Three game-deciding matchups that will ultimately influence the winner of the Commanders and Giants NFC East showdown
Which of these matchups will help decide the winner?
We start the season with another NFC East showdown as the Washington Commanders host the New York Giants in Week 1. Every single win counts with a much tougher schedule, especially when it’s in the division as well.
Three glaring matchups will help decide who walks into Week 2 with a 1-0 record and a major boost in the season-long race in the NFC. Keep your eyes on these big-name players who can take over the game on Sunday and elevate their teams to win.
Giants’ Defensive Line vs Commanders’ Offensive Line
It’s not even an argument that Dexter Lawrence is one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL, and the rest of the league agreed after voting him as the 17th-best player in the league in the NFL top-100 list. Lawrence was actually double-teamed on 63.8% of his pass rush attempts last season, which is the most since 2018, and he still had nine sacks, despite missing the last five games.
Lawrence has a ton of help with Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, and the newest draft pick, Abdul Carter. The Giants have a true pass-rush committee, and the Commanders have to contain the pressure and keep Jayden Daniels upright. A much-improved offensive line for the Commanders will get its hardest test of the season right out of the gate.
The easiest way the Commanders can lose this game is if the offensive line lets the pass rush through and stops Daniels from making the big plays he makes. Quick drives on offense and allowing the Giants to control the tempo and milk the clock with their run game is a nightmare scenario for Washington. Erase Lawrence and the pass rush as much as possible, and let your star quarterback create magic.
Terry McLaurin vs Deonte Banks or Paulson Adebo
All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin is back, and he has a very favorable matchup to help knock off some rust. The Daniels and McLaurin connection was one of the best in the entire league last season, and they look to pick up where they left off. If the offensive line does its job like I previously discussed, Daniels will be looking for number 17, who is used to winning his one-on-one matchups. He may not have had the glaring stats in yardage, but he got what mattered the most: touchdowns.
McLaurin had two catches in the second meeting against the Giants, and both of them went for a touchdown on Banks.
McLaurin also has someone who takes the attention away from him with his new teammate, Deebo Samuel, and he can stretch the field even more this year. If Daniels has time to throw bombs to McLaurin, it’ll become a footrace for the Giants’ offense to keep up, and I don’t see a way they can.
Malik Nabers vs Commanders’ Secondary
I put Malik Nabers vs the Commanders’ secondary, but let’s be real, the Giants will absolutely move Nabers around to try to target rookie cornerback Trey Amos. Amos very likely knows that as well, so it’ll be a true test to start his NFL career. Quan Martin will be a really big part of helping out in coverage, tackling in space, and making sure no big plays happen behind him as well.
Nabers cooked the Commander’s secondary last season, who didn’t have Amos or Marshon Lattimore at the time, and they should be better equipped to cover him, but you can only do so much to contain him. He’s already one of the best wide receivers in the league, and you have to either bracket or double-team Nabers, and he will still produce. Amos knows Nabers has no weaknesses, and it’ll be a full team effort to stop him.
If you want to know who wins the game on Sunday, it will come down to these three matchups. Will a much-improved offensive line be able to fight off the Giants’ pass rush led by Lawrence? Which WR1 will have the bigger game to help push their team to win between McLaurin and Nabers? Watch at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday to find out.
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