The Commanders emerged with a victory over the Giants on Thursday night in a positively-have-to-have-it moment that saved their season.
You’ve probably read that line in every recap/analysis of Washington’s 24-21 win at MetLife Stadium, including my past-midnight musings on this very site.
There’s an important clause missing from that first sentence. Let’s try again: The Commanders emerged with a victory over the Giants on Thursday night in a positively-have-to-have-it moment that saved their season.
…For now.
The Commanders are back in the NFC East race. Can they stay there? Is their improved play sustainable?
That’s the real question moving forward. Only time will tell us the answer.
We can’t create a prediction model for this odd duck of a team, which features real talent, intriguing, modern schemes and a bunch of humans who can’t seem to get out of their own way.
“We’ve held ourselves back,” Commanders receiver Stefon Diggs said. “When we play complementary football, we execute at a high level on offense. We move the ball just fine. We have enough playmakers. We had to execute at a high level.”
Diggs was referring to that decisive Thursday night drive, where he and Daniels generated a season-altering 32-yard touchdown.
He could’ve been talking about the season overall. While the injury situation has delivered body blows and haymakers, 3-5-1 is a product of Washington’s own making.
Improved outcomes can also be a Commanders creation. Getting enough of them is the hard part. It’s a possibility, though maybe not a high probability considering what we’ve experienced to this point.
There are some gateways to success down the stretch, but are there enough?
Let’s discuss a few.
The schedule is chief among them. If Washington can upset Cincinnati in Week 11, a real run is possible. The Commanders play the Cardinals, Titans, Texans and Falcons (in that order) after that. Those are all beatable teams with the right execution level.
Then there’s this resurgent defense, which is figuring out how to execute Daronte Jones’ scheme. The play caller himself seems to be dialed in on what works and when to turn up the heat. The results aren’t perfect but they’re better, with point totals going down and pressure rates going northward. That scheme and the fact that Sonny Styles and Frankie have owned the midfield and Nick Cross and Trey Amos have fortified the secondary.
And then there’s the Jayden Daniels of it all. The 2024 season wasn’t so long ago that we can’t recall how the quarterback played anddominated late-game situations. While he has played a role in this disappointment we call the season’s first half, he can be responsible for a resurgence that puts Washington atop this wide-open division.
We could come up with a gnarly cons list as well, one that’s probably a bit longer. It would include inconsistent offensive line play and the fact Washington can’t seem to get the run game going with or without Bill Croskey-Merritt.
The pre-snap penalties and mental mistakes decreased against the Giants but remain a drive-killing issue that isn’t fixed.
And the offensive growing plans won’t suddenly stop under rookie offensive coordinator David Blough. We’ll also meet some teams down the stretch, most notably the Vikings and Jaguars where they’ll face a real talent disparity.
Let’s not create illusions that Washington is a conference contender. But they care capable of making things interesting in a relatively lightweight NFC East.
Do you think the Commanders can seriously contend for a division title? Or is this a positive moment in an otherwise frustrating campaign? Let us know in the comments below.
