CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
The Giants dropped another close game this past week as they fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 26-18, on Monday Night Football. Of their six losses on the season, four of them were one-possession games late in the fourth quarter. After the game was over, several players expressed some frustration about losing another game that felt within their grasp, a sentiment that coach Brian Daboll shared with his players.
"Losing is frustrating. So, what we can do is control the things that we can control," Daboll told the media Tuesday. "You put everything you have into this each week. So, when you're having all those meetings and you're going through all those practices and you're giving everything you have on the field, everybody, and you don't get the results, certainly that is. So, particularly right after a game, that was a close game. That was a competitive game and nobody's happy with our record. I've said that before.
"So, we have to come in with the right mindset like we do each week and do everything we can do to put the best product on a field we can on Sunday and that's always the challenging part, but you're never happy after a loss. That's why you do this, to win."
The Giants will need to have a short memory as they face a quick turnaround before their Week 9 matchup. Daboll's squad has an opportunity to get some revenge for their Week 2 defeat as they face off against the division-leading Commanders for the second time on Sunday.
"You face things head on, things you got to fix," the head coach added on Wednesday. "Be consistent. You don't want to have downs, you're going to have them. But you got to remain consistent in the leadership part of it. Communicate well. Go through the things that you can improve and then really focus on the things that you need to do for this week. But these guys care a tremendous amount. They work well together. There's a lot of respect on both sides. I'd say the coaches and the players. Everybody's doing everything they can."
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Giants (2-6) host the Washington Commanders (6-2) for their fourth matchup this season against the NFC East on Sunday, Nov. 3 in MetLife Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX.
Sunday's game marks the 186th regular season meeting between the two teams and their second of the 2024 season. The Giants lead the all-time series, 107-71-5, and have a record of 57-30-3 at home against Washington. In Week 2, The Commanders won, 21-18, on Sep. 14.
In 2023, the Giants swept the season series, winning 14-7 in MetLife Stadium on Oct. 22 and 31-19, in Landover, on Nov. 19.
INJURY REPORT
Giants
Out: P Jamie Gillan (Left Hamstring), K Greg Joseph (Abdomen)
Doubtful: WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles)
Questionable: ILB Ty Summers (Ankle)
Commanders
Out: OT Cornelius Lucas (Ankle)
Questionable: RB Brian Robinson Jr. (Hamstring)
GET THE RUN GAME GOING
One of the biggest reasons the offense was able to move the ball with some success against a tough Steelers defense on Monday was the performance of Tyrone Tracy Jr. The rookie running back enjoyed the best game of his young NFL career as he carried the ball 20 times for 145 yards, good for an average of 7.2 yards per carry, and a touchdown while adding two receptions for five yards. Tracy had four runs of 10+ yards, including his 45-yard touchdown run in which he reached a top speed of 20.60 miles per hour, the fastest speed by a Giants offensive ball carrier over the last two seasons, according to Next Gen Stats. This was also the Giants' longest offensive play of the season.
Tracy has now finished with over 100 yards from scrimmage in three of the last four games, including two outings with an average yards per carry over 7.0. The rookie back has started and led the backfield in touches in all four of those games.
"Tracy has had some really good production," assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. "I think that's kudos to, number one, the offensive line. The offensive line's done a really nice job. Carm (Carmen Bricillo) and JT (Joel Thomas) and the running back group, along with Tracy, getting the most out of it and maximizing those opportunities. I think Tracy, every day, has come to work, continuing to get better.
"Things that he sees in practice that's maybe not super clean or not perfect, they get the adjustments, they get it fixed and the next day it looks a lot better. Going through that process with a young player potentially seeing some things for the first time, which happens. But he's done a great job of seeing it and being presented with those things and keep on working on it."
Tracy Jr. was placed in the concussion protocol following the game in Pittsburgh. However, the rookie back was able to progress through the stages of the protocol and on Friday afternoon, he was cleared for Sunday's game.
OPPORTUNITY FOR PASSING GAME
While it wasn't a perfect performance Monday night, the Giants' offense did find some success moving the ball on the Steelers' top-ranked defense. Quarterback Daniel Jones threw for 264 yards, his second-highest yardage total of the season, and completed 63.2 percent of his passes, although he did turn the ball over twice late in the game. However, the deep shots were encouraging. Jones completed a deep pass to Darius Slayton for a 43-yard gain and also hit tight end Theo Johnson up the seam for 25 yards.
Going up against a tough Steelers defense, Slayton put together one of his best performances of the season on Monday. The veteran wideout caught four passes for a game-high 108 yards. This was his second time topping the 100-yard mark and his second-highest yardage total of the season. Slayton's 43-yard reception from Jones was the quarterback's longest completion of the season and helped set up Greg Joseph's first field goal of the game.
After catching just three passes for 33 yards in the first meeting against the Commanders, Slayton will look to get more involved against the NFC East foe this weekend. All three of his receptions in Week 2 came with cornerback Benjamin St. Juste in coverage. Through eight games, the fourth-year corner has allowed 31 receptions for 380 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating against of 109.7.
Malik Nabers was the most targeted Giants pass-catcher in Monday's game against the Steelers, a common theme we've seen throughout his first NFL season. The rookie wide receiver saw 13 targets and caught a team-high seven of them for 71 yards. The Giants did a good job of moving Nabers around in order to create positive matchups for the talented wideout, as three of his receptions and 40 of his receiving yards came with linebacker Patrick Queen in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. This resulted in two first downs for the Giants.
The first matchup against the Commanders saw Nabers put together his most dominant outing of the season. In just his second NFL game, the 21-year-old caught 10 passes for a season-high 127 yards and the first touchdown of his career. The Commanders have allowed just one of the last five quarterbacks they've faced to throw for over 145 yards, although the matchups played a large role in that. Nonetheless, Nabers and the rest of the Giants' offense will take on a Commanders defense playing much better football lately compared to early in the season.
PASS RUSH CONTINUES TO ROLL
The Giants' pass rush has been a bright spot despite the team's record. The unit sacked Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson four times on Monday, adding to its league-leading sack total of 35, five more than any other team. Outside linebackers Azeez Ojulari (two) and Brian Burns (one) accounted for three of the sacks, while inside linebackers Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden combined for the final one.
Despite Kayvon Thibodeaux landing on injured reserve ahead of Week 6, the pass rush has not missed a beat. Ojulari has at least one sack in each of the three games he has started since Thibodeaux's injury, with a total of five sacks during that span. Despite starting the season in a reserve role, Ojulari is currently tied for 10th in the NFL with his six sacks. Burns also extended his sack streak to four games with his takedown of Wilson on Monday, and has all five of his sacks over the last six games. Burns' five sacks have him tied for 14th in the league in sacks.
While defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence did not get credited with a sack against the Steelers, he deserves an assist for forcing Wilson out of the pocket and right into Burns' arms on his sack. Lawrence, who still leads the NFL with nine sacks on the year, proved to be unblockable on several occasions against the Steelers as he bulldozed his way through blockers like it was nothing.
The Giants got to Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels for five sacks in the first meeting between the two teams, although none came from Lawrence, Burns or Ojulari.
View photos of the Giants on the practice field at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
PLAYER TO WATCH: BOBBY OKEREKE
Bobby Okereke is coming off his most dominant overall performance of the 2024 campaign, as the sixth-year linebacker registered a season-high 14 total tackles (seven solo) against the Steelers. The team captain also made his best play of the season on Monday, as he and fellow inside linebacker Micah McFadden combined for a sack of Russell Wilson late in the fourth quarter. Okereke was able to punch the ball out of Wilson's hands before recovering the fumble himself, setting the Giants up on the Steelers' side of the field with a chance to tie the game.
Surprisingly, this was Okereke's first game with double-digit tackles this season after he had seven such outings last year. However, the inside linebacker already has two sacks through eight games and is now just a half-sack shy of matching his previous career-high set last season. Okereke has recorded 55 total tackles (28 solo) with two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two passes defensed on the year while playing 100 percent of the team's defensive snaps in seven of eight games.
Okereke picked up his first sack of the season in the first game against the Commanders and finished the game with two tackles for loss. McFadden also registered a sack in that game, as the two inside linebackers combined for four total pressures. In last week's win, the Commanders allowed Bears inside linebacker T.J. Edwards to pick up his first sack of the season.
TRYING TO SLOW DOWN DANIELS
The Giants' defense is faced with a tough challenge this weekend as they attempt to slow down one of the NFL's biggest rising stars in Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Giants were able to keep Daniels and the rest of the Commanders offense out of the end zone in the Week 2 meeting between the two teams, as Washington was forced to settle for seven field goals. Daniels finished the game with 226 passing yards and a 99.1 passer rating to go with an additional 44 yards on the ground.
The rookie quarterback has seemingly taken a big step in his development since this first matchup between the NFC East foes. Daniels has seven passing touchdowns since Week 3 along with two rushing touchdowns. Through his first eight games, the No. 2 overall pick is completing over 71 percent of his passes while averaging 217.0 passing yards per game in addition to 53.0 rushing yards per outing and 5.7 yards per attempt.
"He's having a heck of a year," Bowen told reporters Thursday. "The shots down the field, they're on target, they're catchable balls. I think the run game is always a factor, the scrambles, everything with him. I mean even with the ribs last week; I think he had eight carries for 52 or something like that. So that's always part of it, but you see the growth, especially in the passing game, you see the growth from him getting more comfortable back there. He can make every throw. He's able to make every throw going into the first game too. So, elite quarterback as a rookie who can really do a lot of things that can hurt you."
One of the biggest changes since the Week 2 matchup is the increase in usage of wide receiver Terry McLaurin. The talented wideout caught a total of eight passes for 39 yards across the first two games of the season, but has three games with over 100 receiving yards in the six weeks since. Over the last six games, McLaurin has caught 32 passes for 540 yards and four touchdowns as the veteran receiver and rookie quarterback's developing chemistry has been on full display.
"I think early on, I don't know how much 17 was utilized going into that game for us," said Bowen. "Obviously that connection has skyrocketed over the past few weeks here."
SCOUTING THE REST OF THE COMMANDERS
Daniels' performance this season has helped open things up for the Commanders' run game, starting with running back Brian Robinson Jr. The 25-year-old is off to the best start of his young NFL career with 461 rushing yards and an average of 4.6 yards per carry through seven games. His career-highs in those categories are 797 rushing yards and 4.1 yards per carry. Robinson has also already set a new career-best mark with six rushing touchdowns. 311 of his yards and five of his touchdowns this year have come on inside rushes, according to Next Gen Stats, which is an area the Giants' run defense has struggled with to start the season.
"I'd say tackling in the open field is something that you talk about and work on," Daboll said when asked how the run defense can improve. "You work on it in drills. You have to be able to finish it in the game. They hit a couple long ones, which usually leads to higher yards per attempt. Gap integrity… All the things that it takes to be a good run defense."
Daniels' second favorite target after McLaurin has easily been Zach Ertz. The veteran tight end ranks second on the team in targets (45), receptions (32), and receiving yards (345) while scoring one touchdown. Similar to McLaurin, Ertz is also coming off his best game of the season against the Bears, a game in which he was targeted 11 times and caught seven of them for 77 yards, all of which set new season-highs.
Moving over to the other side of the ball, the Commanders' defense has performed significantly better in recent weeks compared to the start of the season. From Weeks 4-8, the Commanders are second in the NFL in EPA (expected points added) per play allowed and fourth in points per game allowed. The schedule factored into their recent success as the Commanders played the Cardinals, Browns, Ravens, Panthers, and Bears during that stretch, with only the Ravens having a highly-ranked offense.
Linebacker Dante Fowler has led the way in the pass rush with 4.5 sacks this season, while linebacker Frankie Luvu and defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr. are right behind him with 4.0 sacks apiece. The unit suffered a tough blow a few weeks ago when veteran defensive lineman Jonathan Allen was lost for the season due to a torn pectoral muscle.
When it comes to the Commanders' defense, it's clear and obvious who serves as the anchor of the unit – linebacker Bobby Wagner. The nine-time Pro Bowler has racked up a team-high 69 total tackles, 20 more than anyone else on the defense, including six tackles for loss, which is also tied for the most on the team. Wagner has added two sacks on the year along with a forced fumble and five quarterback hits. Heading into last week's game, Wagner had just two missed tackles on the season, resulting in a 96.9 percent tackle efficiency rate. This ranked as the highest in the NFL through the first seven weeks of the season.
STATS TO KNOW FOR WEEK 9
*According to NFL Research, each of the last four teams to win on a "Hail Mary" or a "Miracle" pass touchdown has lost the ensuing game (includes Vikings' loss in 2017 NFC Championship Game). Threshold used to identify Hail Mary/Miracle: Game-winning pass TD of 40+ yards on a play that began with less than 15 seconds left in fourth quarter. The Commanders defeated the Bears, 18-15, in Week 8 on a game-winning, 52-yard "Hail Mary" pass from Daniels to Noah Brown.
*Giants lead the NFL with 35 sacks, the most by team in their first eight games of the season since the 2017 Jaguars. The team's 35 sacks are one more than they had in the entire 2023 season. They are on pace for 74 sacks, which would break the NFL record of 72 set by the 1984 Chicago Bears. The Giants can become the fifth team in the past 20 seasons with 4+ sacks in five straight games.
*Malik Nabers has 46 receptions in six career games. With four more on Sunday, he can join Puka Nacua (58 receptions) as the only players in NFL history with at least 50 receptions in their first seven career games. Nabers has 498 receiving yards in six career games and can become the fifth player in the Super Bowl era with at least 600 receiving yards in their first seven career games, joining Ja'Marr Chase (754 receiving yards), Puka Nacua (752), Anquan Boldin (621), and Odell Beckham Jr. (609).
*Daboll is 3-1-1 against Washington as a head coach. Dan Quinn is 3-0 against the Giants.
*With his second 100-yard game of the season on Monday night, Darius Slayton now has 3,744 career receiving yards. He moved ahead of Plaxico Burress (3,681) and Mark Bavaro (3,722) into 19th place in team history.
*The Giants' single-game rushing and receiving records were both accomplished in games against Washington. Tiki Barber still holds the rushing record with 234 on December 30, 2006. Del Shofner has the receiving record with 269 on October 28, 1962. It was the same game Y.A. Tittle threw seven touchdowns.
View photos from the all-time series between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders.
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