The Giants will see a Washington Commanders team on Sunday that has stumbled out of the gate at 1-3, but that record hasn’t erased the belief around the franchise that things can still swing quickly in the NFC East. The bigger issue, according to Andrew York of Hogs Haven, is that the losses have come with a steady stream of injuries attached.
“It’s terribly disappointing, but it’s not just the fact that the team is losing games, it’s that they’re constantly losing players to injury too,” York said. “A loss can be overcome with a win next week, but losing core players makes even a win next week harder.”
That frustration is part of why Commanders fans feel like they’re seeing a repeat of another injury-heavy season. Still, York pointed out that this version of Washington has shown more depth than the one at the same stage in 2025.
He noted that last year an injury to Terry McLaurin could sink the passing game, while this season players such as Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams have helped keep things afloat. He also pointed to the offense surviving without its top two offensive line starters, Laremy Tunsil and Sam Cosmi, and still managing to protect and score against Seattle’s defense in Week 3.
The biggest waiting game, of course, is Jayden Daniels. York said Daniels had a strong training camp and was sharp in Week 2 against the Cowboys before getting hurt. Even with the rocky start, he believes the roster is better than it was in 2024 and that a healthy Daniels could push Washington back into the win column.
“That being said, fans are anxiously awaiting the return of Jayden Daniels,” York said. “Despite the injuries, I think the overall roster now is better than it was in 2024, so there’s absolutely a belief that a healthy Jayden Daniels could reverse the team’s fortunes.and get them back into a winning record.”
On defense, one name that has already popped is Sonny Styles. York said the linebacker looked a little tentative early in preseason, but quickly settled in and has since flashed the full package: range, tackling, coverage and pass-rush ability. He described Styles as someone who “has been amazing and already looks like he’ll be a star on defense for many years to come.”
“He’s been a very strong tackler showing sideline-to-sideline speed and can limit runs anywhere on the field,” York said. “He’s also shown to be very good in coverage...
He’s also shown to be a dangerous blitzer... He’s good at everything you’d want a linebacker to do and hasn’t shown any obvious weaknesses.”
York also liked what he’s seen from Styles away from game action, calling him humble, serious and hard-working. He said Styles reminds him of Bobby Wagner in how he carries himself, “though without Wagner’s aura of accomplishment.”
If the Giants could steal one player from Washington’s roster, York’s answer was Arvell Reese, with a caveat that Malik Nabers would be a bigger long-term upgrade at receiver. He said he would lean Reese because of age and contract considerations, while also acknowledging that Nabers’ injury history gives him pause on a team already dealing with health issues.
For players New York fans should have on their radar Sunday, York pointed first to rookie receiver Antonio Williams. The third-round pick has steadily carved out a bigger role, and York said the coaching staff clearly trusts him. He went from a 28.9% route share in Week 1 to leading the team in routes run in Week 4.
On the defensive side, York highlighted cornerback Amik Robertson, calling him a “5-foot-9 stick of dynamite” who makes plays all over the field. He said Robertson is sticky in coverage, physical as a tackler, capable as a blitzer and brings an energy that spreads through the defense. Robertson joined Washington as a free agent from the Lions this offseason.
Asked how the Giants should attack Washington if they want to come away with a win, York said the path through the Commanders’ defense runs through the air. He sees the secondary as the weakest part of the unit and thinks New York should use three- and four-wide sets to force Washington into its least favorable personnel, then stress the coverage with layered routes and enough protection to let the quarterback work.
“The trick here is to protect your quarterback well enough to enable him to have time to throw,” York said, pointing to the way Dallas and Seattle were able to throw for 279 and 379 passing yards, respectively, against Washington.
Against the Commanders’ offense, York said the Giants should have a plan for Daniels if he plays. His prescription: a quarterback spy, four-man pressure and more bodies in coverage. Daniels has handled blitzes well by getting the ball out quickly or escaping with his legs, York said, so Washington has generally been tougher to slow down when defenses try to get too aggressive.
In Other News...
Former Giants Draft Pick's Disappearance Remains A Painful Mystery
Sam Beals career with the Giants never really got the chance to settle into a normal rhythm. Drafted in the 2018 supplemental draft, the cornerback was slowed by injuries, opted out of the 2020 season and was waived in 2021 after limited playing time and legal issues. For a player once seen as a long-shot swing for help in the secondary, the story has taken a far heavier turn in the years since he left the roster.
In July 2025, Beal disappeared after a phone call to his girlfriend, and his abandoned car was later found near the oceanfront in Virginia Beach. Law enforcement in both Michigan and Virginia are still investigating, and the case has left behind a painful uncertainty for everyone who followed his career. For Giants fans, it is another reminder of how quickly a football journey can veer far from the field. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Suddenly Have A Backfield Problem They Can't Ignore
The Giants ground game has become a concern John Harbaugh no longer sounds willing to downplay. After another stretch without the kind of explosive runs that usually change field position and open up an offense, the team is looking at a rushing attack that has yet to deliver the burst it needs. The problems have not just been about production, either, with ball security issues already shaping how the backfield is being managed.
Those fumbles have started to affect player usage in a noticeable way, including Devin Singletarys recent inactivity, and that only adds more pressure on a unit trying to find a rhythm. The offensive line has had its own uneven moments, while rookie linebacker Arvell Reese has flashed enough to stand out on the other side of the ball. And with trade chatter swirling around Khalil Mack, there is at least one more storyline hanging over a roster that suddenly has a backfield issue it cannot afford to let linger. [Read more 🡒]
John Harbaugh Has Giants Fans Believing In MetLife Again
The Giants have given their home crowd something it had not seen in a long time under John Harbaugh, opening the season 3-0 at MetLife Stadium and looking far more competitive than they did a year ago. It is the kind of start that matters in a place where the atmosphere has often depended on whether the team can give fans a reason to stay invested, and it has come with a clearer energy around the locker room as well.
For a franchise that celebrated the 40th anniversary of its 1986 Super Bowl team during this stretch, the timing only sharpened the contrast between the past and the present. Harbaugh has become the first Giants head coach to start this strongly at MetLife, and the bigger question now is whether this early home-field surge can become something sturdier as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]