The Washington Commanders' Week 15 matchup with the New York Giants is a quick-turnaround rematch of the Week 13 tilt. And what happened in that Commanders-Giants game? A tie! Hoping for no more draws this time around, here are a few bold Commanders Week 15 predictions.
That tie, coupled with a Commanders bye and a Giants loss to the Eagles in Week 14, gives the two teams identical 7-5-1 records on the season. However, the teams came to those records in very different ways. For Washington, it started the season 1-4 before quarterback Taylor Heinicke and running back Brian Robinson Jr. helped turn the team around with a 6-1-1 record in their last eight games.
A little over four hours north of Washington D.C. (or six to 187 hours with traffic), New York started its season 6-1. However, the team has fallen on hard times of late and is now 1-4-1 in its last six games.
Commanders-Giants are two teams seemingly headed in opposite directions. However, two weeks ago, the pair played 70 minutes of football and couldn’t break their deadlock. So, what’s in store for this next meeting? Let’s find out with some bold Commanders' Week 15 predictions.
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3. Chase Young makes his return
It is now officially over 13 months since Commanders superstar pass-rusher Chase Young went down with his (2021) season-ending knee injury. The No. 2 pick of the 2020 NFL Draft and 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year has not played yet in 2022, despite being elevated to the active roster for the last three weeks.
I’ve made this bold Commanders prediction before, but this is the week Young returns!
The Commanders are desperate for a pass rush. Their pass defense overall has been excellent this season. The team is eighth in passing yards allowed with 2,601, 11th in sacks with 34, and fourth in QB hits with 91.
Young would simply be the cherry on top of the sundae that would terrorize Daniel Jones on Sunday. In the last matchup, the Commanders got four sacks on the Giants QB. With Young back in the lineup, that number could even go up.
The Commanders shouldn’t rush Young back. He has a long career ahead of him. So if he’s not ready, he’s not ready. If he is good to go, though, what better place to bring him back than a crucial Commanders-Giants game?
2. Brian Robinson outduels Saquon Barkley
When discussing head-to-head battles on opposite sidelines in the NFL, it’s usually all about the quarterback matchup. However, in the Commanders-Giants rivalry, Taylor Heinicke and Daniel Jones don’t exactly move the needle that much.
That is why the Commanders Week 15 showdown is all about the running backs.
These two are among the best at their positions in 2022. Barkley is fourth in the league in rushing yards with 1,083, and Robinson is 34th with 563 yards in just nine games. They, and not their quarterbacks, are the ones who move the Commanders and Giants offenses up and down the field, and in this game, it does seem like whoever performs better will walk away with the win.
In their last meeting, Barkley had 18 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown, while Robinson had 21 totes for 96 yards.
This game will be more of the same, and the running back who has a better game will lead his team to the crucial NFC East victory. And the bold Commanders' Week 15 prediction here is that it is Robinson, with 25 carries, 110 yards, and a touchdown who wins the day.
1. Commanders 23, Giants 20
Last game, even after a 10-minute overtime period, there was nothing between the Commanders and the Giants. The teams tied 20-20 and have identical records, so it is obvious the squads are incredibly close when it comes to talent and execution these days.
In Week 15, though, the stakes have gotten even higher. Right now, both Washington and New York are in the playoffs. However, the 6-7 Detroit Lions and the 7-7 Seattle Seahawks are right on their heels.
A Commanders-Giants game is always important, but this has the extra significance of basically being a playoff game for both sides.
Overall, the Commanders have played well in the back half of the season, while the Giants have faded. Barkley and Robinson are a push at this point, so it could come down to the quarterbacks.
While Taylor Heinicke has his flaws, he is a better NFL QB than Daniel Jones, and late in this game — along with his much better pass-catchers — Heinicke will demonstrate this fact and lead his team to a field goal victory. Hopefully. Because no Giants or Commanders fan wants to sit through another tie!
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