I got an opportunity to exchange questions with Anthony Brown over at Hog Heaven. While the Giants have controlled the series as of late, they need to rebound from two 2011 losses to a sub par Skins team. Only this year's squad seems to be a bit better thanks to a MINOR addition...

In the interest of strong "NFC Beast" relations, I got the opportunity to answer a set of questions myself on their site.

Check that out HERE.

How are the Redskins going to slow down the Giants passing attack? To be fair this is a matchup between a (statistically speaking) top five passing game and the league’s worst pass defense?

I've given up hope of the Redskins stopping anyone's passing attack. The 'Skins have become a disruptive defense by necessity. They have recovered five of five forced fumbles and have eight interceptions. Washington scored four defensive touchdowns in six games. I'm all in on former Redskins DC Richie Pettibon's contention that the only defensive stats worth watching are turnovers and third down stops.  If the defense can shave the Giants' scoring opportunities by a single field goal, they could be in position to win it late. 

Knowing what you do about Griffin’s ability to make plays with his feet, what is your game plan if you are the Giants? Do you assign a player to shadow him all game? If so, who?

I'm trying to figure that myself. Washington's game plan isn't as secret as it is diverse. They might do a Baylor read-option play. They might run Griffin III from the pistol. They might run Alfred Morris from play-action. It's a defensive challenge stop all that, especially when you haven't seen it before. There is now video on six games, so mystery is less an advantage now. I can tell you this. The Redskins running game with RGIII and Alfred Morris is more dynamic than the passing game. Focus too much on one and the other will get ya.

Defenders have to have the discipline to stay in their role, and beat the man in front of them. Griffin is looking for gaps and breakdowns within 10 yards of the scrimmage line. He is deadly accurate as a passer.

Give me one player who will make a significant impact for the Redskins in this game that Giants fans aren’t too familiar with?

RB Alfred Morris is getting good press, so he gets honorable mention here. I have high hopes for WR Aldrick Robinson, especially with Pierre Garcon less likely to play. Robinson has size and good hands. I think he's a more reliable receiver than Leonard Hankerson, Washington's third-round selectee from the 2011 Draft.

DE Jarvis Jenkins is a budding star on defense. He was working his way into rotation when Adam Carriker was injured. Now Jenkins is the starter. Jenkins was highly touted out of Clemson when he was drafted. He tore an ACL preseason 2011. In effect, this is his rookie year. 

After seeing how the Giants defense fared against “non-traditional” offensive looks that the Panthers and 49ers feature, can we expect the Redskins to alter their attack a bit? Part two—do you feel this is the stiffest test Griffin and the Skins offense has faced thus far?

Yes on both counts. Washington's offense is still evolving. Mike Shanahan hasn't gone into any two games with the same plan. No pro coach does, really. He did not call designed runs for Griffin against Atlanta, ironically the team that concussed him. He called more for runs against the Vikings, a good run defense team. Go figure. The only consistency I can see is that Kyle Shanahan calls safe passes for Griffin that turn into big plays. He may be doing safe passes because Griffin is a rookie or because Pierre Garcon has not been available.

The Rams defense is underrated. The Vikings defense helped them to a 4-2 start. There are no defenses like the Beast and the AFC North -- all on the schedule this year. 

It appears the sleeping beast that is the Giants pass rush finally awoke last week against one of the NFL’s best offensive lines. Is the Redskins offensive line up to the task?

From my reading, no NFC East team is entirely happy with their O-line. The Redskins line is holding up, meaning it's ok. They allowed 13 sacks and too many hits on the quarterback. 5.2 rushing yards per attempt is a testament to the line as much as to the rusher. I look for more shotgun, pistol and options against your pass rush. 

Your game prediction and score?

It's a homer prediction, but Redskins 31, Giants 28. Tie me up and twist my arm, and I'll give you Giants by four.

Predict the division order of finish?

The Eagles prove the adage that football games aren't won on paper. They are won on television. The Eagles win and lose ugly and their front office in in turmoil. So, I'm flipping the Giants to the top. I always had the Redskins in division third place over the Cowboys. Nothing's changed there except for the Philly mess. Thus:

Giants

Redskins

Eagles

Cowboys

What a total and complete team win for the Giants against a tough opponent.  Get ready for a lot of superlatives, because the Giants and their coaches deserve every single one of them.

1) The Run game
2) The OL in run blocking
3) The Passing game
4) The OL in pass protection
5) Run defense
6) Pass defense, shutting down Vernon Davis
7) Pass Rush w lots of pressure and 5 sacks before garbage time sack
8) 3 Interceptions from Rolle(2) and Amukamara
8a) Amukamara's INT broke a lot of offensive momentum from the Niners
9) Cool and Calm Eli Manning, even better on the road than at home
10) Ahmad Bradshaw running for over 100 yards (116) vs a tough SF run defense
11) Domenik Hixon making some big catches to get the offense going
12) David Wilson in kickoff returns
13) Blitz pickup/pass protection of Bradshaw
14) DISCIPLINE of only 2 penalties
15) DISCIPLINE of ZERO turnovers
16) Resiliency- After SF had ball control for 11.5 out of the first 13 minutes, the Giants answered w nearly a 2:1 time of possession edge the rest of the way
17) Batted balls by JPP, others
18) Lawrence Tynes is quietly becoming consistent
19) ALL THIS WITHOUT NICKS HEALTHY!

Okay, let's get a couple of negatives out of the way so that we know the Giants can still improve and get better- (1) Osi on run defense still does not take care of the edge (2) Gilbride still had trouble in the red zone (2 for 5 before end of game)- use the TE there. There were other blemishes too, like Pascoe not blocking the edge at the end of H1 on a blocked FG.  Or a wide open Manningham open on a bomb behind the defense which is not thrown well enough by Smith. And when David Wilson can fly on Kickoffs, your other 10 guys cannot hold because those errors nullify HUGE returns.    

Gilbride gets credit for breaking open the offense by starting to pass more, which ended up setting up the run, and then more effectiveness with play action thereafter.  I have no idea what Coughlin and Flaherty did with the OL, but they got those guys to make holes and hold their blocks vs a good DL.

Postgame anecdote... Antrel Rolle got the second INT pick because Ahmad Bradshaw yelled to him from the sidelines that Alex Smith was reading (looking off) him.  So Rolle mixed it up, played the fade and let Smith go 'the other way' so that he could make the INT.

Small things I like- (a) More seasoning for Prince- he is still inconsistent and on a learning curve, but every snap this guy gets gets him ready for the playoffs, when we will really need him against better QBs and better WRs. (b) mentally tough road wins- the Giants have won 3 of their 4 Super Bowl titles by winning playoff games on the road... every team they face knows the Giants are a tough (tougher?!!!) road team. (c) the Giants are #3 in the NFL in Kickoff returns.

Big things I like - The Eagles and Cowboys cheesed it in Q4 losses this afternoon!  The Giants are in 1st place in the Division, coming into the Washington home game next weekend.

Enjoy this big road win vs the Niners, ladies and gents.  It really does not get much better than this, because it tells us that the Giants can play with anyone in the league when they come in with focus and play 4 Quarters.

Safety

-Andrew DeLoach

Week 5 grade sheet

…the tackling issue from week four certainly carried into week five.  The tackling needs to improve or the Giants risk giving up some big plays unnecessarily. The defense seems to be at its best when three or four guys are hustling to the ball and gang tackling.

…on a similar note, when teams out flank the Giants - using motion or heavy formations - they tend to struggle. I think it is a result of being able to get less bodies to the point of contact and being forced to rely on solo tackles.

…again with tackling in mind, guys need to do a much better job in pursuit. Rolle always seems to be hustling even when the play is on the other side of the field. He has made three or four tackles 30 yards down field this year because he does not quit. In particular among the secondary, Hill seems to have the most trouble getting back into the play. When guys get playing time - especially as a result of injury - they are not expected to be as good as the starter, but there is no excuse for a lack of effort.

…despite the occasional lack of hustle, Hill has been really effective the last few games because he give the defense a bigger body without losing any coverage ability. We've seen how teams pick on the Giants' linebackers when they are dropping into coverage (re: Blackburn on the first drive), so having Hill was a nice option. He will be tough to replace the next four weeks.

…enter Tyler Sash. With Hill out, I expect to see a lot more of Tryon in cover situations in the next four weeks, but it will be interesting to see if Sash can carry any of the load. The Giants have had a tendency to play a little too robotic, as if they are worried about messing up, which makes sense when you have a lot of backups in the mix. Hopefully Sash can break that trend.  

Wide Receiver/Tight End

-Steve Gesuele

Week 5 grade sheet

Defensive Tackle

Week 5 grade sheet

Defensive End

-George Richford

Week 5 grade sheet

Offensive Line

WEEK 5 GRADE SHEET  (the last eight "garbage time" snaps were not documented similar to Week 3)

Grades

Beatty: 4

Boothe: -1

Baas: 0

Snee: 1

Locklear: -3

…the chop block penalty called against the Giants was incorrect and was actually a great block by Ahmad Bradshaw and a physical finish by Chris Snee. Great job on the tag team for two guys who have made a career out of playing through injuries, sans excuses. This game was no different as Snee battled a hip injury and Bradshaw continues a recover from his neck injury. Not only did Snee play, but he still was consistently able to get 2-3 yards push at the LOS. Nice to see that they got to take their aggression for the fluke fumble out on the defender. 

…it was great to see Bradshaw get downhill in a way we haven’t seen in a while. Maybe it was the fumble, maybe it was the talk of Andre Brown as a potential replacement, or maybe it was the Browns defense, but Bradshaw ran differently this week then he has in a few years. As goes for the Giants across the board, Bradshaw will be faced with a much stiffer test this Sunday. The Giants will need him to continue to be a strong pass blocker as well.    

…Will Beatty led the group with a grade of 4 and turned in a solid rebound effort after struggling in Philadelphia. He once again showed that he can be a VERY good NFL offensive lineman but now we need to see him hold his own against quality competition.

…the best way for Kevin Boothe to succeed is to get him on the move, especially in the run game. He showed against Cleveland that he is at his best run blocking when he is able to get the wheels rolling. This includes getting up to the second level to clip a LB. It is like watching two different players. His 2^nd quarter block (6^th possession 2^nd play if you have DVR) on D’Qwell Jackson was impressive. Even if you don’t pull him in counter situations get him even coming from under Beatty or Baas jus to get him moving. He really struggles getting any push on most DTs and even DEs. 

…one of the great things about watching the offensive All-22 is getting to see the respect that teams show for Eli Manning. Once again I counted less than five blitzes for a Giants opponent a sign of the understanding of Manning’s ability to shred a defense and his awareness of matchups all over the field.

…another thing that you notice after watching the tape consistently is that the Giants really do a great job of creating throwing lanes for Eli. So many times it goes unnoticed but they are excellent at giving him a great look downfield.

…the group will be at full strength for the first time this season in SF as David Diehl is expected to return at RT. While Locklear was at times serviceable in the replacement role (he was solid in pass pro and great on draw plays) a healthy Diehl will be an upgrade. Locklear just seems uninspiring at times and that will not cut it against the 49ers. Diehl is the kind of guy who lives for games like this.

Linebacker

-Steve Hardin

WEEK 5 GRADE SHEET

Grades

Blackburn: -1

Boley: -1

Kiwanuka: 0

Paysinger: 0

Williams: -2

…the group collectively was more or less assignment sound but missed a ton of tackles and these guys just didn’t make enough plays (outside of the Blackburn pick in the end zone) to offset those negatives on the score sheet.  Boley did have six tackles but they came primarily in coverage and were simply plays that are supposed to be made.  Part of it was they ran a lot of screens and draws to keep them off balance.  Draw was a huge part of their run game.  The "high hat" reads they would get from the offensive line in these situations explains to some extent why they were not playing as aggressively downhill in many cases.

…twice in the redzone and at least in one other instance they gave run action from the offensive line with a quick slant from an outside receiver. It appeared Weeden was reading the outside backer post snap and was responsible for making a decision. Impressive for a rookie QB and it got them stuck in no man’s land a couple of times. It’s a "damned if you do damned if you don’t" type of thing, but I would rather see our guys just make a decision and go with it at full speed. Still not much they could do, but another example of how they had the linebackers on their heels much of the game.

…a ton of missed tackles. This accounted for an unacceptable number of negative plays.  Blackburn had at least three in the first half from over running plays. This was something I though he was improving on but he regressed this week.  As much as I like his aggressive play he has to do a better job of controlling his tempo when flowing to the ball.

…speaking of Blackburn, he was exposed badly early in the game on the long touchdown by Gordon.  I have been impressed with his ability to handle running with the seam route when the Giants play their Tampa 2, but in this case, he did not even make a bad read, he was just too slow and got toasted.

…overall the grades do seem harsh and that is mostly attributable to our poor tackling.  I understand Trent Richardson is a beast and will get his yards after contact but completely whiffing in some cases because someone is not under control is unacceptable.  He also wasn't the only one.  Bottom line is they did enough to win the game and now they have to look forward to San Francisco this weekend. I know better than to question what Eli can do with the offense, but with the 49ers having given up three points over the last two weeks, the Giants may need a big time game defensively to come away with the W.

As we await the coaches’ film to assess the Giants’ o-line in week five we still also are unsure where the unit stands. We’ve seen great performances against Carolina, Tampa Bay (for three quarters) and Cleveland (or so we assume before breaking down the All-22) and two disappointing performances against Dallas and Philly.

It should come as no surprise that the Giants offense averaged just over 39 points in the first three mentioned games while putting up just 17 against the Cowboys and Eagles. We felt that the unit would serve as the pulse of the Giants’ offense and through five weeks it has been just that. When the group is rolling, the offense has the ability to do things that few in the league can. It's just that after week 5, we still aren't sure what to make of the frustrating group. The up and down nature of the offensive line isn’t something that is lost upon its members either as David Baas explained to nj.com-

“One week, it may be a bigger challenge, but you want to have that same goal in mind to keep him clean, to be able to provide holes for Ahmad,” Baas said. “It can’t be up and down all the time. We need to consistently build on good things like last game. So, like I said, it’s going to be a challenge, but I don’t think anybody here is going to back away from it.”

It’s fair to wonder if the group’s results so far this season are a product of their competition. When faced with the quick and aggressive front-sevens of the Cowboys and Eagles the group seemed overmatched, playing on their heels and not delivering the blow. When the Giants have been successful this season, particuarly in the run game,  it came against the more traditional "hand in the ground" fronts of Tampa, Carolina and Cleveland. 

Make no mistake about it, Sunday will provide the unit their toughest test of the season. They will be challenged in run blocking and pass pro in ways that any of their other 15 opponents have or will not. This is a group that will bring their best against a last place team let alone a team who beat them at home in the NFC championship just eight months ago. They will be ready to go and then some make no mistake about it.  

Later in the week we will take a look back at some key plays and trends from the two matchups between the teams last season. 

The expected return of Dave Diehl means we get our first look at what was projected to be the Giants’ starting group going into the year. Locklear has done an admirable job filling in at both LT and RT but is not the player Diehl has been and can be. I look forward to seeing the group at full strength just in time for the trip to Candlestick. Not only is he an improvement over Locklear but he also brings a mean streak to the group as they get ready to stare down a group with plenty of it.  

If the line can hold their own against the league’s best group (and maybe the best of the last 10 years) then we will know that it can serve as a strength for this team. Sunday is a great opportunity to challenge themselves against the league's best. While a poor peformance will not mean that this is ultimately a bad unit, it will certainly be discourgaing to see against their biggest competitor in the NFC. 

For now, let’s say the book is still out.