Falcons charged up the field and drove 70 yards in just 1:58, with the final blow being Devonta Freeman's two-yard touchdown run, with just 1:14 remaining. It was the second touchdown of the day for Falcons running backs, which makes this week's matchup against Alfred Morris and Matt Jones all the more terrifying.
The Giants dropped yet another close one, proving that they fail to get stops late in games. The final, 24-20, was also buoyed by Eli Manning's fumble on Atlanta's 8-yard line at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The bottom line is that nobody on the Giants is playing up to their standard, especially the newly minted $84 million quarterback.
Manning and the Giants have to right the ship on Thursday night if they want to turn their season around and avoid missing the playoffs for the fourth straight season.
News and Notes
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Cruz Runs on Grass for the First Time
Wide receiver Victor Cruz spoke to reporters about his rehab. Cruz ran on grass for the first time since he was shut down due to a calf injury. Still, he didn't play in preseason and missed most of last year with a knee injury. It's been a long way back for the wideout.
Per Dan Salomone of Giants.com:
"It’s pretty hard. I’ve been patient for about 11 months now. It’s been hard, man, but you know you’ve got to stay the course. You’re not going to do the team any good if you’re out there at 60, 70 percent. You want to go out there 100 percent, being able to help this team win at the top of your ability, at the best of your ability, and that’s what I want to do.
"
Preston Parker Released
The thin group of Giants wide receivers shrunk even more as they released Preston Parker, according to the team.
Parker had issues with drops and was certainly underperforming, but the move is still curious, as the Giants elected to keep Parker over James Jones a few weeks ago. Jones has since reconnected with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay and has three touchdowns through two games, more than all Giants combined.
Chalk this one up as yet another strange decision made by general manager Jerry Reese in what has been a tenure full of them. In a corresponding move, the Giants signed former New York Jets defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis.
The Giants will need Rueben Randle to look more like the 938-yard receiver from a year ago as opposed to the invisible one of 2015 who has 28 yards in two games.
Latest Injury News
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| Player | Position | Injury |
| Robert Ayers | DE | Hamstring |
| Victor Cruz | WR | Calf |
| Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | CB | Concussion |
| Jon Beason | LB | Knee |
| Ereck Flowers | T | Ankle |
| Daniel Fells | TE | Foot |
| Cullen Jenkins | DT | Hamstring |
| Markus Khun | DT | Knee |
| Jay Bromley | DT | Knee |
| Jerome Cunningham | TE | Knee |
| Owa Odighizuwa | DE | Foot |
*All information courtesy of Giants.com.
An already-weak Giants defense may be without Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Jon Beason and Robert Ayers on Thursday night.
That's terrible news for the Giants, as they can't stomach missing three starters on that side of the ball in what is truly a must-win game. The Giants need Ayers to help their nonexistent pass rush in the absence of Jason Pierre-Paul. When Beason is healthy, he's a factor in stopping the run and pass, and Rodgers-Cromartie is the best player in the secondary.
It's almost certain wide receiver Victor Cruz will sit again due to a calf injury, meaning Odell Beckham Jr. will have to carry the offensive load once more.
At least Eli Manning hasn't gotten hurt just yet, as the iron man has stayed strong amid a rash of quarterback injuries around the league.
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Key Matchups
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Giants cornerbacks vs. Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins had a career-high four interceptions in his last game against the Giants on Sept. 25 of last season. At kickoff Thursday night, it’ll be just one day shy of one year since that Week 4 game in which the Giants dismantled the Redskins 45-14.
Circumstances are different for both teams, as the Giants secondary has weakened with the departure of safety Antrel Rolle and injury to corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Still, the Giants have held opposing quarterbacks in check (until the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter) this season, for the most part.
Cousins isn’t on the level of Tony Romo or Matt Ryan, so the Giants should have less difficulty. They also won’t have to deal with Dez Bryant or Julio Jones and will even avoid Redskins top target Desean Jackson. Additionally, only the Minnesota Vikings have less points in the NFC this season than Washington’s 34. The Giants need to pressure Cousins into making mistakes and turning the ball over.
Odell Beckham Jr. vs. the Redskins secondary
Star wideout Odell Beckham Jr. leads the Giants in receptions (12), targets (20) and receiving yards (190); nobody else is close. Second on the list of targets is running back Shane Vereen, and third is the recently cut Preston Parker. Without Victor Cruz, Eli Manning’s options are severely limited.
The Giants know the ball is going to Beckham. The Redskins know the ball is going to Beckham. He knows it’s coming; it’ll be his difficult task of catching it anyway.
Beckham is burdened with being the sole threat on offense, but if the Giants are going to have a shot in this game, he’s going to have to keep being effective. He’ll earn the respect and attention of the opposing secondary each week and this contest against the Redskins should be no different. Stop Beckham and you stop the Giants.
Matchup X-Factors
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Giants X-factor of the Week: RB Andre Williams
If you take away Rashad Jennings’ season-high 27-yard rush, he has 37 yards on 21 carries. It’s a small sample size, sure, but Jennings has been in the league long enough for everyone to know he isn’t a prototypical No. 1 back.
Andre Williams has barely half more than Jennings’ 22 carries and just seven fewer yards. If he can break out a few this season, he can carve out more carries for himself moving forward. With Vereen cemented as a third-down option and threat in the passing game, Williams has to find open holes to see the field.
The Giants rank No. 19 in the league in rushing, and the Redskins rank No. 4 in rushing defense, allowing a meager 70.5 yards per game. With the passing game not living up to preseason expectations, the Giants have to have an effective ground game to run the clock and set up play action to keep the Redskins defense honest.
Prediction: Giants 26, Redskins 16
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The Giants know how important this game is. A loss would send them to 0-3 with two division losses, while a win would pull them even with the ‘Skins and right back into the thick of things.
Opportunity is certainly knocking, as the division is an utter mess, and the Giants have a realistic shot at the division crown given injuries in Dallas and turmoil elsewhere.
Although only three teams have ever won a Super Bowl after starting the season 0-2, one of them was the 2011 Giants. Eli Manning has been down this road before, and if they can squeak by the average Redskins at home then maybe the blunders of the first two weeks will be forgotten.
The Giants can change the tide of their season and the narrative of their franchise if they avoid blowing another late lead and get themselves into the win column. It’ll happen Thursday night, as Manning has the advantage at quarterback, Beckham Jr. is the best playmaker on either team and the home crowd should push the Giants toward a victory. If they lose again, that same home crowd will get loud and ugly really fast.
Prediction: Giants 26, Redskins 16
Follow Daniel Ferrara on Twitter for more Giants news, analysis and updates.
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