New York Giants must make a statement against Washington

You’ve probably gotten tired of me saying it, but the fact of the matter is that once again, the New York Giants find themselves in a must-win, season-defining game.

This time it’s against Washington, and on paper it’s a very winnable game for the boys in Blue. But unfortunately, divisions aren’t won on paper.

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The Giants are in first place of the NFC East, but that’s really not saying a whole lot. Despite losses by Washington and Philadelphia, New York’s lead is a small one-game one. If the team loses in Washington, the rest of the season gets very, very murky, especially with games against Carolina and in Minnesota looming.

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New York needs to win in Washington to separate itself from the rest of the division. The members on the team understand how pivotal the clash in D.C. will be, too.

The team’s newest addition Hakeem Nicks, who played an enormous role during the team’s 2011 Super Bowl run, said this is a familiar spot for him.

On being 1st in NFC East at 5-5 with 6 gms left, Hakeem Nicks: "I’ve seen this before and we’re right where we need to be in this division."
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) November 23, 2015

In order to separate itself from the rest of the division, New York needs to go into D.C. and win.

The key to victory in Washington will likely be playing a complete game, which is something the Giants have failed to do consistently this season. The good news is that cornerback Prince Amukamara is set to return after missing the past five games with a pectoral injury. The duo of Amukamara and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is by far the best in the division, and having both players on the field will help spark the resurgent pass rush.

Speaking of the pass rush, the return of Jason Pierre-Paul has unquestionably made the unit stronger. With JPP back in the fold, teams need to pay extra attention to him, and that frees up JPP’s teammates.

Pierre-Paul could have his hands full dealing with All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, so the Giants might need guys like Damontre “Feed Me” Moore and Robert Ayers Jr. to step up.

On the offensive side of the ball, this would be a perfect game for Eli Manning and company to step up and flash their potential. We’ve seen Manning throw six touchdowns in one game and have numerous big plays to Odell Beckham Jr., but we’ve failed to see it consistently.

Rueben Randle, Shane Vereen, Larry Donnell, Dwayne Harris and the recently signed Hakeem Nicks should all be parts of the game plan. If that group of players is able to step up, Washington won’t win even if it can shut down Beckham.

The Giants are going to have a chance to put on a fireworks show. Washington is ranked 22nd in total defense, and they’re a week removed from getting lit up by Cam Newton and his cast of receivers.

Although it doesn’t really seem like it, this game is absolutely as important as any other game the Giants have played this year. 5-5 might be good enough to lead the division after 10 games, but a loss against Washington would mean the Giants would be in a tie for first place. With Dallas seemingly on the rebound with Tony Romo Back, a two-game lead is anything but safe. Also, I’m still not ready to count out the Eagles, and I think they’re capable of winning the division as well.

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Sunday needs to serve as a statement win for this football team. When these two teams met in week 3, the Giants made a statement by saying, “Hey, we might be 1-2, but we’re not dead yet.” This time, the statement might be a little more clear and decisive, as it would likely be something like, “This is OUR division.”

The first-place Giants aren’t viewed by many as being legitimate contenders. Luckily for the Giants, they have a chance on Sunday to play some smash-mouth football and assert themselves in the uninspiring NFC East.

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