The Washington Commanders walked into Thursday Night Football needing a result, and they got one in a game that kept swinging until the final moments. At 2-5-1, there wasn’t much room left for anything else. Another loss would have pushed Dan Quinn’s team deeper into trouble, but instead Washington found a way to stay alive with a frantic finish against the New York Giants.
The pressure on Quinn was obvious, and so was the reality of the Commanders’ season. Injuries and setbacks have piled up, but the record has been the record, and half the campaign is already gone.
The Giants had their own incentive, with a chance to move four games ahead of Washington in the NFC East. Instead, the Commanders held on for a vital win and gave Quinn a little more breathing room.
Even with the victory, some of the same issues showed up again. Pre-snap penalties continue to be a headache for Washington, and they surfaced once more against New York.
It’s not just the offensive line either. The tight ends have been part of the problem too, along with left tackle Brandon Coleman, whose timing has also been an issue.
No matter what the Commanders try, that area keeps biting them.
The other recurring problem was coverage against tight ends, and the Giants made sure to lean into it. Isaiah Likely was clearly part of the plan from the start.
He had an early drop, but he still caused plenty of damage, including a defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone that led to New York’s first score. With pressure arriving quickly, J.J.
McCarthy wasn’t looking to push the ball downfield much, and Likely became the safety valve Washington couldn’t quite handle.
There were some brighter notes for the Commanders, too, and Ben Sinnott provided a few of them. The Kansas State product is still working to justify his second-round status, but Thursday night gave him a chance to flash more of what he can do.
He made a couple of strong catches, turned heads with a hurdle after the catch, and scored a touchdown late in the first half. His blocking may have been the most encouraging part of his night, though.
Sinnott has wanted a bigger role in the offense under David Blough, and that hasn’t fully materialized yet. But if he keeps stacking nights like this, Washington will have a hard time keeping him in the background.
In Other News...
Dan Quinn Finally Addressed A Costly Commanders Problem
Late-game trouble has become a familiar and frustrating theme around the Commanders, and Dan Quinn finally acknowledged it after the recent loss to the Rams. With two first-year coordinators in David Blough on offense and Daronte Jones on defense, Quinn suggested there are bound to be some growing pains as the staff and roster continue to sort out how to finish games cleanly.
The ending against Los Angeles only sharpened the issue, with Jayden Daniels involved in a controversial play call that ended in a fumble and a loss. Daniels and Quinn both declined to go into much detail afterward, leaving the Commanders with the same lingering question they have been trying to answer all season: how to avoid letting games slip away in the final moments. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Faces A Week 10 Test The Giants Just Complicated
Jayden Daniels is heading into another one of those early-season checkpoints that can say a lot about where a young quarterback and his team really stand. The Commanders have already seen what Daniels can do at the helm after his electric rookie year, when he pushed Washington all the way to the NFC championship game and earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Now he is working through a new offensive coordinator and a different system, which makes every week feel a little more revealing than the last.
Week 10 adds another layer because it brings Daniels back across from J.J. McCarthy, another member of the 2024 rookie quarterback class who has taken a far different path. McCarthy missed his rookie season because of injury, then wound up with the Giants after losing the starting job in Minnesota, and he is now settling in as New York's starter following a midseason trade. Their second meeting as starters has the feel of a familiar matchup with a very different backdrop, and for Washington, the Giants have just made the test a little more complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Face One Week 10 Decision That Could Swing Fantasy Lineups
The Week 10 matchup with the Giants has turned into a tricky fantasy puzzle for anyone building a DraftKings showdown lineup around Washington. Jayden Daniels remains the obvious centerpiece after his recent production and dual-threat upside, while the rest of the Commanders offense has to be sorted through a matchup that also puts New York playmakers like Malik Nabers on the radar. Tight ends Isaiah Likely and Chig Okonkwo, along with kickers Dominic Zvada and Drew Stevens, round out the pool of names that could matter in a one-game format where every touch and every field goal attempt can swing the slate.
Washingtons backfield adds another layer of uncertainty for fantasy managers trying to read the game script. The Commanders have settled into a two-man running back committee, which makes it harder to project volume and forces a closer look at how touches will be divided in a matchup that could stay tight. For a team still trying to balance efficiency with opportunity, that split could be the difference between a useful lineup play and a frustrating fade. [Read more 🡒]