The New York Giants got a break last week when they faced Chase Daniel instead of Mitch Trubisky, and they’ll get another one against the Washington Redskins when they face former New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez instead of either of the two usual starters for Washington. With injuries affecting the quarterback position for the Redskins during the later part of this season, Sanchez is the third quarterback who will start for Washington.
The first matchup between these two teams had Alex Smith starting for the opponents, and the Redskins won by a score of 13-20 in one of the games that showed everyone that this truly is a lost season for the Giants. Smith only threw for 173 yards and one touchdown against New York, and while those aren’t bad numbers for a defense to give up, the Giants won’t get the second shot to repeat their first performance against Smith.
Smith is on the injured reserve for a broken tibia and fibula and was replaced by Colt McCoy. McCoy threw for 268 yards and a pair of touchdowns on Thanksgiving but was knocked out of the game against the Eagles and will be out for the rest of the season due to the fibula injury.
Mark Sanchez is the next man up for Washington and will be the starter against the Giants, with Josh Johnson being the only other option on the roster. New York Sports fans will obviously remember Sanchez from his days with the New York Jets, which lasted from 2009 to 2013. Since then, Sanchez has played for the Eagles, Broncos, Cowboys, and Bears, with the current opportunity being the best chance yet to step back into the spotlight as a starter.
With that being said, this is a favorable matchup for the Giants as the new Redskins starter doesn’t exactly have a reputation around the league as being a replacement level quarterback. In his sole appearance this season, Sanchez threw for 100 yards and one interception after replacing Colt McCoy on Monday Night Football. With this matchup at quarterback, it’s a lot easier to predict the Giants coming away with a win than it would have been with Alex Smith still at the helm.