The Washington Commanders (1-3) host the NFC East-leading New York Giants (3-1) at Northwest Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Here are five storylines we're following this week.
Jayden Daniels' elbow
The Commanders have several injuries at quarterback these days. Daniels dislocated his left elbow versus Dallas in Week 2 and missed the past two games. He is gearing up to play this week with a brace on the arm since his backup, Marcus Mariota, suffered a sprained MCL last week and is out.
This is not the first time Daniels has injured the elbow. He said this week, he doesn't know how the brace will affect him or what will happen if he's hit in the game. The Commanders would have to turn back to rookie third-stringer Athan Kaliakmanis if Daniels gets reinjured.
“I’m gonna embrace
the brace,” Daniels said. “Go out there and be the best version of myself.”
Malik Nabers' knee
Daniels' former LSU teammate is feeling soreness in his surgically repaired right knee these days. He did not practice on Wednesday and is limping a bit. He played well in last Sunday's win over Arizona, but is paying the price.
Nabers' rehab was a long, arduous one, and the team has reined him in for the most part, but setbacks such as these are not surprising. If the game were today, he probably would not play.
"They kind of told me getting back into this football form and just taking weeks after weeks, there's going to be up days, there's going to be down days, there's going to be things I have to work through, there's going to be things I have to fight through. Attacking it head on and just trying to get through this so I can play," he said.
Reese vs. Styles
Each team will have their top picks from this year's NFL draft on display this week. They, too, were college teammates. Both are linebackers out of The Ohio State University. Arvell Reese of the Giants and Sonny Styles of the Commanders.
Reese led Giants with nine tackles, one for a loss and added an interception and three passes defensed in Big Blue's win over Arizona last Sunday. He is only rookie this season with an interception and three defensed passes in a single game. He has a tackle for a loss in three of his past four games and ranks third among rookies with 36 tackles this season.
Styles had a season-high eight tackles in Week 4. He is one of two rookies (Malik Muhammad) with an interception, two passes defensed and a sack this season. Styles was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the Commanders' Week 3 upset over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Rain men
The Giants played their last two games in the rain, both at MetLife Stadium and both wins. In Week 3, they held on to beat the Tennessee Titans, 12-7, with the game ending on an interception in the end zone by safety Jevon Holland.
Last week, they once again ended the game with an interception; this time it was cornerback Deonte Banks, who intercepted a Jacoby Brissett pass on the two-yard line and ran it back 98 yards for a touchdown to seal the game.
This week, the game is the Nation's capital, and you guessed it, the forecast is calling for rain. As of Thursday morning, The Weather Channel was predicting a nasty day.
Cloudy with periods of rain. Potential for heavy rainfall. High 68F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
McCarthy on the rise?
The Giants are riding with Jameis Winston at quarterback for now, but it's only a matter of time before the recently acquired J.J. McCarthy gets his chance.
"I think that's a possibility," head coach John Harbaugh said this week when asked if McCarthy will be the primary backup this week. "We'll see how it goes during the week, but that's definitely on the table."
McCarthy has been moved up to primary backup, but Jake Haener has been added to the 53-man roster as well, giving the Giants three active quarterbacks for Sunday.
Winston has led the Giants to two straight wins, so he's not going anywhere for the moment, but McCarthy gives the Giants more options under center and can run the Jaxson Dart offense.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders: 5 storylines to watch in Week 5
