One harsh injury is trending towards giving the Commanders a major game-changing advantage against the Giants in Week 1
The Commanders can take advantage of one Giants injury.
The Washington Commanders are preparing to start the season hot against an NFC East rival, the New York Giants, and it’s time to start breaking down the matchups that will decide the outcome.
Both teams are scheduled to return to practice in a few days for game preparation, and there’s one injury situation in New York that will be closely monitored leading up to kickoff. The Giants could be without one of their best players, and expect the Commanders to take full advantage of it.
A potential big blow for the Giants
The Giants are heading into the season dealing with an injury that occurred last year, and it would put a massive strain on a key position for their offense. Left tackle Andrew Thomas suffered a Lisfranc foot injury during Week 6 last season, and he’s still dealing with the difficult rehab process.
He finally passed his physical on Aug. 21, but he’s just now starting to actually run, and hasn’t gone through any team drills. Giants head coach Brian Daboll said the team will have a walkthrough, and everyone is expected to participate; however, a walkthrough and being game-ready are two completely different things. Thomas spoke to the media a few days ago and made it clear that he doesn’t plan on rushing back.
It doesn’t sound positive right now, and the Giants don’t have to provide a real injury update until the injury report is released on Wednesday. Whoever plays left tackle will be Russell Wilson’s blindside protector and the most important offensive lineman on the field Sunday. Thomas has allowed only four sacks each of the last two seasons and has been a staple for the offensive line.
I had to get some intel within the A to Z Sports beat, and Joe DeLeone, who covers the Giants, gave me his thoughts on Thomas’ injury and how this affects Sunday’s matchup.
“Based on his recent comments, it doesn’t seem likely that Andrew Thomas will play. The emphasis in his statement was on progressing slowly and not forcing an early return. For his and the Giants’ sake, it’s far more impactful if Thomas is on the field for 14-15 games without discomfort than his season ending early again.” – Joe DeLeone, A to Z Sports New York
If Thomas can’t play, the Giants will have to turn to one of two new additions to the line.
“Ultimately, the Giants placed a direct emphasis on bolstering their offensive line depth because of the volatility of the unit. James Hudson III was signed as an experienced swing player because they needed someone who could play at least at a serviceable level. The drafting of Marcus Mbow also strengthened the group, especially after he had a promising preseason. The largest source of optimism is the fact that head coach Brian Daboll has been extremely cryptic when addressing injuries with the media. There is a slight chance this could be a ruse to affect the Commanders’ Week 1 plans.” – Joe DeLeone, A to Z Sports New York
How the Commanders will attack
If Thomas is out on Sunday, this gives defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. a chance to let loose on the left side of the line. Defensive end Deatrich Wise will likely line up on that side, but don’t be surprised to see Von Miller or Jacob Martin come off that side as well with their ears pinned back.
It’s also worth noting that the Commanders love to blitz Frankie Luvu from that side as well, so it could be a big game for him in the backfield. Whitt Jr. likes to rotate the line and put new faces on the edge throughout the game, so the Giants will have to keep guessing. There are several options for how the Commanders can take advantage of the left side of the line, with Thomas either out or playing at less than 100%.
We will learn more about Thomas’s injury as the game approaches and the first injury report is released on Wednesday, but this is definitely a significant advantage to crash Wilson’s blindside and prevent him from finding Malik Nabers in the passing game.
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