The Giants do not have to do everything well to get their first victory of the season. They do not have to be perfect to knock off the Redskins, who arrive Thursday night at MetLife Stadium at 1-1 and are almost unanimously regarded as the worst team in the NFC East.

The Giants, though, certainly have to be better than they were in the first two games, especially in the fourth quarter. Here’s a checklist of what to watch out for as the Giants look to get off the schneid:

1. How well is Jon Beason playing? He has not appeared in a regular-season game in more than 11 months, and the Giants needs him to be their best defender now that Jason Pierre-Paul is gone. Beason is coming off foot surgery and more recently a sprained knee. He was named a team captain despite his injury history — that shows what his teammates think of him. Now he has to spearhead the run defense at middle linebacker going up against the league’s top-rated rushing offense after two weeks.

2. Is Rueben Randle going to wake up? He was miffed after the 24-20 loss to the Falcons that he only was targeted twice with passes, insisting he was open more often than that. That is debatable — has anyone seen Randle running free in the first two games? Randle is a former second-round draft pick, and there should not be such a steep drop-off when he starts in place of Victor Cruz. Someone has to take the heat off Odell Beckham Jr., and Randle must be that someone.

3. Just like that, a player in the shadows — Jayron Hosley — takes center stage. Hosley will start at cornerback in place of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (concussion), and you can be sure the Redskins will be coming after him. The Giants are lucky DeSean Jackson is injured and won’t play. Prince Amukamara matches up well with Washington’s top threat, Pierre Garcon, which leaves Hosley to deal with guys like Ryan Grant and Andre Roberts. The Redskins want to run it more than they want to throw, but when they put it in the air, expect Hosley to be tested.

4. The Giants have to find someone to hang with tight end Jordan Reed, who has 13 receptions in two games. Covering tight ends is not a natural fit for the Giants defense — Beason isn’t very good at it and Devon Kennard is better going forward than he is dropping back. Could they turn to safety Landon Collins, a rookie who is stronger the closer he is to the line of scrimmage? Safety Brandon Meriweather isn’t big enough. Perhaps defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has enough confidence to use special teamer Craig Dahl in this role.

5. Close and tight. That’s the way so many of these NFL games are entering the fourth quarter. The Giants took 10-point leads into the final quarter in their first two games and have been outscored 28-10 in the fourth quarters. If the Giants are able to take a lead in the second half, they need Eli Manning to quit making bad decisions and poor throws and find a way to secure the lead, no matter what. He cannot do it by himself, of course, and it would be beneficial if the offensive line — minus rookie Ereck Flowers, with Justin Pugh at left tackle and John Jerry at left guard — can finally get something steady going on the ground. Mostly, though, it’s on Eli.