New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins Week #1 Preview

The NFL Season kicks off tomorrow night at the Meadowlands. The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants play host to the Washington Redskins, and the longtime division rivalry will take on new faces, schemes and elements. The one thing that won’t change, however, is the physical style of play that has come to characterize the recent match-ups between the two teams.

Here’s a look at what the Giants can expect as they begin their title defense…

On Defense: Washington comes in with a completely new coaching staff, highlighted by longtime Seattle assistant Jim Zorn making his NFL head coaching debut. Zorn has implemented the west coast style offense into the Redskin attack. In recent years, the G-men have become accustomed to a steady dose of Clinton Portis, as former coach Joe Gibbs relied heavily on the run. Fourth-year quarterback Jason Campbell must now prove he can make good, quick decisions to move the ball. The Giants’ defense has plenty of questions of its own, beginning up front with a D-line that has undergone a makeover due to the retirement of Michael Strahan and injury of Pro-Bowler Osi Umeyiora. While Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield anchor the middle, pressure falls on outside rushers Justin Tuck and Mathius Kiwanuka to hit Campbell early and often. Tuck is poised for a breakout year, and Kiwanuka’s length and athleticism should allow him to play effectively at the end. Campbell’s favorite targets in the new pass happy scheme figure to be tight end Chris Cooley, receiver Santana Moss and Portis out of the backfield (I know, duh). Limiting the YAC (yards after catch) will be a key factor in the success of the Big Blue D. Campbell will keep a vast majority of his passes in the 5-10 yard range, and the Giants’ linebackers and secondary will have their tackling skills put to the test. Gerris Wilkinson and first year Giant Danny Clark must fill the tackling void left by Kawika Mitchell, who signed with Buffalo in the off-season after evolving into one of the Giants’ most consistent players. Also, keep an eye out for rookie safety Kenny Phillips, who should see action in nickel packages. Phillips’ physicality and nose for the ball have stood out in camp, and it may only be a matter of a few weeks before he officially passes starter Michael Johnson on the depth chart.

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On Offense: Eli Manning will try to find a common ground between hitting the big play and limiting his mistakes this year. Last year the Super Bowl MVP threw an NFC leading 23 interceptions, but also was able to find Plaxico Burress deep on a weekly basis, often times for a game changing score. Look for the Giants to come out with a consistent running game behind their O-line, which was the only unit in the league last year to have the same personal start every game. With proven runners like Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward, along with home run hitter Ahmad Bradshaw, the running game will allow for the offense to open up and utilize the entire field. Don’t be surprised to see offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride dial Plaxico’s number for a deep pass early, as he will be matched up against cornerback Carlos Rogers, who his coming off an injury-plagued season in which he tore his right ACL. With crisp route runners like Amani Toomer and Steve Smith underneath, Plaxico should have opportunites to slip behind the secondary, much like last year. Kevin Boss enters his first year as the Giants’ starter, replacing the outspoken Jeremy Shockey. While Boss has great speed and height, his blocking skills are below average for a tight end, and subsequently Michael Matthews could be inserted into a lot of two tight end sets. Kicker Lawrence Tynes is still nursing his leg injury, so recently signed veteran John Carney will handle the kicking duties.

Special Teams: While RW McQuarters has proven that he can catch punts, he hasn’t proven that he can hang onto them while returning. Too many times last year RW carried the ball like a loaf of bread, and frequent fumbling was the result. Combine the fact that he is nearly 50 years old with the injury risk that accompanies the duty of punt returning, and Tom Coughlin could have some special teams headaches. Let’s pray RW prevents this from happening.

It's always exciting to have your team open up the NFL season…the Giants will try to not repeat their kickoff performance three years ago when big brother Peyton came into New York and put Eli and the Giants’ D in their place. Captains for the opening game and rest of the season will be:

• Eli Manning
• Amani Toomer
• Jeff Feagles
• Fred Robbins
• Antonio Pierce

By Reed Kelley
ProFootball-fans.com New York Giants Correspondent