The New York Giants are alone in first place in the NFC East. Will they still be sitting on that perch as day turns to evening on Sunday? That depends on the outcome of their game against the Washington Commanders. Here is how the Big Blue View staff sees that game and the rest of the NFL Week 5 action.
Chris Pflum
I think this game comes down to two questions: Can the Giants play a complete game, and how much difference does Jayden Daniels make?
I won’t be surprised if we see a less aggressive brand of defense
this week than we saw against the Cardinals. The Giants need to play to their strengths, but also limit the opportunities for Daniels to hurt them out of structure. I don’t think we can expect the defense to shut the Commanders’ offense down, so the offense will need to step up with more down-to-down consistency.
I’m just not sure if that’s in Jameis Winston’s uh… Uhhh…
(idiom, sir?)
Idiom!
Still, I think the Giants are the more complete whe healthier team. I’m going to bet on the Giants’ newfound resilience, and the fact that this is a team built to win ugly.
Pick: Giants
Tony DelGenio
To me, this game is a coin flip. Both teams are better than they generally have been in the last few years (although the Commanders made a nice run in 2024). Both have been decimated by injuries to key players. Both have a rookie Ohio State linebacker playing really well. And both have a potentially elite quarterback who has missed significant time with injuries in two consecutive seasons.
That last point is where the game hinges. Only one team has that QB back on Sunday. The Giants were the Commanders’ daddies until Jayden Daniels came along. Since then, Washington is 4-0 against them, even though Daniels missed one of those games, and Daniels was a big reason for each of the three wins when he played. Lost in the euphoria of the Giants’ rally and goal line stand to beat Arizona is that when their defense was playing the Cardinals’ offense straight up, Jacoby Brissett was shredding it. Dennard Wilson started blitzing – a lot – and that turned things in the Giants’ favor. Will Wilson risk doing the same against the uber-mobile Daniels? If not, then unless Wilson can figure out how to get pressure without blitzing, it will be up to the Giants’ secondary to slow down Stefon Diggs, Terry McLaurin, and rookie Antonio Williams without help. I could imagine Wilson using Arvell Reese as a spy to keep Daniels from wreaking havoc when he flees the pocket. If so, then although Washington has a good running game, I have (some) more confidence in the Giants DLs and LBs to limit it than in previous games when the Commanders just ran it down the Giants’ throats.
On offense, I expect the Giants to try to move the ball on the ground against the Commanders, but their run defense has been good to date. The key will be whether the Giants’ offensive line, which has been leakier than I’d like in pass protection, can give Jameis Winston and the Giants’ receivers enough time to exploit the Commanders’ suspect secondary, and whether we’ll get more Famous Jameis or Shameful Jameis. In the end, my coin flip comes up Daniels, and the Giants come back to Earth a little.
Pick: Commanders
Nick Falato
Jayden Daniels is returning from injury for the 1-3 Washington Commanders, who are traveling back from their 30-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in London. Washington’s lone home game was a 33-31 upset against the Seattle Seahawks, led by Marcus Mariota in Week 3. The Commanders defense is good against the run, ranking sixth in overall yards allowed on the ground, but their pass defense has struggled this season. The Giants will look to test the base defense with their heavier personnel, but the Giants can gain an edge with the matchups outside with Malik Nabers, Malachi Fields, and Isaiah Likely; scheming Fields against the 5’8 Amik Robertson, who has played well this season, will give the Giants the opportunity on vertical balls in one-on-one matchups against middle-of-the-field closed defenses.
Jameis Winston will have opportunities to attack Washington’s defense through the air, but the Giants must take better care of the football. I expect the Giants defense to remain aggressive against Jayden Daniels. I can see this going either way, and believe the Giants will have a good game plan against Washington, but it should be a hard-fought game. I’m going with the Giants, though.
Pick: Giants
David Hartman
Remember last season, when week after week the Giants faced a powerhouse?
What a difference a year makes. The Giants are halfway through a four-game stretch against opponents who, like them, had a Top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Three of those four games are at home.
It’s the easiest stretch of the Giants’ 2026 schedule and so far, they’re taking advantage, albeit by the proverbial skin of their teeth. Still, wins are wins, and after seeing devastating injuries quickly burst the bubble after the opening win over Dallas, the Giants are alone in first place and look to keep the good mojo going at Washington this Sunday.
The Commanders return from a trip to London that not only saw them lose, but they also lost their backup quarterback in the process. It’s been a rough start to the season for Dan Quinn’s team. The good news (for them) is a return to the lineup for Jayden Daniels. Whether he and his bum elbow can stay in the game for 60 minutes could be the biggest factor in the outcome. Daniels has unique dual-threat abilities that could give the Giants’ front seven fits — assuming he’s playing with no limitations.
Washington is a slight favorite, and on paper this is a tough game to handicap. Recent history suggests a close game, and mistakes (turnovers, penalties, special teams gaffes, etc.) will probably be what decides it.
That’s where Jameis Winston makes me a little nervous. I’m sure the coaching staff doesn’t want to see 33 dropbacks again, but Washington is tough to run on and easy to throw on (their defense ranks sixth against the run and 24th against the pass), and with Daniels at the helm they can score points, so I expect plenty of passing.
I really want to pick the G-Men here, but I think the return of Daniels (and potentially, Terry McLaurin) will give Washington just enough of a lift to get past New York.
Pick: Commanders by 4
Valentine’s View
The 3-1 first-place Giants are 3.5-point underdogs to the 1-3 last-place Washington Commanders on Sunday. That tells you a lot about the muddled NFC East. Few seem convinced the Giants are the best team in the division. The Philadelphia Eagles are reeling. The Dallas Cowboys might be the best team, and maybe someday they will play like it. The Commanders are pinning their hopes on the health of star quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The Giants have earned all three of their victories in the can’t-quite-believe-what-they-are-seeing confines of MetLife Stadium. They have won the last two in dramatic, last-second fashion thanks to great defensive work. They can get better, and need to get better. Offensively, they need to take better care of the ball and get more production from the run game. Defensive, a consistent pass rush would be nice.
I want to believe the Giants can go into Landover, Md. and win. I do think they are capable. The Commanders are not a juggernaut. The return of Jayden Daniels and the fact that this game is away from home, though, make it hard for me to ride with the Giants.
Pick: Commanders
Giants fans: Make your pick in the SB Nation app!
Take Reacts surveys, create Giants polls, and see how your answers compare with fellow Big Blue View fans. Then discuss the results with the Big Blue community.
Download the SB Nation app on iOS or Android.
