For Months, the buildup to Week 1 between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders has carried one clear message: Washington is the favorite, New York is the unknown question mark.
Oddsmakers, analysts, and even beat writers painted the Commanders as the safer bet — a young playoff team on the rise that turned it around within a year, powered by superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels, and backed by a defense expected to carry them into contention. Washington comes into Sunday as a 6-point favorite over the Giants.
But what if all of that collapsed in three hours on Sunday? What if the G-Men, painted as underdogs for this matchup by a lot of analysts, walked into FedEx Field and destroyed Washington?
Giants could shock the world Week 1 vs Commanders
That’s the kind of opening-week scenario that would send Giants fans — and the NFC East — into utter chaos.
The Expectation: Commanders in control
According to BetMGM, the Commanders entered as a six-point favorites, with projections giving them more than an 80% chance to win.
Many other sports betting breakdowns have leaned the same way, pointing to Washington’s firepower on offense and New York’s shaky roster, while NFL analysts have praised Daniels as “one of the most electrifying young quarterbacks in the league," expecting him to torch a Giants defense that has been formidable in pass rush, but has question marks within the cornerback room and questions surrounding their run defense.
Even Giants analysts, while acknowledging areas of optimism, noted the glaring questions surrounding New York’s offensive line and Russell Wilson’s fit in the Brian Daboll offense. On paper, Washington is the much better team.
The Chaos scenario: A blowout nobody saw coming
Now picture the flip side:
- Russell Wilson turns back the clock: The veteran quarterback, written off after uneven years in Denver, delivers a vintage performance — three touchdown passes, no turnovers, and complete command of the huddle, bringing us back to his Seattle glory days.
- A revived run game: The Giants' backfield, led by Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Cam Skattebo, punches holes in Washington’s defense for 125-plus yards, chewing clock and controlling tempo.
- Defensive Havoc: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, top 3 draft pick Abdul Carter, and Dexter Lawrence lead a pass rush that swarms Daniels, forcing multiple turnovers, combining for 5+ sacks, and holding a powerful Commanders offense to under 300 total yards of offense.
By the fourth, it’s 34-3 and Commanders fans are streaming toward the exits, while a happy and energetic New York sideline celebrates.
Fan reaction:
If this played out, the ripple effects would be immediate. Giants fans, bracing for a long season due to their schedule being the toughest in the NFL, would suddenly flood social media with cries of “we’re so back!” And “Russell Wilson revenge tour." Talk radio in New York would flip from doom and gloom to playoff speculation overnight.
Meanwhile, in Washington, the honeymoon would end in a hurry, Daniels would face instant sophomore slump allegations across the NFL world, and fans would start talking about how the Commanders' run in 2024 was a fluke. Washington fans would also be disappointed by the start since they are expecting to be contenders in 2025.
Why it would matter:
- NFC East shake-up: A division many assumed would be a three-team race between Washington, Philadelphia, and Dallas would suddenly have a loud new voice.
- Narrative shift for New York: Instead of scraping by with a rebuilding roster, the Giants would suddenly be framed as NFC wild-card contenders.
Final snap.
It’s unlikely but not impossible. Washington is favored for a reason — better roster continuity, a dynamic superstar quarterback, and home-field advantage.
But if Big Blue storms into FedEx Field and hands the Commanders a wide margin loss, the shockwaves would be felt across the league. It wouldn’t just be an upset. It would be a statement being made, and it would rewrite both teams' expectations and throw two fanbases — one into confidence, the other into concern — into pure chaos.