Commanders Get Away With One Against Giants Despite Offensive Woes
The Washington Commanders came away with a divisional win over the New York Giants, but they made things a lot harder on themselves than they needed to. The defense showed some improvement, but the offense nearly threw the game away in the fourth quarter. Washington will take the win, but there are still plenty of offensive woes to sort out.
Defense Continues to Show Improvement
The defense was one of the brighter spots for Washington, particularly when it came to putting pressure on the quarterback. Daronte Jones’ unit finished with one sack, one interception, nine quarterback hurries, five quarterback hits and 18 total pressures. For a defense that has struggled for much of the season, those numbers are encouraging.
However, there are still some concerns. Giants tight end Isaiah Likely had a big impact on the game, exposing Washington’s continued struggles against opposing tight ends. The pass rush did its job for the most part, but the Commanders still had trouble limiting a key receiving threat. There are signs of progress, but this defense needs to become more consistent before it can be trusted week to week.
Jayden Daniels and the Offensive Woes Make Things Difficult
Washington nearly let this game slip away in the fourth quarter, and the offense was largely to blame. The Commanders had several chances to put things away, but three straight possessions ended without getting the job done. A failed fourth-and-two attempt was followed by an underthrown deep ball that was intercepted. Jayden Daniels then threw another interception on a flat route after appearing to lock onto his receiver.
Those mistakes nearly gave the Giants a chance to steal a game Washington should have put away. Daniels has shown he can make plays that change the outcome of a game, but turnovers like these are tough to overcome. The Commanders had opportunities to take control and instead gave New York a way to ice it. They got away with it this time, but they won’t be so lucky every week.
The running game didn’t offer much help, either. Washington managed just 105 rushing yards between its three running backs and Daniels, making it difficult to establish any real rhythm on the ground. That left more pressure on Daniels to make plays through the air, and the late interceptions proved costly. The Commanders need to find more production from their running game rather than relying on Daniels to carry the offense every week.
Washington Does Enough to Get the Win
Despite the mistakes, Washington managed to do enough when it mattered most. The Commanders put together a drive late in the game and came away with a divisional win that could have easily gone the other way. It wasn’t a convincing performance, but getting a win against a division rival is still important.
The bigger concern is how close Washington came to giving it away. The defense is starting to show some life, but the offense needs to do a better job of closing out games. Daniels has to protect the football in those situations, and the running game needs to provide more support. Washington got the result it wanted, but there is plenty of room for improvement.
The Last Word
The Commanders will take the win, but they can’t be happy with how they nearly let this one get away. The defense showed some encouraging signs, while Daniels’ two late interceptions almost turned a divisional victory into a frustrating loss. The lack of production on the ground didn’t help matters, either. Washington came away with the result, but the offense needs to clean things up if this team wants to build any momentum moving forward
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