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What I liked from Jayden Daniels’ play in return against Chargers — Quick Outs
QB charting: Jayden Daniels
Daniels made his return to the starting lineup Sunday, in a relatively comfortable win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Washington is going to need Daniels operating at his best if
it want to be a serious contender, so it’s worth checking in on the second-year quarterback after a rocky start to the season, both in terms of production and health.
Some of Daniels’ best stuff in Week 5 was exactly what we have come to expect from him.
Namely, Daniels did a great job of getting the ball to the right receiver and keeping his throws out of harm’s way. Defenders got their hands on a throw or two, including a deep fade route near the left pylon to Deebo Samuel, but Daniels otherwise didn’t give his opponents a chance to steal one.
He also crushed the Chargers on the move and outside the pocket. Not only did he constantly outmaneuver the Chargers’ pass rush, but he looked as comfortable as ever finding receivers settling in open space. Daniels was accurate on four of six throws outside the pocket, with both incompletions being smart throwaways. And one of his accurate passes was a dropped touchdown by Chris Moore in the back of the end zone.
By the second half…his accuracy rate jumped to 76.9 percent on 13 attempts. Moreover, one of Daniels’ three misses in the second half appeared to be a miscommunication between Daniels and Luke McCaffrey on a deep dig route in the end zone. McCaffrey stopped his route, while Daniels threw it out in front as if he would keep running. It happens.
Washington Times
LOVERRO: Homecoming for Daniels puts Commanders in control
“I’ve dreamt of moments like this, being able to play in front of my family back in my hometown,” said Daniels, who grew up 75 miles from SoFi Stadium.
His replacement, Marcus Mariota, acquitted himself well in a 41-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders the following week, but was very ordinary in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week. He was not inspiring. He was not intimidating. He was a backup quarterback.
For a moment, people forgot that Daniels is a game-changer when he steps on the field with his teammates.
There was the closing 99-yard drive that ended with an eight-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to Deebo Samuels. Daniels delivered while backpedaling from a Chargers (3-2) pass rush to seal the win — a victory in which Washington came back from a 10-0 first quarter deficit to score 27 unanswered points.
Commanders.com
Hail Mail | Von Miller’s value and O-Line adjustments
The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team unless specified by a direct quote.
@MrEd315: What, besides being a mentor, has Von Miller brought to the Commanders?
Let’s break this down, because I think Miller has actually brought a lot to the Commanders’ defense. I know the question is about what qualities he adds besides being a mentor, but I don’t believe we should simply write that off.
Miller’s resume speaks for itself, but there is tremendous value in having him on the roster to provide players like Javontae Jean-Baptiste and even veterans like Preston Smith and Dorance Armstrong with some insight on how to rush the passer. Washington’s coaches have spoken about how players perk up when Miller speaks because of the production he’s had over his career. Obviously, there is a benefit to being around a master of your craft, and if the rest of Washington’s defensive front can learn something from him, there are some long-term advantages to that as well.
Now, on to his production. Of course, Miller is not the player he was earlier in his career. Despite him being more athletically gifted than most at his position, he’s simply not as dominant as he was when he was in his 20s. Go figure.
However, Miller has proven this year that he can still provide some production value in the right role. He’s mostly been a pass-rush specialist, and in the last five games he is tied for the third most pressures on the team. He has a win rate of 15.4% on true pass sets — fourth among Washington’s defensive linemen — and is credited with three sacks, which is second only to Dorance Armstrong.
What’s more, Miller’s total pass-rush win rate, according to ESPN, is tied for 16th among all edge rushers. Are there players out there performing better? Sure, but none of them are as seasoned as Miller.
So, what does Miller brought to the Commanders besides being a mentor? Depth, experience and production. He isn’t playing perfectly, but he’s the second-best pass-rusher on the roster right now, and considering how many quality quarterbacks are on the schedule, the Commanders will need every ounce of his talent.
A to Z Sports
5 winners for the Commanders in road win over Chargers
LB-Jordan Magee
Another thing we’ve been dying to see this season is some of the younger linebackers getting actual playing time after Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu saw 100% of snaps against the Atlanta Falcons. Although he didn’t see the field a ton, Jordan Magee finally got a shot on 12 snaps, and he showed what he’s capable of.
Magee was brought on a blitz, and even though he didn’t get the sack, the pressure moved Herbert into a sack by Johnny Newton. He also had a big-time tackle for a loss in the red zone on a run by Omarion Hampton, and hopefully, we get to see more of that moving forward.
Quan Martin : Records nine tackles vs. Chargers
Martin tallied nine tackles (six solo) during the Commanders’ win over the Chargers on Sunday. Martin had a dominant outing during the victory, as he racked up a season-high nine tackles. The 25-year-old will look to build on this strong showing and carry the momentum into the team’s Week 6 matchup versus the Bears.
ESPN
NFL Week 5: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game
Commanders
How did the offense help QB Jayden Daniels in his return from injury despite missing two top WRs? Washington played without wideouts Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown. But it hardly mattered after the first quarter, as the Commanders gained 381 of their 389 yards in the remaining three quarters. The O-line protected Daniels, who had 3.74 seconds before hitting WR Luke McCaffrey on a 50-yard strike to set up a game-tying field goal before halftime. The line also opened holes for RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who finished with 111 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Daniels threw for 231 yards and a touchdown, and he ran for another 39 yards, but this was not a one-man show.
Turning point: Washington trailed 10-0 with 8:58 left in the second quarter when the Chargers reached the Commanders’ 26-yard line on a catch-and-run. However, at the end of the run, S Quan Martin jarred the ball loose while delivering a hit. CB Marshon Lattimore recovered, and Washington scored the next 27 points. — John Keim
Next game: vs. Bears (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Riggo’s Rag
Former Commanders WR Dyami Brown is dealing with the same problems in Jacksonville
Peters was reluctant, and the Jaguars secured his services with a one-year, $10 million deal that came with $9.5 million guaranteed.
They might be regretting that right now. Brown’s production has been modest, to put it mildly. He’s been involved a lot, logging 62 percent of Jacksonville’s offensive snaps. However, the consistency falls short of the required standards.
Brown now has three drops this season after his latest blunder against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. It didn’t prevent the Jaguars from securing a memorable win, but it did not exactly earn more trust from quarterback Trevor Lawrence or the coaching staff.
The North Carolina product has been credited with dropping 16.7 percent of his targets. Brown isn’t excelling when his number is called. That’s a dangerous combination that won’t go unnoticed when the time comes to negotiate a potential extension.
His catch success rate of 66.7 percent is down from the 75.0% last season in Washington. Brown is not meeting expectations, and a massive effort is needed to turn the tide. Unless he can muster more, his time in Jacksonville could be short-lived.
The Commanders didn’t trust Brown enough. His athleticism was never in question, but putting everything together was an ongoing issue until it was too late. And $10 million was significantly more than Peters planned to pay, even if the front-office leader wanted to keep him around.
Riggo’s Rag
7 Commanders quiet heroes proving heart doesn’t need headlines
Jacob Martin – Commanders DE
The Commanders’ biggest positive, when most thought things would go the other way, is undoubtedly their defensive line. They have been nothing short of sensational to start the campaign, and it’s truly been a collective effort from all involved.
Everyone is making a solid contribution. This was necessary when considering the long-term injuries suffered by Deatrich Wise Jr. and Javontae Jean-Baptiste, which have thrust Jacob Martin into the limelight.
He’s answered the call. Martin has been a journeyman rotational piece throughout his career, but the edge threat is thriving with extra responsibilities on his shoulders. The 2018 sixth-round pick out of Temple’s main strength is setting clean edges against the run, securing seven stops in 43 percent of the team’s defensive snaps through five weeks.
Martin is also displaying violent tendencies in pass-rushing situations. He might not get there all the time, but his relentless effort is causing untold problems.
Commanders Wire
Will Commanders WR Terry McLaurin return for Week 6 vs. Bears?
McLaurin injured his quad in the Week 3 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and missed the last two games. Washington gets an extra day off this week, as its next game isn’t until Monday night against the Chicago Bears. Could this be when McLaurin returns?
Head coach Dan Quinn sounds optimistic.
“Yeah, we’re optimistic and we’ll have more information as the week goes on to see where they’re at with he and [WR] Noah [Brown] and [T/G] Sam Cosmi and a few other guys that are kind of trending in the right way,” Quinn said. “We’ll make sure we take all the right steps. Just like we do with all the guys. If they’re able to, you know, fully express how they play and do the thing, then we’re there. And if not, we’ll have to keep waiting, but we won’t decide yet. But with having an extra day, that never hurts going into it. But as we get a few more days from now, I think I’ll have a better sense for if it’s able to be done and what it looks like and how they’re responding to it.”
Quinn really says a lot here without saying much. He offers updates on others, rather than singularly focusing on McLaurin, as he has over the past two weeks. Is this because they are more concerned about McLaurin’s injury than initially feared, or is he playing coy, like most coaches, to gain a competitive advantage?
We’ll know more throughout the week. The Commanders practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday this week. If McLaurin can practice, even on a limited basis, there’s a good chance he can return for Week 6. It’s doubtful the Commanders risk putting him on the field if he can’t practice at all, regardless of his importance to the team.
Podcasts & videos
Commanders are Charged Up | John Keim Report LIVESTREAM
The Washington Commanders Have A RISING STAR On Defense… | Film Analysis |
Rich Eisen Breaks Down the NFC East Following a Pivotal Week 5 for the Eagles, Commanders & Cowboys
NFC East links
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles-Broncos Film Review: Incredibly frustrated (and quite frankly, bored) by this offense
This game against the Denver Broncos summed up everything about the 2025 Eagles offense: moments of brilliance surrounded by long stretches of sloppiness and frustration. The first half looked functional but the second half fell apart through the same old issues. The lack of detail, a non-existent run game, and poor receiver effort let the entire unit down. For all the talent on this roster, they continue to play below their potential because of execution and design flaws.
I was annoyed after just one drive. Everything is covered (as it often is), but the one receiver who has a chance to uncover, Dallas Goedert, jogs through his route. Hurts puts the ball where he has a chance, but Goedert’s half-speed effort means he’s two yards short of making a play. These are the “small details” this staff preaches about but never fixes. It’s not new. This has been happening since Week 1. Too many guys, especially the non-primary reads, aren’t running their routes with intent. The offense has lazy habits.
[T]he run game is beyond broken. I have no reason why. I am lost for words. After the toss play earlier on, the offense ran outside zone and inside zone. That’s it. Barkley had 6 carries. 6! Hurts had zero designed runs. As if I wasn’t annoyed enough, the Eagles decided to throw in a pointless under-center run for good measure. They can’t block this well, and it happens every week. I could write a book about how vital Hurts is to this running game. Until he becomes a significant factor, it won’t be great again. I don’t get it. I wish I had the answers!
Big Blue View
Giants-Eagles: What to expect when New York has the ball
The 1-4 New York Giants face a quick turnaround in Week 6 as they host the 4-1 Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium for a Thursday Night Football showdown in the NFC East. The Giants enter as 7.5-point home underdogs, with the Over/Under set at 40.5 points.
Philadelphia is coming off a tough Week 5 loss, blowing a 17-3 lead at home against Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos, who scored 18 unanswered to hand the Eagles their first defeat of the season. Prior to that, the Eagles notched victories over the Buccaneers, Rams, Chiefs, and Cowboys.
The Eagles have dominated the Giants since the 2016 season, with a 14-4 overall record. That includes a crushing 38-7 win over the Giants in the 2022 Divisional Round playoffs. At least we can hang our hats on all four of those Giants wins coming in East Rutherford, N.J. — small victories!
Despite the record, the Eagles have found themselves marred with offensive frustration, as Saints’ current head coach, Kellen Moore, appears surely missed. New offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has drawn the ire of star wide receiver, A.J. Brown, who was held to less than 50 yards in all but one game (Rams). Wide receiver DeVonta Smith has also voiced his displeasure with the Eagles’ passing attack.
The defense, however, is still coordinated by one of the best in the game, Vic Fangio. Jaxson Dart will have the unfortunate task of facing Fangio and an impressive, explosive, young defense.
Upcoming opponent
Windy City Gridiron
Hot Take Tuesday: Thank You, Washington Commanders
It was 6:35 pm on Sunday, October 27th, 2024. Tyrique Steenson stood at the corner of the field, taunting fans and flexing. Jayden Daniels dropped back, he moved around in the pocket, he stepped up and launched the ball as far as he could.
Stevenson rushed to the middle of the field at the goal line, he leapt towards the ball, got his hand on it, tipped it up in the air, the ball floated behind the scrum of players, and fell into the hands of Noah Brown, who caught the ball in the endzone as time expired, giving the Commanders an 18-15 win.
It was an improbable win for Washington. It was an impossible loss for the Bears. It was a loss that destroyed the Bears’ season.
Almost a year later, it’s time to say, thank you, Washington Commanders.
At the moment, a thank you was the farthest thing from anyone’s mind. Bears fans stood in disbelief, staring at the television with their mouths agape. How could a series of improbable events that led up to the Hail Mary possibly happen? How could the Bears’ head coach make those decisions? How could he defend them?
It was at that point of the season that everything changed. The Bears were about to be 5-2, but fell to 4-3. Would a 5-2 team have been no-shows against Arizona and New England? Probably not. Would the team have spiraled like they did if they were 7-2? Even if they finish 9-8 at that point, would they have fired Matt Eberflus? Doubtful.
But thanks to that loss, the Bears descended into a 10-game losing streak. Matt Eberflus was fired on Thanksgiving weekend, and the season collapsed.
As Bears fans suffered for over two months watching this team spiral, it certainly didn’t seem like any thank yous were in order, but they certainly are now.
Ask yourself this question: Would you rather have Matt Eberflus and Shane Waldron (or perhaps another new offensive coordinator) captaining this ship, or Ben Johnson?
The Bears didn’t get from point A to point B like most franchises do, but somehow they got there. They landed Ben Johnson. They have him here to develop Caleb Williams. It’s what everyone wanted, and it happened thanks to the Washington Commanders.
Discussion topics
ESPN
Does an early bye week offer an advantage for NFL teams?
