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It’s Now or Never for the Giants and Commanders on SNF

With both teams currently riding a 7-5-1 record, the Giants and Commanders will be putting it all on the line on Sunday Night Football.

The Giants, who are coming off a humbling 48-22 divisional loss against the Eagles, will be looking to avoid their losing ways in this trip to DC. While the Commanders want to get the last laugh in their season series against New York after tying with it at 20 apiece in Week 13.

It’s Now or Never for the Giants and Commanders on SNF

As both teams gear up for a game that could help shape the landscape of their conference’s postseason scene, will the Giants be able to bounce back and score a valuable win on the road, or will the Commanders show New York what’s up at home?

Let’s check the latest NFL picks, stats, injury reports, and NFL predictions. We’ve plenty of NFL expert picks for you to consider.

Washington Will Win if Receiver Corps and Front Defense Play Elite Football

It’s Now or Never for the Giants and Commanders on SNF
Taylor Heinicke #4 of the Washington Commanders – Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP

In case you weren’t paying attention to the weeks prior, the Commanders won 6 of their last eight games, and tied one as well, with their only loss coming against the Vikings in Week 9. Since Taylor Heinicke took over, Washington has seen a light shine over it, with the defense taking a break from having to carry the team.

Against a Giants team that is looking for redemption on prime-time TV, the Commanders should focus their offense on getting as much out of receivers Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, and rookie Jahan Dotson.

Suppose Heinicke can stretch the game out amongst the three, using Samuel as a double-threat receiver and rusher, leaving McLaurin and Dotson up for the deep ball plays. In that case, Washington should smoke the Giants’ secondary.

Secondly, with New York’s defense against the rush allowing an average of 149.7 yards per game, this is the perfect scenario for rushers Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson to go to town. With Robinson taking the heavy rushing snaps and Gibson taking care of the end-zone rush plays, the Commanders should be fine on offense.

On defense, do I need to spell the obvious? Washington needs to make it a point to contain and neutralize Saquon Barkley. Pressure Daniel Jones to make quick plays, and play strong man-to-man coverage downfield, but above all things, Washington’s front line of defenders will need to eliminate Barkley’s production from beginning to end.

Will it Once Again Be Saquon Against the World?

It’s Now or Never for the Giants and Commanders on SNF
Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants – Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP

What a shocker, huh? Barkley continues to be the bread and butter of New York’s offense. As the team’s leader in rushing yards with 1,083, receptions with 42, and scrimmage yards with 1,344, if the Giants do anything on offense, it’s surely because their star RB had something to do with the play.

Even with Barkley admitting in prior days that he feels as if he hasn’t been playing at his best level, all while understanding how important he is to New York’s offense, if there’s a stadium where he loves to shine, it’s FedEx Field.

In the past three games, he’s played in the home of the Commanders, Barkley has had a total of 416 yards on 49 carries and 10 passes caught for 129 yards, all totaling three touchdowns.

With this said, it will be up to Barkley to dose his production to be able to combine his rushing plays as well as any help he can give Jones and NY’s passing game. It’s clear that for Washington stopping Barkley will be their main goal on defense, which is why New York should get ready to use him smartly and start reaching out to other options on offense.

On defense, New York will need to take advantage of Washington’s sometimes good, sometimes bad offensive line to get to Heinicke and make him scramble.

By pressuring the passer and stuffing the line of scrimmage to stop its running game, the Giants could find a way to stop Washington’s offense and go for the win.

Will the Giants Head Back to NY with the ‘W’?

It’s Now or Never for the Giants and Commanders on SNF
Dexter Lawrence #97 of the New York Giants – Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP

The Giants are as healthy as they’ve been all season. They are hungry for a win to turn the page on their loss against the Eagles. And they would love for that win to be against another divisional rival like Washington.

Even with Washington’s defense coming through once again, if Barkley gets on a roll early on, he could very well be the guide to a strong New York win on the road on Sunday night.

But at the end of the day, one man cannot carry a whole team to a win once again.

This game has all the fixings to be a physical shootout from start to end, but with both teams wanting to collect a strong divisional win, roll with Washington here. They’re at home, they have a better defense and a much better-rounded offense.

The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.

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