One of the arguments against a shorter preseason is that it would give players less of an opportunity to sustain a potentially serious injury in games that don't really matter in the final standings. No team would be bigger proponents of that, one would think, than the New York Giants. They have been hit extremely hard by the injury bug so far this preseason and will be without some of their regular starters for the game against the Redskins, and much of the season in total.
Four members of the Giants' defensive rotation have already been lost for the year. Linebackers Jonathan Goff and Clint Sintim as well as starting cornerback Terrell Thomas have been lost to ACL surgeries. Defensive lineman Marvin Austin will also miss the season with a torn pectoral muscle. There are also a number of regular starters that do not have injuries that are quite as serious, but will still potentially miss the game against the Redskins.
As a result, the Redskins will see a defense that is full of rookies and players that are virtually unproven. The Redskins have a relatively unproven offensive unit themselves, so it should be an interesting matchup.