An inside look at Sunday’s Giants-Commanders NFL Week 9 matchup at MetLife Stadium:
Marquee matchup
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin vs. Giants CB Deonte Banks
McLaurin has four touchdown receptions.
The rest of the Washington wide receivers, combined, have two.
This is the guy Jayden Daniels looks for most often — his 57 targets are more than twice as many as the next receiver.
McLaurin in eight games has 40 receptions for 579 yards.
In the past, Banks has held up in this battle. He limited McLaurin to six catches but for just 22 yards earlier this season. All eyes are on Banks because of his effort-related failings. He was benched in the second quarter last week but retains his starting job. Head coach Brian Daboll is sticking his neck out with this handling of Banks. “I think we’re in a good spot here,’’ Daboll said. “I think he’s ready to go.’’
Paul’s pick
Sure, the Commanders last week were fortunate to get past the Bears on that hellacious Hail Mary touchdown.
Good teams find a way, don’t they?
Now for the Giants. They find ways to lose, mostly because they cannot generate enough points, and their offense at home is embarrassingly inept.
Upsets happen, of course, but they must be earned.
Commanders 27, Giants 17
Four downs
DEAD ZONE: The Giants last week on their first series on offense hit on something rare for them: a big play. It came via Daniel Jones’ 43-yard completion toDarius Slayton.
The drive advanced to the Steelers’ 11-yard line and then … blah.
A field goal was the result, and that has been a sad story for this team.
The Giants are last in the NFL in scoring touchdowns in the red zone at 36.4 percent.
Last season, they were 31st in the league at 44.2 percent. A big reason for their winning ways in 2022 was their 63.3 percent touchdown rate in the red zone — seventh in the league.
Perhaps something breaks for the Giants this weekend.
The Commanders are 29th in the league in red-zone defense, allowing touchdowns nearly 70 percent of the time — with the Giants going 3-for-3 against them in Week 2.
FLAG DAY: Those were not gold Terrible Towels strewn around the field Monday night in Pittsburgh.
Those were yellow penalty flags thrown against the Giants.
There were 11 of them — the most penalties in a game by the Giants since coach Brian Daboll took over in 2022.
Seven of the 11 were pre-snap penalties on the offense amid the noise.
This was a regression, as there was not a single pre-snap penalty on offense in the Week 5 victory in Seattle, always known as one of the loudest road venues in the league.
Playing at home, there is no excuse for an abundance of pre-snap penalties — unless the home fans are booing the offense, which is always a possibility.
LEG MAN: One of the few questions about Commanders QBJayden Daniels as an NFL prospect was how skinny he looked on the field.
He did not exactly bulk up since his days at LSU, but he is such a smart and selective runner that he for the most part, has been able to avoid big shots when he is a ball carrier.
He has run it 74 times for 424 yards — second in the NFL to Lamar Jackson — and has four rushing touchdowns.
He must be watched at all times, as he is always a threat to take it out of the pocket.
“In the run game especially, making sure we have every guy in a gap and then obviously one extra for the quarterback, too,’’ linebacker Micah McFadden said. “Knowing when you could be that guy put in the position to play the quarterback and being detailed and just getting him on the ground.’’
TAKE IT AWAY: First, the good news: The Giants have a league-leading 35 sacks, the most by a team in its first eight games since 2017 (Jaguars).
But the run defense is shabby, and the big-play ability of coordinator Shane Bowen’s unit is virtually non-existent.
For the first time in franchise history, the Giants have gone seven consecutive games without an interception.
The lone interception all season came in Week 1, by rookie linebacker Darren Musau.
The cornerbacks and safeties have not come close.