New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders: Week 9 Stories

Once upon a time, the New York Giants had Washington Commander’s number.

Some might argue that’s still true, considering the Giants came close to beating the Commanders in their Week 2 game at Northwest Stadium. Yet since then, the Commanders, under a new coaching staff led by Dan Quinn and a new offense led by offensive rookie of the year candidate Jayden Daniels, are no longer the same old Commanders team that Giants fans could count on for a guaranteed victory in every season. year.

The Commanders are 6-2 and in first place in the division. They are currently on a two-game winning streak, with their latest victory being a miracle thanks to Daniels completing a Hail Mary as time expired in the victory over the Chicago Bears.

Their offense, which ranks third in the league, third in speed, third in scoring (29.5 points per game) and tenth in passing, hits all over the place. Washington converted 51% of their red zone opportunities (Giants 36%), have 24 touchdowns (vs. 11 Giants), completed 72% of their pass attempts (Giants 62%), had only three turnovers to 10, and the Giants averaged 396.3 yards per game compared to the Giants’ 303.6 yards per game.

So yes, the Giants defense will have a lot of work ahead of them. Meanwhile, attackers who rank in the bottom third of the league in all major statistical categories and cannot score points for the beans, averaging 14.6 points per game, good for 31st in the league, will face an uphill battle on Sunday , trying to claim their first home win of 2024 and avoid a series loss for the first time since 2021.

Here’s an outline of the storyline leading up to the divisional meet in Week 9.

We asked this question last week and, as we learned, the response from the coaching staff was to hire veteran Chris Hubbard on the left wing, replacing Joshua Ezeudu after just one game in place of the injured Andrew Thomas.

Unfortunately, the results were no better for Hubbard, who was a right-back during his career, than for Ezeudu. They were worse. For Professional focus on footballHubbard allowed a team-high 12 tackles on 47 pass-blocking snaps, including one sack. The next closest offensive lineman in total pressures allowed was left tackle Jon Runyan Jr, who had six.

The week before, Ezeudu allowed three pressures and two sacks. However, Hubbard has a slight advantage over Ezeudu in run blocking, where he is less likely to land or rush. And considering the Giants face a Washington defense that allows 139.6 yards per game, running a balanced offense may require a better blocker, in which case Hubbard gets the nod.

The NFL trade deadline is quickly approaching and who will and won’t play in this game could provide clues about potential trades. Receiver Darius Slayton, linebacker Azeez Ojulari and offensive tackle Evan Neal have been mentioned as potential trade candidates for the Giants should they continue to lose.

But don’t expect Giants general manager Joe Schoen to give away guys for free. Slayton (420 yards on 29 receptions, one touchdown) is a solid receiver whose stats are on par with rookie Malik Nabers. However, the Giants will have competition on receivers who are likely trade candidates such as Mike Williams of the Jets and Cooper Kupp of the Rams.

Ojulari, who replaced Kayvon Thibodeaux, is second on the team with six sacks, three behind team leader Dexter Lawrence. Since being in the starting lineup, he has had five sacks in the last three weeks 13 of 19 pressures in season. Ojulari would likely get more than just a sixth- or seventh-round pick from a team in need of a pass rush (hello, Detroit?).

If Ojulari is moved, the Giants likely expect Thibodeaux to return sooner rather than later, likely after a bye. If they move on from a second-round pick in 2021, they could theoretically try to deal with Tomon Fox on the roster.

Neal, a 2022 first-round draft pick who can’t get on the field despite struggling on offense, is the least wanted in a trade, but it’s still a possibility. It’s unlikely the Giants will exercise the one-year option on his contract next spring, which means he’s likely on loan unless they have a bigger plan for him that no one outside the 1925 Giants Drive has found out about.

There can always be a surprise trade candidate that no one is talking about, but if the Giants are serious about moving someone, how often that player plays or doesn’t play on Sunday could provide some clues.

Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who has clearly taken over as RB1, is in concussion protocol, and while he can’t be ruled out yet, a short work week could make it much more difficult for him to return in time for Sunday.

Other injuries to keep an eye on include linebackers Adoree’ Jackson (neck), Cor’Dale Flott (groin) and Tre Hawkins (ankle). Of the three, Hawkins was the only one active on Monday night, but he didn’t see any snapshots because the plan was to deploy him only in an emergency.

Let’s also not forget about people on IR who qualify for return. Is Graham Gano, for example, closer to being ready after sitting out half the season with a hamstring problem? Chances are the Giants will wait out the bye while current kicker Greg Joseph holds out, but ultimately you’d think Gano would return this season.

Is punt returner Gunner Olszewski closer to being ready to return? Olszewski is rarely mentioned when talking about injured players. But considering how abysmal the Giants’ punt return production has been – the Giants rank 31st with a 6.1 average – a healthy Olszewski may be just what the doctor ordered.

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