Monday Night Football: New York Giants at Washington Redskins

The New York Giants will try not to make things so hard this year. A win at Washington tonight largely makes the division race for the NFC East a foregone conclusion, giving the Giants a two game lead over Dallas with four to play. A loss? The Redskins would narrow it to a game, Dallas would be a game back as well, and the Giants would be in tiebreaker trouble thanks to the earlier loss to Philadelphia and splits with both of the other challengers.

Robert Griffin III comes into his second consecutive stand alone national game with four touchdown passes in each of his last two games. The rookie quarterbacks have made a habit of continually outdoing one another, so coming off yesterday’s Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck performances, it is now RGIII’s turn again. To stop him, the Giants will need their defensive line to dominate like it did against Green Bay, freeing the linebackers and safeties to disrupt those play action throws down the seam that have been a big part of the Redskins’ game.

The other side of the ball will decide the game, though. For six quarters, the groundhog that is the Redskin’s defense could stop a shadow, holding the Eagles and the Cowboys down. The second half of the Cowboys game on Thanksgiving was more of what we have seen all year. The Redskins held on for the win after a 28-3 halftime lead, but surrendered 28 points. In the first meeting between these teams, Eli Manning hit Victor Cruz with the 77 yard game winner moments after the Redskins had taken a late lead. If Manning is able to make plays downfield and the Redskins cannot contain Cruz, it will be all about next year in D.C.

[photo via USA Today Sports]