The Washington Commanders head into Thursday night with their season hanging in the balance, and the setup is simple: beat the New York Giants or let another chance slip away. Washington dropped a winnable game at home against the L.A.
Rams on Sunday and now sits at 2-5-1, a record that looks ugly on its face but still leaves the door cracked in a weak NFC East. Adam Peters didn’t move off pieces at the trade deadline, and Dan Quinn is still pushing to keep this thing alive with an unlikely run.
There’s at least one boost coming for Washington’s offense. Treylon Burks is set to return after missing the Rams game with a foot injury, joining Stefon Diggs, Van Jefferson and rookie Antonio Williams in the receiver mix.
Luke McCaffrey will be active as well, though his one catch last week doesn’t exactly change the picture. Rookie Jaden Bradley also caught a pass against the Rams, but with Burks back, he may not get elevated from the practice squad again.
The backfield remains a work in progress. Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler are still the lead options, and the Commanders will also have UDFA rookie Robert Henry active for his first NFL game after he was up against the Rams.
White paced the team on the ground last week with 28 yards, while Ekeler and Jayden Daniels each added 16. Washington is averaging 118.3 rushing yards per game, and the Giants are allowing 123.6 on the ground, so the matchup at least leaves room for improvement.
Nick Allegretti’s return at center could help.
The number on this game tells you plenty about how the market sees it. The total sits at 41.5, and that’s not exactly a vote of confidence in either offense.
The quarterback matchup of J.J. McCarthy vs Jayden Daniels in primetime doesn’t scream shootout, either.
Still, the predictions split a little here: Scott Bair and I both have Washington winning in New Jersey, but I’m leaning under, and it might even be too generous if we’re being honest. Bair is expecting a Washington offensive burst - or maybe a couple of pick-sixes.
The anytime touchdown board reflects the same uncertainty, with Rachaad White listed at +170, Stefon Diggs at +250, Jayden Daniels at +270 and Austin Ekeler at +320. Treylon Burks comes in at +360, followed by Chig Okonkwo at +390, Antonio Williams at +410 and Washington’s defense at +750. Van Jefferson is at +850, Luke McCaffrey and Jaden Bradley are both +1300, John Bates is +1400, Robert Henry is +2000, and Colson Yankoff and Ben Sinnott are both +2200.
The call here is Daniels to Jefferson. On the passing props, Daniels’ touchdown total is set at 1.5, with the over at +168 and the under at -230, and the prediction is for him to throw two scores. His passing yard line is 202.5, and the pick is the over there as well.
The receiving-yard props are lined up with Stefon Diggs at 40.5, Antonio Williams at 40.5, Chig Okonkwo at 34.5, Rachaad White at 12.5 and Austin Ekeler at 9.5. The picks run under, over, over, under, under, with Van Jefferson singled out as the one who should go over.
On the ground, Jayden Daniels is at 37.5 rushing yards, White at 37.5 and Ekeler at 29.5, with the predictions calling for Daniels under, White over and Ekeler under. White is expected to just barely clear the number while Washington’s run game keeps grinding through a rough patch.
As for the game itself, FanDuel has Washington at +1.5 with the total at 41.5. The moneyline shows Commanders +114 and Giants -134. The final call: Washington 23, New York 17.
In Other News...
Commanders Defense Faces Heat After Chaissons Blunt Take On Rams Loss
The Commanders defense had a long week to sit with what went wrong in the 20-13 loss to the Rams, and KLavon Chaisson did not try to soften the edge of it. Los Angeles leaned heavily on Puka Nacua, who finished with 14 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown, and the repeated success of that approach became the central problem Washington could not solve.
Chaisson pointed to the lack of adjustment as the issue, underscoring how the defense let a predictable plan keep working anyway. For a unit that needed to be sharper in a tight game, the frustration was less about surprise and more about failing to respond once the pattern was obvious. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Face A Brutal Thursday Reality In NFC East Race
A short week has turned into a meaningful one for the Commanders, who head into Thursday nights matchup with the Giants knowing the NFC East picture already has some early separation. New York sits atop the division, and Washington needs a win just to keep pace in a race that can tighten or slip away quickly when these head-to-head games start stacking up.
The matchup has also taken on a different edge with the betting market moving toward the Giants, a sign of how much confidence there is in New York entering the prime-time spot. For Washington, the assignment is straightforward but unforgiving: handle a division rival on a short week, or watch the standings get a little harder to chase. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Defense Has A Chance To Prove This Progress Is Real
The Commanders defense has started to look more like the unit Dan Quinn envisioned, and the recent uptick has given the coaching staff reason to believe the turnaround is more than a short-lived spike. Quinn has pointed to defensive coordinator Daronte Jones as part of the improvement, with Washington cleaning up some of the issues that were costing it earlier in the season and giving up fewer points in the process.
Thursday night brings a familiar test, with the Giants back on the schedule and another chance for Washington to show the progress can hold up under pressure. For a defense that needed to steady itself, the challenge now is not just playing better for a week, but proving the gains can survive a quick turnaround and another divisional matchup. [Read more 🡒]