Dottino: Three Key Matchups To Watch As The Giants Take On The Rival Redskins
By Paul Dottino
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There will be no surprises this time
Coach Tom Coughlin and his players have experienced the phenom known as RGIII -- and they escaped in Week 7, winning 27-23. And that is the point -- both RGIII and fellow rookie Alfred Morris impressed the Giants far more in person than they could on tape.
But the Washington Redskins no longer have that element of surprise on their side. This will be the Redskins' first repeat opponent of the season. The edge should belong to Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and his assistants.
So here are three key matchups to watch:
1. Redskins QB Robert Griffin III vs. Giants' front seven: The Giants did a horrible job of missing tackles and getting caught out of their run fits during the first half of the Week 7 matchup. They did a much better job in the second half, after they figured out the speed of the Redskins' duo. Still, Washington finished with nearly 250 rushing yards. Washington is very unlikely to repeat their success.
2. Giants' running game vs Redskins MLB London Fletcher: Fletcher is battling a sprained ankle, although he has a history of overcoming injuries.Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw has been affected by a chronic foot injury, but the team is leery of handing over a big part of the load to rookie David Wilson, who has yet to master all of the responsibilities he needs to be a major contributor at the NFL level.
3. Giants QB Eli Manning vs Redskins' secondary: Manning snapped out of his slump last week, ending a three-game streak without a TD pass. He threw three against Green Bay. In Week 7 vs. Washington, he threw two interceptions and the winning 77-yard TD pass to Victor Cruz with nearly a minute to play. The Redskins have allowed 23 TD passes (second-most in the NFL), ranking 31st with 301 passing yards per game and 26th with only 20 sacks.
Prediction: Giants 27, Redskins 17
Prediction record vs. the spread: 5-5-1
What is your prediction for tonight's game? Let's hear it in the comments section below...
