The New York Giants could pull off an upset against the Washington Commanders this weekend.
Even though the outcome is unlikely, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is pretty successful when matching up against his division rival. This will be Jones' ninth meeting against the Commanders. In his previous eight starts, he's gone 5-2-1, completing 68.3% of his passes for 1668 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The offense has struggled with consistency, but the defense has been a steady force. The most impressive aspect of New York’s defense this season has been its pass coverage - they rank eighth in passing yards allowed, giving up just 189.4 per game. And that’s with top cornerback Adoree' Jackson sidelined for the past three weeks. Even without their best corner, this unit has been locking down opponents' air attacks.
If the Giants' defensive linemen, specifically Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns, can make Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels uncomfortable, they have a chance to turn their season around. The Los Angeles Rams started last season 3-6, then finished the season 7-1 and made the playoffs. Any team can get hot, so why not this Giants team?
If the G-Men are going to have any shot at beating Washington this weekend, they'll need to be healthy. Here's a breakdown of the Giants' final injury report heading into Week 9.
Final Giants injury report for Week 9 against the Washington Commanders
All eyes have been on Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. and the concussion he suffered in the Week 8 loss to the Steelers. If he's healthy, which head coach Brian Daboll and the Giants' medical staff believe he will be, it'll be a game-changer. Well, today, Tracy Jr cleared the concussion protocol and is set to play Sunday.
Here’s a look at the other players who were either limited in practice today or didn’t participate.
Did not participate:
- P - Jamie Gillan (hamstring)
Limited participation:
- WR - Ihmir Smith-Marsette (ankle)
- CB - Cordale Flott (groin)
- CB - Tre Hawkins III (ankle)
- CB - Adoree' Jackson (neck)
- OG - Jake Kubas (abdomen)
- C - John Michael Schmitz (calf)
- LB - Ty Summers (ankle)
- OG - Jon Runyan (foot)
- WR - Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles)
- K - Greg Joseph (abdomen)
Adoree' Jackson's neck injury is moving in a positive direction. After being a limited participant all week, it looks like he has a legitimate chance to play. New York needs him - the secondary has been struggling all season, but it's been the lack of effort from second-year corner Deonte Banks that's made the headlines.
Having Jackson back for this divisional matchup against Daniels is huge.
The interior line has had some injury improvements as well. John Michael Schmitz, Joshua Ezeudu, Jon Runyan, and Jake Kubas participated in practice, which is a good sign heading into the weekend.
While it might be a challenging matchup, don't count the G-Men out. For as good as the Commanders have been this season, the Giants have shown a fair amount of fight. Especially in a divisional game, expect the unexpected. If Tracy can bounce back quickly and Jones can move the ball down the field, anything is possible.