The Washington Redskins are on the rise. Despite a modest 1-1 record, the Redskins have been playing with a brand new identity over the first two weeks that have led to a couple of promising performances. Can the Skins’ new style of play lead them to a big road win over the still-winless New York Giants?
Read on below for our preview of this NFC East showdown on Thursday Night Football. Meanwhile, check out our previews of Week 3’s other intriguing matchups with the Steelers vs. Rams and Broncos vs. Lions.
[sc:Football ]Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants Preview
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
When: Thursday, September 24, 8:30 PM ET
Line: Washington Redskins (+4) at New York Giants (-4); total 44.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS/NFL Network
Betting on the Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are slowly moving on from the disastrous RGIII era and are establishing a new identity on offense.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Through the first two weeks of the season, the Skins’ running game has flourished. Alfred Morris rushed for 123 of the team’s 161 total rushing yards in their 17-10 Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
They were even better in their big 24-10 Week 2 home win over the St. Louis Rams. They gashed the dominant St. Louis Rams front for 184 rushing yards, 123 of which coming from rookie Matt Jones, who also had two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Washington’s defense has limited opposing offenses to just 20 points thus far. Credit must also be given to that resurgent running game, which has held those offenses to just 22 minutes of possession in each of the first two games.
The success of that running attack will be crucial not only in keeping Odell Beckham Jr. and that explosive Giants offense off the field, but also in limiting quarterback Kirk Cousins’s responsibility in the offense. With the pressure to carry the offense lessened by the ground game, Cousins completed 85 percent of his passes against the Rams, comfortably a career best.
That’s in stark contrast to his performance against the Giants last season, where he had arguably the worst game of his career. He threw four picks and completed just 57 percent of his passes in a 45-14 humiliation at home. Cousins also had quite a stinker in his other meeting against New York in 2013, where he completed just 39 percent of his passes and threw two picks.
With a dependable running game and defense to lean on, Cousins’s penchant for committing costly turnovers should be significantly reduced, at the same time raising the Redskins’ chances of claiming a big road win.
The under has gone 9-1 in the Redskins’ last 10 road games against the Giants.
Betting on the New York Giants
The New York Giants have played reasonably well for the first three quarters in their two games thus far, and have taken leads into the fourth quarter both times. But terrible collapses have condemned them to an 0-2 start to the season. After their debacle in Dallas, the Giants gave up 14 unanswered points in the fourth as they fell to the Atlanta Falcons, 24-20, at home in Week 2.
Despite the loss, a big bright spot for the Giants came in the form of Odell Beckham Jr., who looked back to his electrifying best. After a silent season opener against the Cowboys, ODB broke out with seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown vs. Atlanta.
It’s certainly not a stretch to see him repeat this type of production again, seeing as he had one of the best games of his young career against Washington last season. He caught 12 balls for 143 yards and a career-high three touchdowns to lead the Giants to a 24-13 home win.
The Giants defense has been torched by Tony Romo (356 yards, three touchdowns) and Matt Ryan (363 yards and a touchdown) through the air in the first two games, but it shouldn’t expect to get burned too badly by a Redskins team that’s committing more to the run, and could still be missing big play threat DeSean Jackson (shoulder).
The defense has held up well against the run, though, giving up just three yards per carry thus far. If that solid run defense can hold up against the Redskins and put the ball in Cousins’s hands, the Giants should fancy the chances of Cousins making a mistake or two, as his track record (21 interceptions in 15 career games) indicates.
New York has gone 4-0 straight up and against the spread in its last four games against the Redskins, and 8-2 (6-3-1 against the spread) in the last 10 against them at home.
Writer’s Prediction
The Giants hold the Skins’ running game in check as Beckham and the Giants record their first win of the year, 24-17. Create a betting account now and record some big winnings on the NFL throughout the season.
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