Redskins vs. Giants: 4 Key First-Half Stats for New York

The Giants' thrilling win over Dallas last week should theoretically have given them momentum coming into today's home game against Washington, but beware the team with nothing to lose! The Redskins have a chance to play the spoiler today as they finish their season with two meaningless games against Minnesota and Philly.

For New York, the narrative of the season is coming into focus. Eli has become a truly elite QB, but the Giants' banged-up defense struggles to keep their team in the game. The Giants need to outscore their opponents to win. Is that formula good enough to get them in the playoffs? We'll see, as they can guarantee themselves a spot if they win out against Washington, the Jets and Dallas.

Here are five key stats that explain the direction of the game so far:

85.8: That's how many rushing yards the Giants average per game, good for 32nd in the 32-team NFL. This is a far, far cry from the smash-mouth Giants teams of yore, or even the Super Bowl team of 2008 that could beat you by controlling the clock and field position. Last week though, the rushing game made something of a comeback, as Brandon Jacobs went over the 100-yard plateau. A sight for sore eyes, if you're a Giants fan. As of the two-minute warning, they'd rushed for 34 yards.

Forget the fact that they're down big—that's simply not enough of a running game to win an NFC East matchup. It's as if New York just gave up on the run as soon as they got behind. There's still time in this game to run the ball and tire out the Washington defense, but that time is running out.

99 out of 100: Speaking to the media this week, Giants safety Antrel Rolle said the Giants would beat the Redskins 99 times out of 100. This year, Rolle has emerged as the mouth that roared for the Giants, but more importantly he's one of the few productive veterans New York has on D. Still, so far his swagger looks more like stupidity.

0: The Giants have forced two turnovers in the first half and converted them into exactly zero points. In what is essentially a playoff game, New York will have to be better at capitalizing on their opportunities in the second half.

0-6: In the first quarter, Giants QB Eli Manning didn't complete a single pass. That includes terrible drops by Hakeem Nicks and Jake Ballard. Manning also threw an interception (off a tipped ball) that lead to seven points for the Redskins. Bad luck, poor play and New York is down big. Pretty simple.