Giants most to blame for close Week 1 loss to Commanders

The New York Giants entered the 2025 season determined to erase the bitter taste of 2024. Instead, they stumbled out of the gate in all-too-familiar fashion. With the NFC East as competitive as ever, the Giants needed to make a statement in their opener. What they delivered, though, was an anemic offense, porous defense, and coaching that seemed a step behind. Fans expecting signs of progress were left shaking their heads after yet another divisional defeat.

Giants stumble against Washington in Week 1

The Giants began the 2025 season with a discouraging 21-6 loss to the Washington Commanders. It extended their pattern of slow starts under head coach Brian Daboll. After an offseason built on optimism for a rebound, the Giants again looked out of sync offensively. They failed to establish rhythm and faltered with breakdowns in key moments. Their defensive front managed to avoid being completely overwhelmed. However, repeated lapses ultimately sealed the defeat.

Adding to the frustration, the Giants still haven’t broken through in divisional play. They were one of just two NFL teams (the Las Vegas Raiders being the other) that failed to win a single divisional game in 2024. One week into the new campaign, Big Blue is still searching for that elusive breakthrough within the NFC East.

Here we'll try to look at and discuss the New York Giants personnel most to blame for close Week 1 loss to Commanders.

Offensive line once again collapses

If the Giants were hoping their offensive line issues were behind them, Week 1 proved otherwise. Without left tackle Andrew Thomas, who sat with a foot injury, the Giants turned to free agent James Hudson III. The drop-off was obvious. However, Hudson wasn’t the only problem. Across the board, the line was beaten at the point of attack. They failed to generate any push in the run game and allowed far too much pressure on quarterback Russell Wilson.

Washington’s revamped defensive front dominated from start to finish. Yes, the Commanders have made major upgrades to their line. That said, that doesn’t excuse the Giants’ inability to match their physicality. Wilson was hurried into rushed throws and the offense never found rhythm. If this group doesn’t improve quickly, it’s hard to see how the Giants can compete in a division loaded with disruptive defensive lines.

Run defense disappears against Washington’s ground attack

Equally damning was the Giants’ inability to stop the run. Washington gashed them for 220 rushing yards. The Commanders averaged 6.9 yards per carry, which was a staggering number in any NFL game. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels repeatedly found room to scramble. He tallied 68 yards on 11 attempts, and rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt broke off an electric 42-yard run en route to 82 yards and a touchdown.

Even more concerning was the creativity with which the Commanders attacked New York’s defense. Wideout Deebo Samuel added a 19-yard touchdown run. That further exposed the Giants’ tackling issues. This was a failure of fundamentals. A defense that allows over 200 rushing yards has little chance to win, no matter what the offense does.

Brian Daboll’s coaching under the spotlight

Daboll entered Year 4 facing immense pressure to show that his early success wasn’t a fluke. Instead, Week 1 only magnified doubts about his leadership and ability to adjust. The Giants looked unprepared, uninspired, and undisciplined. Sure, players deserve blame for execution. However, the tone starts at the top. Daboll just did nothing to instill confidence that he has this team heading in the right direction.

There are no excuses here. Daboll’s Giants flopped badly. With his job already under scrutiny, every poor showing further erodes trust. If results don’t turn quickly, it’s hard to envision Daboll keeping his position.

Receiving corps falls flat

The Giants’ receivers were equally uninspiring. Malik Nabers led the way with five receptions for 71 yards. Still, even he expressed frustration with the lack of offensive punch. That even sparked a heated sideline exchange with Daboll. Beyond Nabers, production was almost nonexistent. The rest of the pass-catchers combined for just 12 receptions and 97 yards. That's a woeful showing in a league that thrives on dynamic aerial attacks.

Theo Johnson, Darius Slayton, and Jalin Hyatt combined for just one catch totaling five yards. That level of invisibility from supposed playmakers is unacceptable. Without consistent threats, the Giants’ offense looked toothless. If this pattern continues, defenses will double Nabers and dare the rest of the receiving corps to beat them.

Final thoughts

The Giants’ Week 1 loss to Washington wasn’t just about losing one divisional game. It was about reinforcing the perception that this team hasn’t progressed. The offensive line remains a sieve, the run defense collapsed entirely, the receiving corps lacked bite, and Daboll failed to rally his team. These are systemic problems that have plagued New York for multiple seasons.

The NFC East leaves no room for passengers. If the Giants want to break out of mediocrity, accountability is non-negotiable. That means better coaching, sharper execution, and an urgency that was absent in Week 1. Otherwise, another long, frustrating season awaits.

Commanders rookie is already shaking up the depth chart before Week 2

Just one week into the Jacory Croskey-Merritt experience, the most remarkable thing is that all the hype around the Washington Commanders running back may be true.

How many times have we seen a ballyhooed rookie begin his career with modest results? Croskey-Merritt might ultimately prove to be just as good as advertised, but early on, the typical message to fans is that maybe they need to slow their roll.

After seeing what Croskey-Merritt did against the New York Giants and their very solid run defense, maybe we can actually speed that roll up. He scored his first NFL touchdown. He secured 82 rushing yards on just 10 carries. Even excluding his late 42-yard scamper, he still averaged almost 4.5 yards per carry on his other runs.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt has Commanders' RB1 status in his sights

For his efforts, Croskey-Merritt graded out as Pro Football Focus’ second-best running back of Week 1, trailing only Breece Hall of the New York Jets. As a pure runner — excluding grades for receiving and blocking — the Commanders' rookie was the best in the league, by a very wide margin. His 83.9 rushing grade dwarfed Travis Etienne Jr.’s second-place 76.8.

It was just one game. Croskey-Merritt will not sustain an 8.2 rushing average throughout the year. But there is every reason to make him the Commanders' primary early-down back sooner rather than later.

Austin Ekeler remains a valuable weapon. He had several tough runs against the Giants. His first down conversion on 2nd-and-15 midway through the fourth quarter showed just how dangerous he is running screens and circle routes out of the backfield.

Ekeler accounted for 57 yards on his nine touches. That came in at a very respectable 6.3 yards on average.

But Ekeler is 30 years old, weighs 200 pounds, and has more than 1,500 touches over his nine-year NFL career. He has missed eight games in the past two seasons due to injury.

It makes far more sense to preserve Ekeler for passing downs. You want him fresh in the red zone, where he has always shown a good nose for finding paydirt.

Croskey-Merritt is a little bigger and a lot younger. At this point in their respective careers, he figures to stand up to the pounding that a lead back will take.

There is still plenty of development to come. Croskey-Merritt will need to improve his pass blocking and receiving if he wants to turn into an every-down back. Fortunately, he has two quality, all-around veterans in Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols to learn those facets from.

As soon as Adam Peters decided to part company with workhorse Brian Robinson Jr., a debate began over who might pick up the early down slack. Many assumed that it would be Chris Rodriguez Jr., the hard-running, third-year man from Kentucky. But he was inactive against the Giants.

Rodriguez will probably find his way onto the field at some point this season. But for now, the Commanders seem content to roll with Ekeler, McNicholls, and Croskey-Merritt.

If that is indeed the case, then it will be very hard to keep Croskey-Merritt off the field after what he showed in Week 1.

The Commanders are still likely to employ a committee approach against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. But right now, it looks like the seventh-round draft pick is going to assume a leadership role if the same trend continues.

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