Is this the year the Washington Commanders finally solve New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones? You’d think, by us asking this question that Jones was one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. Unfortunately for the Giants, that’s not the case. Jones loves playing the Commanders.
The Giants lost their season opener in embarrassing fashion, falling to the Minnesota Vikings, 28-6, at MetLife Stadium. New York averaged just 3.5 yards per carry running the ball, and Jones completed only 52% of his passes, was intercepted twice, and was sacked five times.
The Commanders didn’t fare much better in Week, falling 37-20 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, the Bucs were defending the NFC South champions, and Washington is in the early stages of rebuilding. Despite the 17-point deficit, the Commanders were a few plays away from making it a different game.
Can Washington snap a four-game winless streak against New York? Can the Commanders pick up their first regular-season win since Week 9 of last season? That win was on Nov. 5, 2023.
Here are four potential causes for concern for Washington heading into Week 2.
Daniel Jones
We placed Jones on the reasons to be optimistic list. Why? He’s been terrible for a while now, and his confidence appears lower than ever. But Jones is 5-1-1 against the Commanders. He has 10 touchdowns vs. three interceptions against Washington and has rushed for 324 yards vs. Washington. While a lot of faces have changed for the Commanders, their defense struggled badly last week and could prove to be the perfect medicine for Jones’ struggles.
Giants’ edge rushers
Kayvon Thibodeaux enters his third NFL season with 15.5 career sacks. He’s had the most success against Washington, with 5.5 sacks. Thibodeaux dominated Commanders right tackle Andrew Wylie last season. Thibodeaux is a lot like Jones; he comes alive when he sees the burgundy and gold. Outside of playing Washington, he’s been average. He has help now, though. The Giants added Brian Burns, opposite of Thibodeaux, and the duo could prove to be a nightmare for Jayden Daniels.
Secondary concerns
Washington’s secondary was a question mark heading into the season. Those concerns were proven true last week against the Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield completed 80% of his passes and threw for four touchdowns. While the Giants don’t have Mayfield, Mike Evans, or Chris Godwin, they do have Malik Nabers. The No. 6 overall pick has a chance to be one of the NFL’s best receivers immediately. How will Washington defend Nabers? He could have his first career 100-yard game on Sunday.
Becoming one-dimensional
The last thing a rookie quarterback needs is to be one-dimensional. The Giants have Dexter Lawrence in the middle of their defensive line, and they’re tough to run on. The Vikings had success running the ball last week, though. Washington didn’t do a great job of run blocking last week, and the Giants have a better front. Good luck blocking Lawrence, Burns, and Thibodeaux. While the coaches have said they don’t want Daniels running too much, his legs may be Washington’s best chance at a consistent running game on Sunday.