The New York Football Giants

As Washington Commanders fans know, the only team in the NFC East the BnG did not beat last year was the New York Giants.

The Commanders split with the "Big Boys", Philadelphia and Dallas. A fact lost on the so-called experts who place this team at the bottom of the league.

There are problems in matching up with the Giants. The main ones are Brian Daboll, Daniel Jones, and carelessness with the football. 

There is an invisible chess game that I think impacts games a lot more than people think and that is the clash of titans that takes place between opposing NFL coaches and the three dimensional chess they play against each other. 

I thought Nick Sirianni was Coach of the Year last year but Daboll won it. He is a former assistant with the Buffalo Bills where Ron Rivera disciple Sean McDermott is head coach. He is familiar with Rivera thought processes. 

You would think injection of Eric Bieniemy into the thought milieu would effect a surprise element in Giants-Commanders games this year. But the Giants played the Chiefs tough in their 2021 game under Joe Judge. I'm sure the players have some muscle memory of playing the Chiefs Offense. Bieniemy's presence should not change the nature of these tough, scrum-infested Commanders-Giants contests.

But Bieniemy is working with a different set of players in Washington. He's not necessarily going to play Chiefs Copycat. He's got options in the passing game, the running game, and RPOs he didn't have in Kansas City. 

The Giants collected 8 sacks against the Commanders last year. It is clear what needs to be done. It will be on the new offensive line and the Quarterback to reduce that number, preferably to zero. The line has to block and the QB has to protect the football. 

The Commanders have to contain Daniel Jones (over 700 yards rushing in 2022). He sprang for 71 yards in their first matchup. He seems to depend on the middle breaking open. The recommendation from around the league on Jones is disciplined pass rush. Stay in your lanes. Circle the wagons and meet at the QB. 

Given the improvement in the Commander Secondary, Jones will probably end up wanting to run more. Preparing to stop his running game is top priority. The Commander Secondary should test his accuracy this year better than last. Jones was infuriatingly accurate against Washington.

Prescription for beating the New York Football Giants: Continue running the football especially to wear out Lawrence and Thibodeaux. Sack Daniel Jones at least 5 times. Hold the Giants to under 100 yards rushing. In the four games they were held to less than 100 yards, the Giants were 1-3. Get at least two hundred yards passing with a Tight End presence (a la Dallas Goedert) in ball distribution and three turnovers.

Tall order? Obviously. But there is one additional factor to consider: The Whammy Factor. Superstition. Hexxing. 

Last year, before the Giants return engagement with the Commanders, the Giants posted an accolade video on the 1986 Giants going 3-0 against the very good 1986 Washington Redskin Squad. It was an obvious attempt at a psyche-out. Let's go back to the days where we had their number and they couldn't beat us. Joe Gibbs during that time could not beat Parcells. The Parcells Giants flummoxed him. It was not until 2005 that Gibbs started to turn the tables.

So let's go back to the days we beat the Giants. As a ritual before Giants games, let us call to our collective minds games where Washington beat the Giants. 

For now here are some Giants losses from last year that may help clue us in on how to beat them:

New York Giants versus Seattle Seahawks, Stats

New York Giants versus Philadelphia Eagles, Stats