Dexter Lawrence, Saquon Barkley believe win over Commanders can jump-start Giants' season

The Giants’ season has not gone well.

They have one win, quarterback Daniel Jones has an injured neck and the offensive line is in its seventh configuration in as many weeks.

If Jones can’t start on Sunday, Tyrod Taylor will be behind center for a second straight week.

On Thursday, Saquon Barkley made a plea at his locker to not be traded.

The good feelings of reaching the playoffs last season are long gone. And in this game against the Commanders, the Giants need a win in the worst way.

“What bothers me is the losing, obviously,” said defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, who is looking for his first sack. “The numbers will come when they come. I’m never stressing over numbers. I affect the game in a lot of ways. I’m going to keep doing that. If the perfect play comes, that’s a sack. Everything has to click, so I’m never stressing over that.”

Lawrence believes one win could make a significant difference.

“I think it will build more confidence and more morale,” he said. “Just keep winning, keep believing, things like that. So I think that’s what it will do for us.”

Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said he has seen the Giants’ defense improve as inside linebacker Bobby Okereke has become more comfortable in his role. Okereke signed with the Giants during the offseason after spending his first four years with the Colts.

“I think a lot of guys on defense just have the same mindset and the want-to [win mentality],” Lawrence said. “Our mindset is just to go kick somebody’s butt, for real.”

For Barkley, Sunday will mark another week removed from the ankle sprain that sidelined him for three games.

“No setbacks,” he said.

What could a win do for the Giants?

“It can do a lot. It can do a lot,” he said. “All it takes is one, one win to get the confidence. Even in the games you lose, you can find that sometimes.

“A team like Buffalo, going there in a hostile environment [last week], playing a really good team, coming out with a game that we feel like we should’ve had, [but] obviously we didn’t do enough.”

Perhaps playing at home will help.

“We could use that as the turning point and help catapult us to come into this week playing back in our stadium, with our fans against a divisional opponent and get a divisional win,” Barkley said. “Could be the start of something special.”

The NFL features four running backs with at least three rushing touchdowns and two receiving scores. The Giants have played against three of them: San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey and Miami’s Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane. On Sunday, they’ll see the fourth in Washington’s Brian Robinson, who has rushed for 309 yards and has caught 11 passes for 113 yards.

“He looks to run to contact,” Martindale said. “He’s an old Earl Campbell- type runner, if you will. He’s tough.”

Martindale has emphasized to his players that Robinson does not go down easily.

“Everybody needs to be at the party,” Martindale said. “Now, we got a fumble off him last year, but he rarely fumbles, so that’s going to be a challenge for us.”

The Commanders have six players with at least 130 receiving yards, led by Terry McLaurin, who has team-high totals of 31 catches and 342 yards.

“Scary Terry, that’s what I call him,” Martindale said. “He’s the main guy and the other guys have stepped up, too. [Jahan] Dotson’s starting to come along, and Curtis Samuel, he’s like a Deebo Samuel type. It’s a great challenge for us.”