Thursday Night Football: Redskins at Giants
It only seems fitting that Thursday Night Football be saddled with a pair of NFC East teams. For those who haven’t been paying close attention, the NFC East is a complete mess. Dallas is 2-0, but just lost Tony Romo and Dez Bryant for the bulk of the season. The 0-2 Eagles are a five-alarm towering inferno of ineptitude. And then there are tonight’s combatants — the winless Giants hosting the surprisingly decent Redskins. New York has bumbled and stumbled away two fourth quarter leads, while Washington is one Jarvis Landry return for a touchdown away from being unbeaten. Stay tuned for ugly turnovers, a bevy of penalties, and a couple of boneheaded game-changing plays. Here’s a preview of Week 3 of Thursday Night Football.
Washington at NY Giants -3.5
Believe it or not, the Redskins own the top ranked defense in the league. A unit comprised of solid free agent acquisitions and underrated draft picks is flat out shutting down opposing offenses, especially on the ground. Lamar Miller and Tre Mason are far from elite backs, but neither was able to dent a stout front seven. The secondary has yet to be tested, so blanketing Odell Beckham Jr. has to be a priority. On the other side of the ball, Jay Gruden has adopted a run heavy approach to limit potential blunders by turnover-prone quarterback Kirk Cousins. With speedy DeSean Jackson sidelined with a bad hamstring, the backfield duo of Alfred Morris and rookie Matt Jones are effectively carrying the load. The ‘Skins are 4-11 ATS in their last fifteen games overall.
Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning botched the final minutes against Dallas, and the team as a whole squandered a 10-point lead at home to Atlanta. The defense ranks third against the run, but dead last versus the pass. Adding injury to insult, starting corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie won’t play due to a concussion. Can a patchwork secondary keep the likes of Pierre Garcon and Andre Roberts from exploiting them, and possibly bait Cousins into a crucial error or two? If they hope to pull out a win, the answer to both of those questions must be “yes.” The Big Blue offense is getting major contributions from free agent hire Shane Vereen, who is tied with Beckham for the team lead in receptions with 12. However, Victor Cruz is still out, rookie tackle Ereck Flowers is doubtful to suit up, and number three wide receiver Preston ‘Butter Fingers’ Parker was just released. An 0-3 start will officially slide the franchise into DEFCON 2.
The Giants are 2-4 ATS in their last six home tilts, but 7-3 ATS in the last ten meetings in the rivalry. Washington is 5-11 ATS on the road in the last two years. A NY victory wouldn’t be shocking, but no way they cover this number.
Bet Washington +3.5
