Giants vs. Washington Week 6 preview: Everything you need to know for gameday
Giants tight end Evan Engram sprints to the end zone for a touchdown after catching a pass in the first half against the Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, last Sunday. Credit: AP / Michael Ainsworth
Washington (1-4) at Giants (0-5), 1 p.m, MetLife Stadium
VITALS
Line: Giants by 3; O/U 43.5
TV: Ch. 5 (Adam AMin, Mark Schlereth)
Radio: WFAN-660 AM (Bob Papa, Carl Banks, Howard Cross); Sirius 135; XM 225
INJURY UPDATE
Giants: Questionable: DT Dexter Lawrence (knee), WR Darius Slayton (foot), DB Adrian Colbert (shoulder).
Washington: Out: G Joshua Garnett (illness), T David Sharpe (illness), CB Greg Stroman (foot/IR); Questionable: DE Ryan Anderson (back).
FEATURED MATCHUPS
Giants TE Evan Engram vs. Washington DB Landon Collins
The Giants call Evan Engram their most explosive player now that Saquon Barkley is out for the year, but they have struggled to get him the ball at times. Engram’s 29.4 receiving yards per game ranks 23rd among NFL tight ends. Last week the Giants resorted to getting him more handoffs (2) than completed passes (1, although he also had a would-be touchdown catch on a fake field goal negated by a penalty). On Sunday he will be going against former Giants teammate Landon Collins with a chance to find some open spaces in the defense in whatever way he and the team can. "Evan has done a good job taking advantage of some opportunities we’ve given him and certainly we are trying to create more and more for him," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said this week.
QUOTABLE
"Did he feel our presence? Does his body feel us? Does he have a hard time picking up his kids the next day? That’s how I would feel good." – Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham discussing the pressure he wants to put on opposing quarterbacks
INTANGIBLES
When it comes to their biggest deficiency this season, it may not be what the Giants do but when. In the final two minutes of halves so far the Giants have allowed a total of 37 points including the last-second field goal that beat them last week after the Cowboys drove 72 yards on three passes in 52 seconds. Linebacker Blake Martinez called it "a splinter in our foot." Said defensive coordinator Patrick Graham: "Is it keeping me up at night? Yeah, it keeps me up a night. I have to figure it out."
NUMBER, PLEASE
4: Field goals of 50 yards or more kicked by Graham Gano, which already ties the franchise record for most in a season (Josh Brown in ’14 and Aldrick Rosas in ’17 both had four as well). It’s conceivable that Gano could challenge the team’s career record for field goals of 50 yards or more this year. Joe Danelo had nine, the most by a Giant, between 1976-82. Gano, after five games with the team, is sixth on that list.
31: Tackles for a loss by the Giants defense this season, second-most in the NFL. LB Kyler Fackrell leads the Giants with 6, which is tied for third-most among players.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
