The Washington Commanders are kicking off their 2025 season with a home matchup against the New York Giants. Here are three keys to getting a Week 1 win.
1. Protect Jayden Daniels.
The Commanders put in extensive efforts to beef up the protection around Daniels, from trading away picks for one of the best left tackles in football to drafting another offensive tackle who excelled at pass protection at the college level. It's time to get a return on those investments.
The Giants have constructed what many believe to be the best defensive line in the NFL. The most recent addition, the No. 3 overall pick, was regarded as the best overall player in the draft after recording 12 sacks at Penn State, earning him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors and a unanimous All-American selection. He is joined by Dexter Lawrence, who had the eighth-best pass rush grade for a defensive tackle from PFF and generated 36 pressures, as well as first-round picks Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The Giants will be eager to unleash that pass rush on a Commanders offense that allowed 50 sacks in 2024, but there is reason to believe Washington is better equipped for the challenge. Laremy Tunsil has allowed a 3.1% pressure rate since 2022, while rookie Josh Conerly Jr. held Carter without a pressure or sacks in their matchup last season.
It should bode well for Washington if they are able to give Daniels as many clean pockets as possible. He ranked third in completion rate among quarterbacks with at least 400 pass attempts when kept clean, throwing 20 touchdowns to five interceptions.
2. Stop the run.
The Commanders were one of the worst teams in the NFL last season when it came to stopping the run. They were tied for the third-highest yards allowed per rush and the third-most rushing yards overall. The Commanders signed multiple players in the offseason to remedy that issue, but the Giants will certainly try to test that on Sunday.
The Giants weren't the most effective rushing offense last season, but they have some pieces in the backfield that could hurt the Commanders' front. Tyrone Tracy Jr. emerged as their primary rusher last season, and while he didn't have overly impressive days against the Commanders, he did have three 100-yard games in the middle of the season. He was also a difficult runner to bring down, as 546 of his 839 rushing yards came after contact. They added another battering ram to their backfield with Cam Scattebo, who had the third-most yards after contact among FBS running backs.
The Commanders went with an aggregate approach to improving their ground defense, rather than spending all their cap space on one stalwart. Players like Eddie Goldman, Deatrich Wise Jr. and Jacob Martin aren't household names, but they are better at setting edges and clogging up run lanes than the options they had last year.
The Giants have other ways to move the ball downfield, most notably wide receiver Malik Nabers, but it would provide a confidence boost in the Commanders' defense, both in terms of winning Week 1 and performing better in the season overall.
3. Run the ball.
Conversely, one of the best ways for the Commanders to mitigate the Giants' pass rush is to run the ball as often as possible.
Unlike the Giants, who struggled to establish a strong ground presence, the Commanders had no issues with that last season. They had one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, thanks in large part to Daniels breaking the rookie quarterback rushing record with 891 yards. He had 28 runs of at least 10 yards and forced 40 missed tackles as the Commanders' leading rusher.
Daniels' legs will always be a part of his skill set, but the Commanders would rather not have him leading the team in rushing yards. They plan to use a committee approach with their four running backs on the active roster, led by veteran Austin Ekeler. The Commanders are also excited about rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who looked impressive in training camp with his vision, speed and physicality. Although he only played in one game at Arizona, there was enough of a sample size from his days at New Mexico to prove he could be a dynamic addition to an offense looking to make more explosive plays.
Even if the Commanders decide to keep one of their four running backs inactive on game day, they will still have as many as five players who could run the ball if Daniels and wide receiver Deebo Samuel are included in that attack. The Commanders' ground game led them to their best record in three decades last year. It's expected that it will be a key component of any success they have in 2025.
