Sunday 1PM #2 – Washington Redskins at New York Giants

The other early game to keep your eye on is the matchup between Washington and New York. They’re going to be fighting for playoff rights and you know it’s going to get nasty between OBJ and Josh Norman. That intensity should spread to the rest of the game with everything coming down to the wire on the final Sunday of the regular season. It’s do or die time in the NFC East.

Keys to the Game

Redskins

It’s hard to expect the Redskins’ defense to pitch a shutout against a team as talented as the GIants, so Kirk Cousins is going to need to come ready to play. The running game won’t scare anyone, so Cousins is going to need to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers on the outside, Jamison Crowder, Terrelle Pryor, Josh Doctson and Brian Quick. There are no superstars there, but that’s a quartet of dangerous receivers who can go up and get the ball and make things happen after the catch. If Cousins to get the ball to them regularly, the Giants will have trouble keeping Washington out of the endzone.

Giants

New York needs OBJ to keep his cool and for the rest of the receivers to bring their A-game. Josh Norman will likely have Beckham on lockdown and with a weak running game, the Giants will need to rely on their other receivers to make plays. This is where they might really find themselves missing Victor Cruz. Brandon Marshall is going to have to live up to the reputation he’s created (something he couldn’t do for the Jets last year). If he can be a reliable weapon for Eli, New York won’t have much trouble putting points on the board and putting Washington in a tough spot.