Giants Can Tighten Their Grip on the NFC East as Reeling Commanders Visit for Thursday Night Football

The New York Giants have a chance on Thursday night to turn a strong first half into a real grip on the NFC East. They host the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium at 8:15 p.m. Eastern on Amazon Prime Video, with the Giants at 5-2-1 and leading the division and Washington at 2-5-1 and fighting to keep its season alive.

These two old rivals already met once this fall, and nobody won. Their October game ended in a tie, which gives this rematch a little extra edge on a short week. Giants coach John Harbaugh did not undersell the stakes when he talked about the game this week. "This is for all the marbles," he said, according to the Associated Press.

New York arrives off one of its most satisfying wins in years. The Giants went into Philadelphia on Sunday and beat the Eagles 19-11, the franchise's first win in Philadelphia since 2013. Jameis Winston and J.J. McCarthy combined at quarterback to get it done, and the loss was the Eagles' seventh in a row.

That win came at a price. McCarthy took a big hit that injured his hip, though he told reporters afterward that he would be fine. The AP reports he is set to play Thursday despite the right hip injury, and it will be his first home start since the Giants acquired him in a late-September trade with Minnesota. New York needs him upright: young quarterback Jaxson Dart is on injured reserve with a knee injury, according to the CBS Sports injury report.

The Giants are also playing without several key defenders. Pass rusher Brian Burns is on injured reserve with an ACL injury, and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is on IR with a chest injury, as is running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. with a hamstring injury. Cornerback Colton Hood (finger), linebacker Abdul Carter (knee) and linebacker Malik Harrison (groin) were all listed as questionable earlier this week.

The Commanders come to New Jersey trying to stop the bleeding. They lost 20-13 to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, a game in which receiver Puka Nacua and pass rusher Myles Garrett led the way for the Rams. The AP describes Washington's playoff hopes as fading, and a loss Thursday would drop the Commanders to 2-6-1 with more than half the season gone.

Washington's injury list is long and painful. Top receiver Terry McLaurin is on injured reserve with a knee injury, nose tackle Daron Payne is on IR with a foot injury, and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, linebacker Leo Chenal and receiver Dyami Brown are also on IR. Center Lucas Patrick did not practice Tuesday because of a concussion and was listed as doubtful, while tight end Colson Yankoff (knee) and receiver Treylon Burks (foot) were listed as questionable.

That leaves an offense already short on weapons with even fewer options, against a Giants defense that just held Philadelphia to 11 points. If Washington cannot protect its quarterback and run the ball well enough to keep the Giants' pass rush honest, this one could get away early.

Thursday night games are a test of grit as much as talent. Teams get three days to heal, prepare and travel, and the club that handles the little things, protecting the football, tackling well and avoiding foolish penalties, usually wins. That is old-fashioned football, and it is exactly what Harbaugh has preached for his whole career.

The Giants have the edge on paper: they are at home, they are playing with confidence after Philadelphia, and they have a quarterback willing to play through pain for his teammates. There is something worth admiring in that. In a league that sometimes rewards drama over duty, a player who shows up hurt because his team needs him is setting the right example for every young fan watching.

Washington, though, has nothing to lose, and a desperate team in a rivalry game is dangerous. The tie last month proved these teams know each other well. The Commanders will need a near-perfect night to leave with a win.

A Giants win would push New York to 6-2-1 and put real distance between them and the rest of the NFC East, with the AP noting they are in the driver's seat to win the division and host a playoff game. A Washington win would tighten the race and give the Commanders a reason to believe again.

Either way, this is a classic NFC East night in the Meadowlands, in the month the league sets aside to honor America's veterans and service members. Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. Eastern.