The New York Giants (5-2-1) and Washington Commanders (2-5-1) will square off on Thursday night in a Week 10 matchup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Giants opened the week as 1.5-point home favorites, but the line has changed slightly, with New York now at -2.5.
With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Commanders Wire
managing editor Bryan Manning.Jayden Daniels rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants in Week 5 but has just 49 rushing yards over his last three games. What has changed, and should New York expect him to be less of a running threat Thursday?
Manning: Part of it is by design. The goal of this offense, which still has plenty of kinks and the injuries certainly haven’t helped, was to have fewer designed runs. San Francisco did a good job of spying Jayden, and he diced them up. The Eagles spied him, too, but he never truly looked to run. I would say going into this game, don’t expect
a ton of running unless the opportunity presents itself.
With Laremy Tunsil on injured reserve and Lucas Patrick dealing with a concussion, how concerned is Washington about its offensive line situation heading into a matchup against the Giants defense?
Very concerned. Brandon Coleman held up well at left tackle in 2024 as a rookie. He’s been up and down this year filling in for Tunsil. It’s a massive drop-off, which is to be expected, as Tunsil is elite. Chris Paul is average at LG. Tunsil hid him last year. Nick Allegretti takes back over at center for this game. He’s better at guard. Sam Cosmi is a stud. Josh Conerly is still going through growing pains. He’s going to be good, but has his moments.
Washington let a potential victory slip away in their 27-27 tie with the Giants in Week 5. What did the Commanders learn from that matchup, and what needs to be different in Thursday’s rematch?
It seems like Washington and New York always have these moments, but that one was bizarre even for this rivalry. The Commanders need to pull off a win late to truly put that disaster behind them. I blame more of that on David Blough and Jayden Daniels than Dan Quinn. But Quinn doesn’t coach defense, so he bears responsibility. They had a chance to beat the 49ers late three weeks ago and had a penalty wipe out the go-ahead touchdown. Last week, more mistakes and penalties late. So, I will truly believe it is behind them when they win one of these in the fourth quarter.
Washington ranks last in the NFL in third-down conversion percentage (31.13%). What has been the biggest issue preventing the offense from sustaining drives?
I think the injuries play a part. Tunsil and McLaurin, along with Jayden Daniels, are the top three players on the team. Two are out for the season, and one missed time. Sam Cosmi missed time. Starting RB Bill Croskey-Merritt has missed time. But also, the lack of a running game. The run blocking is a weakness. And then there are the pre-snap penalties. We are entering Week 10, and it’s still an issue. It is hard to be good on third down when you are always facing third-and-long.
How do you see Thursday night’s game playing out? Who wins and what’s the score?
I feel we are in store for another close game. The Giants are playing better football right now, which is why I give them the edge. Washington’s defense is on the cusp of being good. It’s still a work in progress, though. Show me you can cover Malik Nabers. I don’t think they can. So, I am leaning toward the Giants, 27-21.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders: Behind Enemy Lines
