Game Preview, Week 4: Redskins at Giants
September 27, 2019
by Steve Thomas
I’m not sure if it was possible for the Redskins’ week 3 matchup on Monday Night Football to go worse than it did. Washington really laid an egg against the Bears, with the offensive line looking pathetically outclassed by Chicago’s fearsome front 7, and Case Keenum having his worst day as a Redskin. The good news is that the Giants are the opposite of the Bears in many ways; in particular, their defense might be the worst in football. Understanding that most Redskins – Giants games are either Giants blowouts or close, hard-fought affairs, this game truly should be a “get well” game for Washington’s offense. With an 0 – 3 record, and the New England Patriots headed to town next week, this game is as much of a “must win” as it gets in the first quarter of the season. Forget the odds listed below, because this is a game that the Redskins can and should win. Will they, though? That’s another story.
Game time & location: Sunday, September 29, 2019, 1:00 p.m. ET, Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ; Gates open 11:00 a.m. ET; parking lots open 8:00 a.m.
Television: Fox
Television announcers: Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman & Shannon Spake
TV broadcast map: Click here
DC-area radio: The Team 980
Redskins radio network: Click here
Giants radio network: Click here
Satellite radio: XM: 232 (Giants broad.) Sirius: 146 (Redskins broad); internet: 831 (Redskins broad.)
Redskins roster: Click here
Redskins depth chart: Click here
Giants roster: Click here
Giants depth chart: Click here
All-time head-to-head record vs Giants: 68 – 100 – 4 (last 10: 4 – 6) (streak: 0 – 1)
Last meeting: L, December 9, 2018, 16 – 40
Early odds: Giants, -3
3 KEYS TO THE GAME
Take advantage of the Giants’ horrible defense
The Giants’ defense was remarkably unsuccessful in week 1, and slightly better in weeks 2 and 3, but still for the most part awful. The Redskins offense has been at least mediocre but for the Keenum Turnovers against Chicago. Washington simply must produce results against this defense at a much higher level than they’ve done against the Eagles, Cowboys, and Bears. The Giants have actually been fairly stout against the run, as you’ll see below, but regardless, this needs to be the Redskins “get well” week for the offense. It’s essential.
Don’t let Daniel Jones get rolling
If you think there’s been chaos in Redskinsland this week, just wait to see how things go if new Giants starter Daniel Jones puts up 350 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a rating of over 100 again, particular if the Giants eek out a victory in the process. The key to playing almost any rookie quarterback is to put significant pressure on him, rattle him, and not let him get comfortable. With Saquon Barkley out, the only real chance the Giants have to win this game is for Jones to have another efficient, effective effort. The Redskins defensive coaching staff needs to go against type and prevent that from happening.
Win the battle of the trenches
The Redskins have mostly lost the battles in the trenches on both side of the ball in their three contests this season. The Giants absolutely do not have the pure talent that the Redskins have along their offensive and defensive lines. The Redskins need to take advantage of the Giants offensive line and make life miserable for Jones. The way to do that is for the defensive line to start winning one on one matchups, which is something they’ve done far too little so far this year. Also, the only way the run game works is for rushing lanes to be opened. Adrian Peterson hasn’t been perfect by any means, but he’s had far too little opportunities for positive yardage.
3 KEY MATCHUPS
Evan Engram vs. Jonathan Bostic & company
One of the Redskins’ biggest historic weak spots has been the athletic, pass catching tight end. Fans have watched opposing tight ends streaking free and clear down the field for years. Unfortunately, Evan Engram is the Giants’ leading receiver and had a monster game last week against Tampa Bay, to the tune of 6 receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. Washington can’t afford to have this happen again, so keep a close eye on the pass coverage by Jonathan Bostic and Shawn Dion Hamilton against Engram. If things don’t go well, that could be a sign of a long day for the Redskins.
Sterling Shepard vs. Josh Norman
It’s not exactly earthshattering news to say that Josh Norman has had a rough start to the season, giving up multiple long touchdowns via blown and/or poor coverages. Much like the Redskins can’t afford to let Evan Engram run wild, they also also can’t give up cheap and easy long touchdowns to Sterling Shepard. Paging the real Josh Norman….will the real Josh Norman please stand up?
Redskins offensive line vs Giants defensive line
I don’t mean to cop out of a one on one matchup with this one, but the truth of the matter is that this is the key to the game. The Redskins offensive line simply has to be able to protect the quarterback and open up significant rushing lanes against a largely unsuccessful defense like the Giants. The task is made all the more difficult by injuries to both starting guard Brandon Scherff and starting center Chase Roullier. If you pay attention to any one particular thing on Sunday, it should be this battle.
OFFICIAL INJURY REPORT (as of Thursday (active roster only)) (starters in bold)
LP – limited practice FP – full practice DNP – did not practice
NIR – not injury related Q – questionable O – out
D – doubtful NL – not listed
| Redskins | Giants |
| QB C. Keenum, foot; Wed: DNP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | RB S. Barkley, ankle; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| TE J. Reed, concussion; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | LB T. Davis, concussion; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| C C. Roullier, knee; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O | LB A. Ogletree, hamstring; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: O |
| G B. Scherff, ankle; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game: Q | DT O. Pierre, knee; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: FP |
| CB Q. Dunbar; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | WR R. Shepard, foot; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: to IR; game: O |
| LB C. McKinzy hip; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | LB L. Carter, elbow; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| DT J. Allen, knee; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | WR B. Fowler, hamstring; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP |
| QB C. McCoy, fibula; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | WR C. Latimer, concussion; Wed: LP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
| WR T. McLaurin, hamstring; Wed: NL; Thurs: LP; Fri: DNP; game: Q | |
| CB J. Norman, foot; Wed: NL; Thurs: NL; Fri: FP |
TEAM STATISTICS
Redskins:
There’s no other way to describe the Redskins’ run game as anything other than…pathetic and awful. Amazingly, two other teams have actually accumulated less rushing yards than the Redskins (ranked 30th in the NFL), with an average of just 2.8 yards per attempt. Washington has also had the fewest number of rushing attempts in the NFL, with 51 (ranked 32nd), and simultaneously is ranked 4th in pass attempts, with 124. Winning teams not named the Patriots don’t play like that. Not surprisingly, the Redskins are just 29th in time of possession. Finally, aside from his 5 turnovers against the Bears, Keenum has posted good numbers, being ranked 9th in both quarterback rating and completion percentage.
Defensively, the Redskins have been absolutely miserable on third downs, allowing opponents to convert first downs an astounding 63.41% of the time, which is the worst in the NFL. They’ve also been terrible against the run, surrendering a total of 426 yards and 4.8 yards per attempt, which are ranked 29th and 23th, respectively. They’ve also been terrible in the most important stat, points, with 93 given up in three games, which is the second-worst in the league.
On the good side, the Redskins are the best punting team in the NFL. Tress Way, superstar.
Record: 0 – 3 (4th) (Away: 0 – 1; NFC: 0 – 3)
All-time franchise record: 600 – 593 – 28
Offense
| Offensive rankings | 20 (points) / 22 (total yards) / 22 (yards per game) / 18 (yards per play) / 9 (passing yards) / 16 (passing yards per att.) / 30 (rushing yards) / 30 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 63 |
| Yards per game | 336.3 |
| Passing
|
124 att (4th); 86 comp; 69.4% comp per. (9th); 7.5 Y/A; 865 net yds; 7 TD; 3 Int |
| Passing leader | Keenum (124 att, 933 yds (4th), 69.4% comp perc (9th), 7 TDs / 3 Int, 100.0 QB rating (9th) |
| Receiving leader | McLaurin (257 yds (15th), 24 tgts (30th), 16 rec (36th), 3 TD, 16.1 YPC); Thompson (195 yds, 23 tgts, 16 rec (36th), 0 TDs; 12.2 YPC) |
| Rushing | 51 att (32nd); 144 yds; 2.8 Y/A; 48.0 Y/G (30th); 1 TD |
| Rushing leader | Peterson (22 att (44th), 62 yds (58th), 1 TD, 2.8 Y/A (42nd), long 11) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 6 / 15 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 26:51 / 29 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 36.23% / 23 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 60.0% / 14 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 31 (points) / 26 (total yards) / 26 (yards per game surrendered) / 22 (yards per play) / 20 (passing yards) / 21 (passing yards per att.) / 29 (rushing yards) / 24 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 94 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 402.7 |
| Opponent’s passing | 100 att (11th); 79 comp; 79.0% comp perc. (32nd); 8.1 Y/A; 782 net yds; 9 TDs; QB Rating 122.2 (30th) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 89 att (27th); 426 yds; 4.8 Y/A; 2 TD; 142.0 Y/G (29th) |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 5 /28 / Ioannidis, Kerrigan, McKinzy, Norman, Sweat (1.0) |
| Tackles leader | Collins (26) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 2 / 20 / Norman, Nicholson (2) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 63.41% / 32 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 70.0% / 24 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 24.0 Y/R (7th), 7 returns, long 45 yards (4th), 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 8.8 Y/R (10th), 4 returns, long 1 yards (25th), 0 TD |
| Kick return defense | 21.0 Y/R (16th), 3 returns, 0 TD |
| Punt return defense | 7.6 Y/R (15th), 7 returns, 0 TD |
| Punting | 51.8 Y/P (1st) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 5 / 2 / -3 / 27
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 27 / 29
Giants:
The number that should jump out at you immediately is that the Giants are #1 in the league in rushing yards per attempt, at 6.3 yards per rush. Unfortunately for the Giants, this stat is courtesy of All-World Saquon Barkley, who’s out this week with a high ankle sprain. Barkley has 36 of the Giants 56 rushing attempts, so it isn’t likely that New York will be able to duplicate his production. For his part, new starting quarterback Daniel Jones posted a rating of 109.7 against Tampa Bay last week. As a team, the Giants have 129 pass attempts in the season, which is ranked 3rd-most in the NFL. The Giants have been bad in time of possession, averaging just 27:17 minutes per game, which is ranked 27th.
The Giants defense has been terrible in some areas, including the most important stat, total points surrendered, 94 (which is the same number of points as given up by Washington) tied for 31st in the NFL, total yards (31st), yards per game (31st), and yards per play (31st), passing yards (32nd), and passing yards per attempt (32nd). This has been a truly terrible defense overall, although they’ve been slightly better against the run (23rd in total rushing yards and 12th in rushing yards per attempt). They also haven’t been nearly as bad as Washington on third downs (ranked 17th) and in the red zone. Regardless, New York’s defense isn’t close to the same caliber as the other three teams Washington has faced, and if there’s going to be a breakout game for the Redskins offense, this should be it.
Record: 1 – 2 (3rd) (Home: 0 – 1; NFC: 1 – 1) (NFC East: 0 – 1)
All-time franchise record: 693 – 598 – 33
Offense
| Offensive rankings
|
20 (points) / 7 (total yards) / 7 (yards per game) / 6 (yards per play) / 8 (passing yards) / 26 (passing yards per att.) / 9 (rushing yards) / 1 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points for | 63 |
| Yards per game | 408.0 |
| Passing | 129 att (3rd); 82 comp; 63.6% comp per. (19th); 7.0 Y/A; 87 net yds; 4 TDs; 2 Int |
| Passing leader | Manning (89 att, 556 yds (27th), 62.9% comp per., 2 TDs / 2 Int, 78.7 QB rating); Jones (40 att, 353, 65.0% comp per., 2 TDs/0 Int, 109.7 QB rating) |
| Reception leader | Engram (277 yds (8th), 30 targets (11th), 23 rec (6th), 2 TDs, 12.0 Y/C) |
| Rushing | 56 att (27th); 352 yds; 6.3 Y/A; 117.3 Y/G (9th); 4 TDs |
| Rushing leader | Barkley (37 att, 237 yds (6th), 1 TD, 6.4 Y/A (3rd), long 59 yds) |
| Sacks surrendered / rank | 7 / 19 |
| Ave time of possession / rank | 27:17 / 27 |
| 3rd down conversion rate / rank | 30.56% / 24 |
| TD percentage in red zone / rank | 66.67% / 9 |
Defense
| Defensive rankings | 31 (points) / 31 (total yards) / 31 (yards per game surrendered) / 31 (yards per play) / 32 (passing yards) / 32 (passing yards per att.) / 23 (rushing yards) / 12 (rushing yards per att.) |
| Points against | 94 |
| Yards per game surrendered | 460.3 |
| Opponent’s passing | 99 att (10th); 67 comp; 67.7% comp per. (24th); 10.5 Y/A; 977 net yds; 8 TD; QB Rating 124.9 (31st) |
| Opponent’s rushing | 96 att (2th); 383 yds; 4.0 Y/A; 4 TDs |
| Sacks / rank / Sack leader | 7 / 20 / Golden (3.0) |
| Tackles leader | Bethea (26) |
| Int / rank / Int leader | 1 / 27 / Connelly (1) |
| Opponent 3rd down conv rate / rank | 40.54% / 17 |
| Opponent TD percentage in red zone / rank | 63.64% / 21 |
Special Teams
| Kick returns | 21.6 Y/R 150th), 5 returns, long 28 yards, 0 TDs |
| Punt returns | 15.8 Y/R (1st), 6 returns, long 60 yards (1st), 0 TDs |
| Kick return defense | 0.0 Y/R (1st), 1 returns, 0 TDs |
| Punt return defense | 2.1 Y/R (5th), 7 returns, 0 TD |
| Punting | 46.6 Y/P (16th) |
Turnovers (lost by O / recv’d by D / net / rank): 6 / 1 / -5 / 31
Penalties (total accepted # / rank): 21 / 14
* Statistics courtesy of www.pro-football-reference.com, www.nflpenalties.com, www.nfl.com, www.teamrankings.com, www.espn.com, www.sportingcharts.com