Matt Citak: Similar to the offense, the Giants’ defense struggled to get things going against the Commanders. Let’s start with the run game, the area that has really hurt the unit over the last few seasons. It was only one game, and the dual-threat ability of Jayden Daniels certainly makes it more difficult to defend the run, but Washington was able to run the ball on Sunday. The Commanders finished the game with 32 rush attempts for 220 yards, good for an average of 6.9 yards per carry, which would have been even higher had it not been for three quarterback kneel-downs at the end of the game. They found the end zone twice on the ground, one by Jacory Croskey-Merritt and one by Deebo Samuel, while all five Commanders to register a carry averaged no fewer than 4.3 yards per carry. The Commanders had one of the top rushing attacks in the NFL last season and appear to be on their way to a repeat performance on the ground in 2025. But it was a tough start for the Giants’ defense, as the unit allowed 220 or more rushing yards in a game only once all of last season.
Several members of the pass rush have spoken about the importance of winning on early downs. Having a great rush doesn’t mean much if you can’t get your opponent into passing situations. The Commanders faced second-and-long (seven or more yards) 12 times in Week 1 (not counting Daniels’ kneel at the end of the game), which sounds promising on paper. But on those 12 plays, Washington averaged 12.8 yards per play. Six of the 12 resulted in a first down, while another two led to third-and-short. The defense was only able to get Washington into a third-and-long four times, three of which resulted in stops. But it’s difficult to unleash the talented pass rush, the strength of this defense, if you can’t get your opponent into passing situations.
It’s important to note that there were a few positive takeaways on the defensive side of the ball Sunday. For starters, Abdul Carter looks like the real deal. The rookie outside linebacker picked up three quarterback pressures on 25 pass rush snaps, according to Next Gen Stats, including two quick pressures (under 2.5 seconds). He got his hand on a Tress Way punt and nearly blocked two others. Brian Burns also had a strong game with two sacks, while Kayvon Thibodeaux picked up three pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Dexter Lawrence was held without a pressure, but he was double-teamed on 69.2 percent of his pass rushes, which led to more one-on-one situations for the edge rushers. If Carter, Burns and Thibodeaux can continue to get after the quarterback, opposing teams won’t be able to put two guys on Lawrence as often. Additionally, Paulson Adebo had a strong Giants debut. The veteran corner had 33 snaps in coverage, most of which were spent on Terry McLaurin, and finished with just two receptions allowed for 27 yards. PFF had Adebo down for a passer rating against of just 50.4. If the defense can rely on Adebo to lock down the opposing team’s top wideout on a weekly basis, it would provide the rest of the secondary with a significant boost.
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