The New York Giants had a lot going against them in their Week 2 defeat to the Washington Commanders, but one of the biggest factors as to why they struggled against a bad division rival was their poor run defense.
The Giants were gashed in the running game against the Commanders
The Commanders scored a field goal in seven of their eight offensive drives and never once punted. Washington killed New York on the ground, accumulating 215 rushing yards along with 210 yards through the air. The Giants struggled to contain the Commanders’ offensive attack and couldn’t get them off the field.
The Commanders had possession for over 37 minutes of the game clock, and every drive for them lasted at least eight plays. The Giants, meanwhile, had only two drives exceeding seven plays, both of which came in the fourth quarter, and one resulted in a touchdown with the other being a turnover on downs.
The Giants became the first team in NFL history to score three touchdowns while not allowing a touchdown in a single game and lose, per CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr. On the surface, the five sacks and 10 tackles for loss that the Giants recorded would seem like an improvement after rarely putting pressure on Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, but they were unable to capitalize off of those plays and often gave up big gains on third downs.
Bobby Okereke takes accountability for poor defensive effort in Week 2
“I think we just didn’t do a great job with our fundamentals and techniques and just playing very disciplined football,” said linebacker Bobby Okereke via Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Parsaud. “It starts with me.”
Perhaps a better defensive performance could have led the Giants to their first win of the season despite not having a kicker after the opening kickoff. Instead, their first win will have to wait, and it could be a while before they get that given their upcoming schedule.
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The Giants’ schedule does not get any easier going forward
The Giants are now 0-2 on the season and will have a steep hill to climb the rest of the way if they would like to have a chance at reaching the postseason. Their next six games are against teams with high expectations, including games against the Cowboys, Eagles, and Bengals.
It is pleasant to see Okereke, who is a Giants’ team captain, take accountability for what was an abysmal performance defensively. It doesn’t take away from their brutal start to the season, but the hope is that Okereke can lead the group to better results on that end in the coming weeks.
