If you’re saying, “It was just the Giants,” then you’re missing the point.
Washington’s division win on the road isn’t just another win. Road division wins are valuable and don’t always come in pretty fashion, so they don’t have to.
This game was set up for a letdown. The Commanders were coming off a miracle win over the Chicago Bears. All week, the replay of Jayden Daniels to Noah Brown was included in every highlight package.
Waiting for the letdown was a New York Giants team whose quarterback, Daniel Jones, has had more success against Washington than any other team in the NFL.
There was also something else bubbling up. The not-so-whispers about Kliff Kingsbury’s offense getting less and less effective as the season progresses. This was Washington’s first game against an opponent that had already seen them.
The Commanders’ offense did not have starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring).
How did the offense do? There were some bumps, but, for the most part, the unit passed with flying colors.
Daniels hit wide receiver Terry McLaurin with two touchdown passes, including one on the last drive of the second half. It was a beautiful throw to McLaurin that was right above the defender without pushing him out of bounds.
Daniels finished 15-22 for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
As a unit, the Commanders rushed for 149 yards on 38 carries. Both Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Austin Ekeler had 11 carries. Rodriguez Jr. finished with 52 yards (4.7 yards per carry), and Ekeler finished with 42 yards.
Defensively, Washington is what it is. There are going to be times when they struggle. Giving up two fourth-quarter touchdowns will eventually lead to a kiss of death.
Jones was a comfortable 20-26 for two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for 54 yards.
Against better teams, those aren’t winning defensive numbers.
Next week, the 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers come to town.
Pittsburgh’s passing game looks more mature, with Russell Wilson as the quarterback. George Pickens might not win teammate of the year, but his 35 receptions for 548 yards will be tough to deal with. Najee Harris is a front-line running back who can grind down a defense.
Once again, the Steelers’ defense is their calling card. Pittsburgh is third in the league in turnover margin and second in points per game.
The next step in Washington’s maturation is beating a physical, top-of-the-line defensive team with a veteran quarterback and a strong running game.
The Commanders will have that chance on Sunday.
