The Commanders got Jayden Daniels back, and the offense looked more like itself because of it. Washington moved the ball against the Giants with Daniels completing 17 of 25 passes for 199 yards while adding 103 rushing yards and two touchdown runs, one from 38 yards and another from 26. At the same time, the game also exposed a sideline mess that Dan Quinn has already had to answer for in consecutive press conferences.
That late sequence became the loudest example, but Quinn’s problems in this one went far beyond the final 55 seconds. Washington let a game it controlled at halftime slip away, and the defense’s second-half collapse was part of the story. The Commanders held New York to just three first-half points, then watched the Giants score 24 after the break and finish with touchdowns on their final three regulation possessions.
The closing botch was as ugly as it gets. After Rachaad White’s final run moved Washington to the Giants’ 24 with 55 seconds left, well within rookie kicker Drew Stevens’ range, the next snap didn’t come until 12 seconds remained.
Forty-three seconds disappeared between plays. Daniels then got sacked, and time ran out before Washington could spike the ball or get the kicker on the field.
Quinn said Monday, "With about 56 seconds, we hand it off to Rachaad White, and it took entirely too long from there on to execute our strategy from subbing to clock awareness to clocking the ball," Quinn said Monday.
A few other stock lines were moving in a better direction, starting with Antonio Williams. With Terry McLaurin back, there was some natural curiosity about whether Williams’ role would shrink.
It hasn’t. His snap share climbed from 37% in Week 1 to 49% in Week 2, then to 69% in London when McLaurin sat, and stayed strong at 68% against New York.
He also caught all three of his targets for 31 yards. McLaurin didn’t play every snap, but Williams’ usage did not backslide, and Diggs’ eventual return is the next thing to watch.
Chig Okonkwo also got a much bigger piece of the offense. His offensive share jumped from 58% in London to 71% against the Giants, and he made it count with four catches for 60 yards, all in the first half. Considering the room had managed just 10 catches for 65 yards coming in, Okonkwo nearly matched that yardage total by himself.
Sonny Styles and Frankie Luvu were everywhere for the defense. Both linebackers played all 89 defensive snaps, with Styles finishing with 13 tackles, one for loss, and one pass defensed. Luvu added nine tackles and a quarterback hit.
Jayden Daniels’ return also boosted the ground game in a big way. Jacory Croskey-Merritt logged 11 carries for 82 yards and a 33-yard touchdown, good for 7.5 yards per carry, even though his snaps were down.
Josh Conerly Jr. kept trending the right way too. He played all 62 offensive snaps and has improved his Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade from 57.8 last season to 66.3 this year while still not allowing a sack.
Not everyone kept that momentum. Kain Medrano’s opportunities have dried up fast after his breakout against Seattle, when he played 44 defensive snaps and scored on a 50-yard pick-6. That number fell to 21 in London, then to one against the Giants, first because Frankie Luvu returned and then because the staff leaned hard on the Styles-Luvu pairing.
Austin Ekeler’s role also took a hit. The Commanders wanted his veteran presence to stabilize the backfield, but his snap count dropped from 17 in London to six against New York. Rachaad White’s return was the biggest reason, and White responded with 37 snaps, or 60% of the offense.
In Other News...
Dan Quinn Just Opened The Door To A Commanders O-Line Shakeup
The Commanders are still sorting through a stretch that has tested both sides of the ball, and the latest roster churn is a reminder of how quickly depth can get stretched. While Steve Wilks has been brought in to help the defensive staff and veteran lineman Laremy Tunsil continues to offer leadership despite injury, the offense has had its own issues, with receiver Stefon Diggs struggling with multiple drops and the line not playing cleanly enough for Dan Quinns liking.
Quinn made it clear he sees the offensive line as a spot that could change, and he did not shut the door on personnel adjustments as Washington tries to steady things. Elsewhere, receiver Jaylin Lane had surgery for a fractured and dislocated ankle and is expected back before offseason workouts, while the kind of roster movement that always follows a rough stretch has already started to show up around the edges of the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Faces A Tough New Debate After Uneven Monday Night
Jayden Daniels return to the Monday night stage came with the kind of uneven finish that tends to sharpen the conversation around a young quarterback. In Washingtons 23-17 loss to the 49ers, the Commanders saw Daniels complete nearly 73% of his passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns, a line that still offered plenty of evidence of his talent even as he continued working back from a left elbow injury.
The bigger issue for Washington was the way the night ended, and how quickly the outside debate has started to turn toward Daniels long-term development. Stephen A. Smith and Emmanuel Acho both weighed in afterward, comparing his performance and injury history with other quarterbacks and raising questions about where his growth goes from here, a conversation the Commanders would much rather have on their terms than after a frustrating loss. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Next Two Games Could Shape A Painful Deadline Choice
Washingtons next two games loom larger than a normal midseason stretch because they could help decide whether this front office leans into a sell-off or keeps trying to ride out the season with the current group. The Commanders have a losing record, but they are still close enough in the NFC East to make the deadline conversation more complicated than a simple teardown, especially with a roster that includes veterans who would draw real interest on the market.
Stefon Diggs and Daron Payne have already surfaced as the kinds of players rival teams would monitor if Washington decides to shop help for future draft capital. The challenge for the Commanders is balancing short-term competitiveness with the temptation to turn veterans into assets, and the next two games could go a long way toward deciding whether this becomes a push for relevance or a painful reset. [Read more 🡒]