Giants vs Commanders: Week 1 Preview

Oh, glorious New York Giants football, thank you for returning to my life. It has been a long eight or so months of patience, but here we go again, as the Giants open up the 2025 season against a familiar divisional foe. Buckle up, because this season is going to be a wild ride. If the preseason and training camp were any indication of what's to come, then boy, do we have a lot to look forward to as fans of Big Blue.

Thank you, Dog the Bounty Hunter, for the transition. Anyone know what NFL team he supports? Anyway, here we go, as the Giants matchup with the Washington Commanders to start their respective campaigns. Both teams are coming into this game with something to prove. This is an actual prove it year for Brian Daboll, and if things go south quickly, then his seat may get even hotter. Will the Giants kick off 2025 with a statement win and make noise in the NFC East? Learn my answer to all that and more, as I bring to you three things to watch for as the Giants and Commanders face off at 1pm to kick off the season.

Russell Wilson

I want to start with the current QB1. Wilson is an obvious upgrade over what the Giants have run out there over the past few years, and his play will be a big factor in this matchup. He is a grizzled vet, a true leader, consistent as hell, and can throw the ball down the field. Those are all traits the Giants have missed in their starting quarterback since Eli Manning retired, and I believe that if the Giants want to win against the Commanders, they will need as clean of a game from Wilson as possible.

Wilson had an excellent training camp and in both preseason games he played in he led a scoring drive against the Bills and tossed an 80 yard bomb like it was nothing to Beaux Collins against the Jets. It's nice to have a quarterback who knows how to anticipate and throw a receiver open.

Last year in Pittsburgh, Wilson threw for almost 2,500 yards and 16 touchdowns in 11 games. He was selected to his 10th Pro Bowl after leading the Steelers to the playoffs. I know there were qualms with his play, but every quarterback has their flaws. The Giants went out and did the right thing signing him to a one year deal to be their guy in 2025 while Jaxson Dart develops. But this isn't a developmental year for the Giants as a team; they expect Wilson to come out and be that guy that threw for 225 yards per game a year ago and lead them to wins.

The Commanders are the first test for Wilson with Big Blue, and I think he is ready to take on the challenge. The Commanders were stingy in their pass defense last year, ranking third in the league in passing yards allowed and first in opposing quarterback completions per Pro Football Focus. They added Trey Amos through the draft and Will Harris in free agency this offseason. Those guys, along with Marshon Lattimore, Quan Martin, and Mike Sainristil will try to make Wilson's day a living hell. Like I said above, this is a big first test for Wilson in hostile territory. Early success could be the pulse the Giants need to carry themselves with a chip on their shoulder throughout the rest of the season, and it all begins with their starting quarterback.

The run defense

The Giants were one of the worst teams against the run in 2024. They gave up 136 yards per game and were manhandled in the trenches when they needed to step up the most. It didn't help that Dexter Lawrence II was lost after 12 games, but the Giants' defensive front has to be better against the run in 2025. The front office went out and worked on solidifying the front by adding depth in Roy Robertson-Harris and taking Darius Alexander in the third round of the draft. Don't forget that Abdul Carter is not only a pass rusher, but will be used as a swiss army knife around the field, and will be relied on to help stop the run. Micah McFadden and Bobby Okereke will be tasked with second level duties, and they are expected to have massive roles in the defense this year.

So, about that run defense. Although the Commanders may not look like they have the strongest run game on paper with Brian Robinson Jr. shipped off to the 49ers, they still have Jayden Daniels and a proven back in Austin Ekeler, who was one of the best backs in football in 2021 and 2022. Emphasis needs to be put on stopping the run early, and they have to set the tone and throw the Commanders off of their game plan. Cliff Kingsbury is going to want to use Daniels' legs to keep the Giants on their toes, so I expect a spy to be put on Daniels throughout the game. He has a hell of an arm, but if the Giants can minimize big gains from the run, then they can make the game more predictable. Last year, the run killed them and made game script development easier for opposing offenses, so it will be crucial to stop the run early and flip the script to their side of the ball.

For the Giants to have success against the run, they will need effort from all of the guys I mentioned above and then some. Tyler Nubin and Jevon Holland can hit, and I think it would be great to see them in the box throughout this one wreaking havoc on the run. It isn't just a one man show; it takes all 11 guys to make sure the ball carrier goes down.

Mike Kafka calling plays

Per Jordan Raanan of ESPN, the Giants confirmed on Thursday that Mike Kafka would be taking back play calling duties for the offense in 2025.

I like this move, as Kafka was initially hired prior to the 2022 season to be the offensive play caller for this team. His experience with the Chiefs prior to this stint with the Giants gave him valuable exposure to how an offense should be run. The Giants made the playoffs in 2022 under his offensive leadership, and although Daboll has had a lot of say in the offense )and even took on play calling duties last year), Kafka has it in him to be an excellent offensive coordinator in this league. He now has Russell Wilson to work with and continuity on the offensive side of the ball, as all of the starters outside of quarterback carry over from last year.

So, what does this news mean for the matchup against the Commanders? For starters, the Giants put up a ton of points in the preseason. 35.7 per game, to be exact. They went 3-0 and got excellent quarterback play from the guys in that room. They should be able to keep that momentum going in what finally looks like an offense capable of scoring points. Kafka has the weapons to prove it, and he can turn this Giants team into a more dynamic offense:

• Malik Nabers leads the wide receiver room and is an All-Pro talent

• Theo Johnson is the starting tight end, and the expectation is for him to have a big year

• A 1-2 punch of Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Cam Skattebo at running back is scary and should cause headaches for opposing defenses

The Commanders lost Jonathan Allen to free agency this past offseason, and he was by far a huge piece of their run defense. Although the Commanders still have Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw up front, that is a big piece missing from that defense. I'd like to see Kafka dial up some early gap scheme runs that feed Tracy Jr. through the A and B gaps and force the Commanders' hand to stop the inside run. This could help set the tone in the Commanders bringing their linebackers and safeties into the box, ultimately opening up the field to more downfield passing from Russell Wilson. The Commanders were one of the worst run defenses a year ago, so it will be interesting to see how Kafka approaches the run game.

I mentioned Trey Amos above, and he will be starting at cornerback opposite Marshon Lattimore in Week 1. Amos was drafted this year, and Kafka should test his side of the field as much as possible throughout this game. The Giants need to make the kid prove he belongs, and what better way to exploit a rookie than to give him as much volume as possible in the first game of the season? I'm not sure exactly how the Commanders will approach their secondary alignments throughout the game, but this feels like an opportunity for Kafka to scheme open Malik Nabers against an unproven side of the field.

Final Thoughts

There's a lot to be excited about from this Giants team in 2025, but it all starts with the Commanders in Week 1 and an early test against a talented quarterback in Jayden Daniels.

I believe in Russell Wilson and think that veteran leadership at the quarterback position is something the Giants have desperately needed for years now. Brian Daboll is the quarterback whisperer, and it is nice for him to finally have trust in the position. It will be exciting to 'Let Russ Cook' in a Giants uniform.

This game can play out in many ways, but the Giants played the Commanders close in both of their matchups last year. With improvements galore on both side of the ball, I could easily see the Giants pulling this one out and riding high into a Week 2 matchup in Dallas.

They need to play smart, balanced, and disciplined football. We'll see how prepared Brian Daboll has this team as they hit the field in D.C. for an early test.