THURSDAY NIGHT PREVIEW:
NEW YORK GIANTS (0-1) AT WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (0-1)
Week 2 of the 2021 NFL season gets underway on Thursday, September 16 (8:20 PM ET, NFL Network) as the Washington Football Team host the New York Giants in an early-season NFC East showdown. This marks the 177th regular-season meeting between the two franchises, with the Giants holding a 104-68-4 series advantage. New York has won each of the past five meetings between the two clubs, including their last matchup in Week 9 of the 2020 season, when New York quarterback DANIEL JONES passed for 212 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions for a 94.2 rating in the 23-20 win.
In Week 1, Jones passed for 267 yards and totaled two touchdowns (one passing, one receiving) against Denver. In four career starts against Washington, he has thrown eight touchdown passes against three interceptions for a 100.0 rating and aims for his third in a row at Washington with a passer rating of 90-or-higher. Running back SAQUON BARKLEY has totaled 587 scrimmage yards (195.7 per game) in three career games against Washington, including a career-high 279 scrimmage yards (career-best 189 rushing yards, 90 receiving yards) and two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) in his last game against Washington (December 22, 2019). In his only career game on Thursday Night Football (October 11, 2018 vs. Philadelphia), Barkley registered 229 scrimmage yards (130 rushing, 99 receiving) and one rushing touchdown. Last week, wide receiver STERLING SHEPARD led the Giants with 113 receiving yards, his 10th-career 100-yard performance, and has recorded a touchdown catch in two of his past three games at Washington.
Last week, defensive back LOGAN RYAN led New York with 10 tackles and recorded both a forced fumble and fumble recovery. In three career games against Washington, he has totaled five passes defensed, two interceptions, one forced fumble and a sack. Linebacker BLAKE MARTINEZ recorded 10 tackles and an interception in the last meeting between the two clubs and aims for his fifth in a row against Washington with at least nine tackles. Rookie linebacker AZEEZ OJULARI recorded his first-career sack in Week 1.
In Week 1, Washington quarterback TAYLOR HEINICKE completed 11 of 15 pass attempts (73.3 percent) for 122 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions for a 119.3 rating. Thursday would mark his second-career regular season start, with his last NFL start coming in the 2020 NFC Wild Card round with Washington, where he passed for 306 yards and totaled two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). Running back ANTONIO GIBSON registered 108 scrimmage yards (90 rushing, 18 receiving) last week and recorded a rushing touchdown in the last meeting between the two clubs. Wide receiver TERRY MCLAURIN registered seven receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown in the last meeting and aims for his fourth game in a row against the Giants with at least seven catches and 70 receiving yards. Tight end LOGAN THOMAS, who had a touchdown catch in Week 1, has six touchdown receptions in his last seven games against NFC East opponents.
The 2020 Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year CHASE YOUNG has registered 4.5 sacks and five tackles for loss in six career games against the NFC East and aims for his fourth in a row against the division with a sack. Last week, defensive end MONTEZ SWEAT registered his fifth-career game with both a sack and forced fumble and has recorded three sacks in his past three home games against the NFC East. Making their Washington debuts in Week 1, cornerback WILLIAM JACKSON registered two passes defensed and his fourth-career interception, while cornerback BOBBY MCCAIN recorded a career-high 10 tackles. Linebacker COLE HOLCOMB led the team with 11 tackles last week, his fifth-career game with at least 10 tackles.
Thursday’s contest marks the first of eight games exclusively televised on NFL Network this season and will be produced by FOX. The game will feature Joe Buck, Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink on the call.
For the Week 2 New York Giants-Washington capsule, click here.
