NFL News & Analysis

NFL Week 4 PFF ReFocused: New York Giants 24, Washington Redskins 3

Daniel Jones did just enough to walk his team through the Redskins' struggling defense, earning the first W in a quarterback duel that will grace the NFC East for years to come.

PFF's ReFocused series features immediate takeaways from the two analysts who graded the game live. The two offer a detailed breakdown of the game's most notable performances before the grades and advanced stats are reviewed and finalized by Senior Analysts.

All of PFF's grades and advanced stats from this game and the other games played this week will be finalized and made available to ELITE subscribers within 24 hours of the final whistle. ELITE subscribers can view player grades, advanced statistics, positional snap counts and more in Premium Stats.

PFF's ELITE subscribers can also preview NFL and NCAA games in PFF Greenline, an online dashboard with projections for the spread, totals and moneyline.

Final Score

New York Giants 24, Washington Redskins 3

New York Giants

There wasn't much good going on for this offense, but one of the few bright spots was Sterling Shepard. He was the clear number one target and ended the game as the leading receiver. Shepard has shown impressive skill in reading a zone defense and settling into open holes, giving his quarterback an easy throw to pick up yardage.

The most impressive Giants defender in this one was their star corner, Janoris Jenkins. He was targeted a fair bit but allowed only a couple of receptions for very few yards. He had a nice defensive stop and two huge interceptions in this one.

Rookie takeaways

After last week's comeback win, many were already crowning Daniel Jones as the Giants' savior. This game was a reminder that he's still just a rookie and has a ways to go. He struggled throughout the game, particularly on deep passes. He had multiple turnover-worthy plays and completed just a single pass beyond 10 yards. Even his touchdown was an easy throw to a wide-open receiver.

Ryan Connelly had himself a great day, as he looked good in all three phases of the game. He made a handful of defensive stops in the run game and didn't allow any big plays in the passing game to go with his interception. He also recorded a sack on one of his few pass-rushes.

Washington Redskins

There really wasn't anything good about the Redskins' offense today. There was not one single player that stood out in a good way. Their offensive line has some issues, as the side's backs were constantly being hit as soon as they got the ball and averaged just 2.13 yards per carry. That doesn't even mention the constant pressure the Redskins' quarterbacks were dealing with in the passing game.

Quinton Dunbar was a star for this defense, as he absolutely locked down his matchup on every play. He wasn't targeted much, but when he was, he didn't allow a completion. He had his two interceptions, but his best play came when he cut off the receiver's route to prevent a possible touchdown, fighting through an offensive pass interference penalty to knock down a fade route in the endzone.

Tim Settle was a beast in the interior of the Redskins defensive line, wreaking havoc on the Giants' offensive line. Settle had a couple of run stops but was constantly making plays and forcing the opposing running backs to adjust their point of attack.

Rookie takeaway

Dwayne Haskins entered the game early for Washingon and promptly showed why he isn't ready to play quarterback in the NFL just yet. Much like Jones, Haskins struggled to push the ball downfield in any meaningful way. He also had three interceptions despite only playing a little over half of the game.

Read More PFF Analysis

Subscriptions

Unlock the 2023 Fantasy Draft Kit, with League Sync, Live Draft Assistant, PFF Grades & Data Platform that powers all 32 Pro Teams

$31 Draft Kit Fee + $8.99/mo
OR
$89.88/yr + FREE Draft Kit