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5 Bold Predictions For Washington Redskins vs. Giants NFL Week 17
Dec 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) before warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Redskins are getting ready to play the biggest game of their season. Here are some bold predictions for the contest.
Game day is here. The most important contest of the 2016 season is about get underway. The Redskins playoff lives are on the line, and they need a win to get into the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Nothing is guaranteed, but a win would almost certainly get them in as the sixth seed.
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To do this, they must go through the New York Giants. The Giants have put together a stellar season, and they have a 10-5 record coming into the game. They have already clinched the No. 5 seed in the NFC, and will finish second in the NFC East. The Giants are going to put their best foot forward and try to knock off the Redskins.
With all of that said, this is going to be a very exciting game for the Redskins. They will be motivated to win, but anything can happen. Here is a look at some bold predictions for the game.
Dec 18, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws the ball against the Detroit Lions during second half at MetLife Stadium. The Giants won 17-6. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
5. Giants Pull Starters After 1 Quarter Of Play
All week, many have wondered about how much the Giants would actually play their starter. Frankly, they have little incentive to play them the whole game, as the team is locked into the No. 5 seed in the NFC. The only thing they could play for is to potentially knock the Redskins out of the playoffs, but in this circumstance, it may not be entirely worth it to risk the health of their best players to do so.
Head coach Ben McAdoo is going to have a choice to make. What matters more: knocking a rival out of the postseason race, or ensuring that his own team is ready for the postseason? He should choose the latter, as the Giants are going to have a chance to knock off whatever team ends up as the fourth seed in the playoffs.
Still, the Giants should give their starters some playing time. The last thing they want to do is have their team completely out of rhythm heading to the postseason. That said, it seems likely that they will take them out if the team can put together a couple of good drives.
For this reason, I think that the Giants starters will see the bench by the end of the first quarter. There is simply no incentive to play, and the risks to the health of the starters is too great. The Redskins are going to be playing an intense game, and the Giants do not want any of their key players to fall victim to their play.
Dec 24, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington Redskins inside linebacker Will Compton (51) in action during the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Redskins defeat the Bears 41-21. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
4. Will Compton Leads Team In Tackles
When Will Comtpon missed the Redskins Week 15 game against the Panthers, his absence was felt. The team struggled to stop the run and they too often looked lost in coverage. The team needed their leader, and they got him back for a portion of last week’s contest.
With Compton back in the fold, the Redskins were much better last week. The defense looked far more comfortable figuring out the Bears offensive attack, and the sub packages were able to learn their plays in a more effective manner. In short, Compton’s presence is key to the Redskins, and he should show his value in Week 17.
If Compton can see the field long enough, he should be able to lead the Redskins in tackles. Compton will be able to slow the Giants’ rushing attack and should put great coverage on the team’s tight ends. At the end of the day, seeing him with 8-10 tackles should be expected, and that should be enough to lead the team in that category.
Dec 4, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Washington Redskins safety Deshazor Everett (22) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Redskins 31-23. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
3. Deshazor Everett Records Another Interception
This week, Deshazor Everett is set to reprise his role from a couple of weeks ago as the third safety. He occupied that role in the team’s matchup against the Eagles, when Will Blackmon missed time with an injury. Now, Donte Whitner is out for the season, and Duke Ihenacho is set to step into the starting lineup. This will actually open up some more playing time for Everett on defense, and he could end up playing well.
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Everett has some great coverage skills. He played the cornerback position in college, and he should be able to succeed on passing downs. In addition to that, Everett is a hard hitter and has proven that he can make tackles. Against the Giants, he should see a role in coverage situations, and could even operate as a combination type player, given the weaknesses in the Washington secondary.
Because of this, Everett should have a chance to make some plays. I would imagine that the Giants are planning on targeting the safety position, but they may be surprised if they try to bully Everett. He simply has a solid skill set, and is one of the more underappreciated players on the Redskins squad.
Perhaps Everett will get some more respect if he posts another interception in this game. The last time he was the No. 3 safety, he was able to get it. I see no reason why he could not repeat here in Week 17.
Dec 24, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon (88) acknowledges the crowd as he leaves the field after the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Redskins won 41-21. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
2. Pierre Garcon Records 100 Yards, 2 Touchdowns
The Giants have a really strong secondary, but the real question is, how long will their stars play? As I said earlier, I think that their top options will be out by the end of the first quarter. That said, the backups are still relatively strong, but they could have some serious issues with Pierre Garcon.
The veteran receiver has put together one of the most impressive seasons of his career. Operating a one of the top options for Kirk Cousins, Garcon has been extremely consistent all season. He is just 55 yards short of his second 1,000 yard season of his career and his first since 2013.
Garcon should be able to use his physicality to get an edge on some of the Giants defensive backs. Provided that he is not covered by Janoris Jenkins for long, he should be able to break away for some of the 10-15 yard receptions that we have been seeing from the veteran all season.
At the end of the day, do not be surprised to see Garcon record over 100 yards receiving. He has to be motivated to get over the 1,000 yard mark, and he could see some red zone targets as well. Two touchdowns seems to be the ceiling for him in this game, but he certainly could do it.
Nov 20, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) throws a touchdown pass to Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon (not pictured) against the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
1. Kirk Cousins Throws For 300 Yards, 3 Touchdowns
Kirk Cousins is about to play the biggest game of his career. He is once again in a contract year, and getting to the playoffs would give him some extra leverage in regards to a lucrative extension. For this reason, and the fact that he is a major competitor, I think that Cousins should put together a very strong game.
The Giants are going to try and get Cousins off of his game early, but he will be ready to play his game. If the Redskins can establish a run game, then that will open things up downfield for Cousins. They just need to keep the Giants honest, and they should be able to do that.
Once the game opens up, then Cousins will be able to pick and choose his matchups. Provided that he gets ample time in the pocket, he should be able to dissect the Giants defense and find the open man. The Redskins are going to have all of their receiving weapons available for the game, so that will make Cousins’ job a lot easier.
Cousins is going to have to lead the Redskins to victory. If he can do that, then the team will be happy. In order to do that, I think that he will post over 300 yards passing and will toss at least three touchdowns on the day. He should be ready for the limelight. If he is not, then the offseason should be interesting.
