Three Keys to Watch in Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants

It has been a rough month for Washington. A dislocated elbow took Jayden Daniels out of the lineup in Week 2. Marcus Mariota took over, then got hurt himself in London. Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis made his NFL debut against the Colts and finished 15-of-33 for 186 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a 30-13 loss. 

Now, finally, there is good news. Daniels is expected to start Sunday against the New York Giants, with Dan Quinn confirming the goal is for him to complete a full week of practice and take the field. It's the jolt this team desperately needs — but his return brings its own set of questions. Here are the three matchups that will define how Sunday plays out.

The whole conversation around this game begins and ends with Daniels' health. He'll be wearing a specialized brace designed to keep his left elbow slightly bent and prevent another dislocation, but no brace eliminates the anxiety of watching your franchise quarterback step back into a pocket for the first time since getting hurt. And this isn't a soft landing — the Giants have defensive pieces capable of making his return uncomfortable.

Brian Burns is done for the year with a torn ACL, which is a significant blow to New York's edge rush. Kayvon Thibodeaux has been hunting for his first sack of 2026, generating just four pressures on 58 pass-rush snaps with a pass-rush win rate under two percent. The Giants' coaches have acknowledged the unit needs to be better. On paper, this is a manageable front for Daniels to ease back into game speed against.

But even a middling pass rush can find its way home when a quarterback is protecting an injured elbow. Daniels' unique value comes from his willingness to extend plays — to take off, absorb contact, improvise. How freely he moves, how instinctively he scrambles, and whether he flinches in the pocket will tell us a lot about how much of his game is truly back. Washington needs him healthy and playing at full capacity, not managing the injury through Week 8.

Washington is hoping Sam Cosmi's return will stabilize an offensive line that has been shuffled, banged up, and inconsistent all season. He is practicing this week, and his return is as important as any other player on the roster.

While the Giants' pass rush hasn't generated the sack numbers their talent suggests it should, Thibodeaux and company are due. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson has signaled publicly that this is the week the dam breaks. A Washington line that has been vulnerable across the board all season needs to be sharper than it has been. Any pressure that forces Daniels to take a hit on that elbow changes everything.

The good news is that the Giants' pass rush has been genuinely pedestrian. New York is coming in with questions up front. Washington's line has an opportunity to establish itself and give Daniels clean looks — but only if they communicate well and limit the busted assignments that have plagued them since camp.

After weeks of getting torched through the air — surrendering a league-high seven touchdown passes in the first two games — the Commanders' secondary had its best showing of the season in London. The defense held the Colts to 257 total yards and forced two turnovers. It wasn't dominant, but the improvement was real, and the timing matters heading into a matchup where Washington's back end should have every advantage.

Jameis Winston will be New York's starter, and he's everything you'd expect: experienced, capable of making smart throws, and prone to the kind of turnover-generating decision that keeps defensive coordinators up at night. Meanwhile, John Harbaugh has officially listed J.J. McCarthy as the backup, with the coaching staff noting his promotion is "definitely on the table." Neither quarterback inspires fear heading into this game, even after getting blown out by McCarthy last season.

Washington's corners need to carry the momentum from London into this one. If the secondary can hold Winston to underneath throws, force the Giants into third-and-long situations, and capitalize on the turnovers that tend to follow him around, the Commanders' defense can keep this game in reach while Daniels shakes off the rust. The secondary's trajectory this season has been upward. Sunday is a chance to prove London wasn't a fluke.

At 1-3, Washington can't afford another loss if it wants to stay in the NFC wild card conversation. Getting Daniels back is the most important thing that's happened to this team since September. Whether the offensive line can protect him and the secondary can build on its London improvement will determine whether this comeback story has legs.