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10 Things To Watch For

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10 things to watch in Giants vs. Washington

10THINGS-WASHINGTON-GRAPHIC

SERIES HISTORY

The Giants have faced Washington 174 times in the regular season since their first game in 1932, making this their most frequently-contested rivalry. The Giants last year swept the season series for the first time since 2014, ending a four-year streak which saw the teams split their two games. Overall, the Giants lead the regular-season series, 102-68-4. In the postseason, they are tied 1-1. The Giants have won three straight games vs. Washington by a combined score of 105-54.

LAST TIME OUT

The Giants lost a nail-biter in Dallas, 37-34, to fall to 0-5 for the season. Greg Zuerlein kicked a 34-yard, game-winning field goal as time expired after the Giants led at one point 17-3 in the second quarter. The NFC East, meanwhile, is the only division without a team holding a winning record. Washington fell to 1-4 with a 30-10 loss to the Rams in Week 5.

INJURY REPORT

New York Giants

  • Questionable: DL Dexter Lawrence (knee), WR Darius Slayton (foot), DB Adrian Colbert (shoulder)

Washington Football Team

  • Out: G Joshua Garnett (illness), OT David Sharpe (illness), CB Greg Stroman (foot, placed on injured reserve)
  • Questionable: DE Ryan Anderson (back)

BACK ON TRACK?

After throwing at least one touchdown pass in each of his first 13 career starts, Daniel Jones has not thrown one in his past four outings. If his history against Washington means anything, that could change. As a rookie, Jones posted career highs in passing yards (352), touchdowns (five), and passer rating (132.1) in Week 16 as he improved to 2-0 against Washington.

KYLE ALLEN IN AS WASHINGTON QB

Four weeks into the 2020 season, coach Ron Rivera and the Washington Football Team made a quarterback change, starting Kyle Allen in place of 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins Jr. Alex Smith, who made his incredible return from a serious leg injury, served as the backup last week and was pressed into duty after Allen suffered a left shoulder injury. Allen practiced fully this week and is expected to start again.

View photos from the all-time series between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders.

DEVONTA FREEMAN HEATING UP

In the only game of his career against Washington, Devonta Freeman ran for a career-high 153 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries. That performance came almost five years ago to the day while he played for the Falcons. Last week, the first-year Giant ran for a season-high 60 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He also added two receptions for 27 yards.

ANDREW THOMAS VS. CHASE YOUNG

As offensive coordinator Jason Garrett put it, rookie left tackle Andrew Thomas has "certainly gotten his indoctrination to the National Football League" by playing against elite defensive fronts in Pittsburgh, Chicago, San Francisco, LA Rams, and then most recently Dallas. This week is more of the same with Washington, who added No. 2 overall pick Chase Young this season. Young, a 2019 Heisman Trophy finalist out of Ohio State, has 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble in four games.

"Obviously, very talented guy, but not just him," said Thomas, the fourth overall pick. "Their whole front, I think, is like five first-round draft picks. It's going to be a good matchup for our tackles and our inside guys. It's going to be a good game."

MARKUS GOLDEN STEPPING BACK UP

In the first four games of the season, outside linebacker Markus Golden played just 67 combined snaps on defense, including seven in the Giants' loss to the Rams in Los Angeles. It came a year after he led the Giants with 10.0 sacks and was third with 917 defensive snaps. But instead of pouting, he simply went about his business. Last week in Dallas, Golden played 57 snaps when Lorenzo Carter left the game after just 10 plays because of a torn Achilles tendon. Carter joined fellow starter Oshane Ximines, who is on injured reserve with a shoulder injury (and will be eligible to return in two weeks).

Their absence has created opportunities for the duo of Kyler Fackrell and Golden. The two veterans are expected to get the majority of playing time when the Giants host the Washington Football Team Sunday in MetLife Stadium. Meanwhile, rookies Cam Brown and Carter Coughlin are also starting to blossom.

GA-NO DOUBT

Last week, Graham Gano became the 11th kicker in NFL history with three 50-yard field goals in a game – and the second this season. Tennessee's Stephen Gostkowski kicked field goals of 51, 54, and 55 yards in a victory at Minnesota on Sept. 27. The only other Giants kicker with multiple 50-yarders in a game is Raul Allegre, who booted field goals of 53 and 52 yards at Philadelphia on Nov. 15, 1987.

CRUCIAL CATCH

This Sunday at MetLife Stadium will be the Giants' designated "Crucial Catch" game. For the 12th consecutive season, the National Football League and the American Cancer Society are working together to support the fight against cancer through "Crucial Catch: Intercept Cancer." The initiative, which kicks off in stadiums today and continues to be highlighted through Week 6 games, addresses early detection, getting screened, and risk reduction efforts across multiple types of cancers. This year specifically, Crucial Catch will be a part of the League's It Takes All of Us brand campaign, which highlights the importance of everyone joining together to make a difference in the lives of others.

Crucial Catch helps people catch cancer early, when it may be easier to treat. This is a greater challenge than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on screening. Since March 2020, routine cancer screenings have dropped, resulting in a screening rate drop between 86% and 94% for some cancers. Through Crucial Catch, the NFL and American Cancer Society are allocating resources dedicated to safely restarting cancer screenings in communities with the most need. For many forms of cancer (breast, cervical, colorectal and prostate), the five-year survival rate is above 90% when detected early before it has a chance to spread.

"For the last 12 years, the American Cancer Society and the NFL have together been focused on providing resources and assistance to help ensure that more Americans have access to critical cancer screenings," said Gary Reedy, Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society. "Having the support and partnership of the NFL and its fans through Crucial Catch will undoubtedly lead to more lives saved."

GIANTS-HERO-GRAPHIC

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