Redskins will beat the Giants if…
- …they hold the Giants to 17 or less. I don’t see the Skins’ offense scoring much with the group they have. They couldn’t score when they were healthy so I’m not expecting a team that is capable of going out and winning 31-28 or 28-27. They have four opponents left. All four are beatable even with the injury-limited group they have. But they have to win the type of games they won in the first half of the season….20-17, 20-13, 16-3. To win Sunday, the defense is going to have to play well. No Odell Beckham Jr. is a break but the Giants are still capable of moving the ball. The Skins’ defense hasn’t played well since the moment DJ Swearinger said, ‘put it on us, put it on the defense, the defense can carry this team’. Well it hasn’t. Not even close. They have to figure out a way to stop the run against a Giant team that averaged 4.9 yards per carry last week against the #2 rush defense in the league, the Bears. I think they need to sell out with run blitzes and if Eli checks to throws, jam receivers in man coverage and get to Eli. Holding the Giants to 17 or less seems doable but stopping the run and forcing the Giants to make plays in the passing game is the only way.
- …the Skins realize that moving the ball through the air is their only chance on offense. I have no faith in the Skins ability to run the ball against anybody right now. I just don’t think that Gruden and Callahan know how to scheme up a run game that fits the talent they have. The loss of so many offensive linemen (most notably Brandon Scherff) has made it hard but Gruden is best at scheming people open in the pass game. Is there that much difference really between McCoy and Sanchez? What do they have to lose. If Sanchez can make 3-4 big plays in the passing game against a Giant team without Landon Collins, that may be enough. He doesn’t have to go 22-28 for 275 and 3 touchdowns but an 18-35 day with 3-4 completions of 25+ yards might create enough scoring opportunities to win the game. Quarterbacks like Nick Mullens and Chase Daniel have had decent days against the Giants with Collins ON THE FIELD. Let Sanchez throw it. It may be the only way they’ll move the football.
- …Mark Sanchez doesn’t turn it over a lot. Mullens and Daniel both had chances to beat New York with the good plays made but they lost the games because each threw two interceptions. Sanchez has to know that walking off the field with Tress Way walking on it is better than walking off the field and watching his defense come out.
Prediction:
Giants 20-19
To hear the game discussed with Chris Cooley on Friday’s podcast, go the 24:20 mark below.
https://thekevinsheehanshow.com/2018/12/07/cooley-and-kevin-for-40/
