*Giants.com gives you three keys for the Giants to come out with a win on Sunday: *

In a season without many of them, the 2-13 New York Giants will try to end 2017 on a positive note when they host the 7-8 Washington Redskins on New Year's Eve.

"Obviously, everybody knows it's been a tough season," quarterback Eli Manning said this week. "It's been tough for everybody, tough on the players, coaches, ownership, management, fans. Obviously we've been out of the playoff picture for a few weeks now, but we've just got to have a good week of preparation, go out there and try to play at a high level."

Here are three things the Giants need to do for a win on Sunday:

KEEP MISTAKES AT MINIMUM

The Giants tied their season-high with 10 accepted penalties for 101 yards last week in Arizona, part of which led to them going 1-for-14 on third down on offense. On top of that, Eli Manning threw two interceptions and lost a fumble on a sack that the Cardinals returned for a touchdown. Aldrick Rosas also missed his seventh field goal in 23 attempts this year. That's a "recipe for disaster," as wide receiver Sterling Shepard described it after the game. The Giants need to cook something else up on Sunday to claim their first conference win of the season.

HAVE TO GET A PASS RUSH

With this week's additions of Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins and middle linebacker B.J. Goodson to the injured reserve list, the Giants' defense lost two of its strongest voices on the field. Opposing coaches always had to know where No. 21 was on every snap, but now they don't have that burden, which could open up some big plays if the Giants don't get a pass rush. Kirk Cousins comes in with the sixth-best passer rating in the NFL (98.5), throwing for 3,935 yards and 27 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.

"They're a little bit different -- defensively, especially," Redskins coach Jay Gruden said in reference to their first meeting on Thanksgiving night. "They lost a couple key players. Now that Landon is out, I think that changes quite a bit, and obviously losing Janoris [Jenkins] is a big time absence for their secondary."

HIT THE BIG PLAY

The Giants and Redskins share the same problem on defense: big plays. They are tied for the sixth-most passes of 20 yards allowed with 53 on the season. The game-time health of Evan Engram (rib), Shepard (neck), and Tavarres King (concussion) obviously will go a long way in dictating what the Giants can do offensively, but this is still a team two weeks removed from posting their best numbers of the last two years against an Eagles team that owns the best record in the NFL and a top-five defense. The game could get tight in the cold weather, which means the outcome could hinge on one or two big plays.