Three Favorable Matchups for NY Giants' Offense in Week 1 Opener at Commanders

In his first two games against the Commanders, Malik Nabers caught 19 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown. He is just difficult to stay in front of and harder to stay connected to. 

The Commanders brought in Marshon Lattimore late last season to help clean up some of the secondary issues, but it was still a mess. 

Lattimore looked like a shell of himself last season when the Commanders acquired him late in the season. Unless he found the magical fountain of youth, it is difficult to see him making an impact. 

That matchup heavily favors Nabers, especially considering he now has quarterbacks willing to let it fly deep. It will be a long day for Lattimore if he decides to shadow Nabers anywhere he goes. 

Respect the Vertical Threats

In addition to his ability to be effective with volume touches, Nabers can be a deadly deep threat. He was unable to show much of this during his rookie campaign due to the quarterback play. 

He and Darius Slayton form one of the best deep pass duos in the NFL. Nobody does more with less like Slayton. Last year in a lost season, Slayton still averaged 14.7 yards per reception. 

That was the highest average on the team by more than three yards, a significant margin. When you add the speedster Jalin Hyatt into the fold, it can create a problem for secondaries to cover all three guys if they decide to go vertical. It also means you can never predict who may be the vertical threat on any given play.

Focus on the Run Game

Last season, the Giants ran for 293 yards and two touchdowns in their two games against Washington. They average 5.52 yards per carry during those games. In addition to the backs, the quarterback found success running. That means there is something about the scheme against the Washington defensive front that just works. 

They were able to run the ball with and without All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas on the field. The Commanders' defensive line should find it difficult to handle this Giants offensive line in the run game, especially if John Michael Schmitz takes the next step in his NFL maturation. 

The rushing attack complements the passing attack because it does not allow the defense to focus solely on stopping the pass. That is how the intermediate area becomes so open, and this is where the Giants can exploit the Commanders' defense while they look to stop the run, and protect the third level from the deep ball; they can get gashed in the intermediate areas.

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