Another week, another magical win by the Washington Commanders.
For most of the afternoon, it looked like Washington (12-5) would find a way to get swept by a mediocre Dallas Cowboys team.
The Commanders’ first-half drives went as follows: Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, Field Goal, End of Half.
All of the drives happened with Jayden Daniels and the starters. Daniels was the only player who looked ready to play. There were a couple of “almost” completions to Terry McLaurin, and there was a touchdown dropped by Olamide Zaccheus on a perfect pass (and play call) by Dyami Brown.
The broadcast reported that McLaurin was having a “conversation” with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury about getting the ball more.
Washington was lucky that Dallas was the opponent because they would’ve been down by more than 6-3 if there had been a competent team on the other side.
Dan Quinn smartly sat Daniels in the second half to protect his health.
Enter Marcus Mariota.
The offense looked like it picked up. Mariota’s legs were alive. He found McLaurin multiple times.
So there was no reason not to believe that they wouldn’t find a way when Washington was 91 yards from a game-winning touchdown, and they did just that.
Washington would seal the deal with an 11-play, 91-yard drive that ended with a Mariota-to-McLaurin touchdown pass with three seconds left on the clock.
The win solidified the sixth seed and a date with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A lot has changed since the Buccaneers dominated the Commanders in Week 1, 37-20.
Daniels has grown into a confident quarterback. Despite needing Marcus Lattimore to be healthy, Washington’s defense has improved, but there are concerns.
Pass Protection: For all the concerns about Daniels running the ball, the bigger problem is the hits he’s taking in the pocket. Daniels has been sacked 18 times in the last four weeks.
Running Game: A running back hasn’t led the team in rushing after the bye week. In three of the weeks, it was Daniels, and in Week 17, it was Mariota. Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for only 159 yards combined during that period. Having Austin Ekeler back should help, but Washington needs a dependable rushing game against the Bucs.
Pressure: As said earlier, Lattimore needs to be healthy against Tampa, but Washington has to pressure Baker Mayfield, and when they have him boxed in, they have to take him down. Mayfield does a great job of escaping the pocket with his eyes down the field.
