The Commanders opened Week 10 with a 24-21 Thursday night win over the NFC East-leading Giants, and they did it with help from every part of the roster. Jayden Daniels was the headliner, but Washington got major contributions from several others in a victory that pushed the team back into NFC East contention and bought extra time before Monday Night Football against the Bengals in Week 11.
Daniels was sharp for most of the night and then had to answer the first real adversity of his season. He threw his first two interceptions on back-to-back fourth-quarter drives, then bounced right back with the throw that decided the game: a touchdown dart to Stefon Diggs. That kind of response is exactly what Washington wanted from its franchise quarterback.
Diggs made sure that final drive ended with points. His game-winning score was his team-leading sixth touchdown of the season, the most he’s had since 2023.
He finished with a season-high 83 receiving yards and matched a season high with six catches. With eight games left, he’s on pace to challenge his previous career high of 11 if he stays healthy.
Daniels clearly trusts him, and Diggs rewarded that trust by separating cleanly when it mattered most.
Ben Sinnott also delivered a breakthrough performance. The tight end posted the best game of his career, hauling in four passes for 42 yards and a touchdown.
He also flashed his athleticism with a hurdle that stood out. With Chig Okonkwo leaving in the first half because of a back injury, Daniels needed another tight end to step forward, and Sinnott answered.
He won multiple times in the passing game and showed he can be more than just a blocker. Washington doesn’t win this one without him.
Up front, Nick Allegretti came through in a big way after being benched earlier in the season and then returning to the lineup with Lucas Patrick out because of a concussion. Daniels had plenty of praise afterward, saying, “Nick did a good job.” Allegretti backed that up by allowing zero pressures against a solid front, handling his snaps cleanly and finishing as PFF’s second-highest-ranked offensive lineman behind right guard Sam Cosmi.
On defense, Deatrich Wise made one of the biggest plays of the night in limited work. He played 21 snaps and was strong against the run, including a stop on Jameis Winston on a quarterback sneak.
Winston had been nearly impossible to stop on those plays, but Wise shut this one down on a third-and-1 late in the fourth quarter deep in Washington territory. Officials initially gave the Giants the first down, but Wise pushed for Dan Quinn to challenge the spot.
Quinn did, the call was overturned, and the Giants were forced to punt.
Sonny Styles was another defensive force. He piled up 13 tackles, including one for a loss, and that tackle for loss came at a huge moment. He read the play, chased down JJ McCarthy and dropped him for a loss on third down, helping Washington get the ball back for the eventual winning drive.
Jeremy Reaves rounded out the list of standouts with another steady, physical showing in the secondary. He finished with nine tackles, one tackle for loss, a pass defended and a fumble recovery.
Nick Cross also played well, but Reaves was everywhere, consistently in position and reliable as a communicator and tackler. He’s been a stabilizing presence for Washington’s defense, and the recent run of defensive success is bringing more attention his way.
In Other News...
Luke McCaffrey Spotted A Giants Loophole The Commanders Needed
Luke McCaffrey gave the Commanders a little hidden value in Sundays game against the Giants, and Dan Quinn noticed. On a kickoff that had already been ruled out of bounds under NFL rules, McCaffrey made the heads-up decision to step out and secure the ball anyway, making sure Washington got the benefit of the spot and started its drive at the 40-yard line.
For a team always looking for small edges in field position, it was the kind of savvy special teams play that can swing a possession without ever showing up in a box score. Quinns praise fit the moment, because the play was less about flash than awareness, and it underscored how much the Commanders can gain when a returner understands the rulebook as well as the coverage. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Win Is Fueling A Brutal Giants Postgame Debate
The Giants 24-21 loss to the Commanders in Week 10 has already turned into a familiar kind of postgame argument, the sort that lingers long after the locker room empties. Head coach John Harbaugh pointed to the final two throws by J.J. McCarthy, saying Washington showed zero blitzes and that the routes were supposed to be there, which only sharpened the scrutiny on how the closing sequence unfolded.
McCarthy didnt duck the moment afterward, taking responsibility for the interception on the final possession and saying he could have handled it differently. For Washington, it was the kind of finish that can make a win feel even bigger because of what it leaves behind for the opponent, and for the Giants it has become another debate about execution when the game is on the line. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Backup QB Just Landed A Wild Off-Field Spotlight
Sam Hartmans latest spotlight has nothing to do with a playbook, but it still puts a Commanders quarterback in the national conversation. The Washington practice squad passer was announced as the new lead on ABCs The Bachelor, a move that sent him from the margins of an NFL roster into one of televisions most recognizable dating franchises.
Hartman made the announcement on Good Morning America and said he came to the decision after speaking with host Jesse Palmer. A former standout at Wake Forest and Notre Dame, Hartman has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game, which makes this a particularly unusual twist for a player still trying to carve out his pro football path. [Read more 🡒]
