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California Commanders fans turn out in LA, for Jayden Daniels’ hometown return
The Burgundy & Gold’s trip to Los Angeles presented an exciting opportunity for thousands of fans on the Western part of the country to cheer on their favorite team. The scores of Commanders
faithful had a loud, energetic presence at SoFi Stadium, helping to cheer their team on to their third win of the season. Adding to the hype for this base was witnessing Los Angeleno Jayden Daniels in action for the first time as a pro in his hometown.
“I’ve never seen so many Commanders fans at one place in one time,” Gloria Sagario said. “It was nice to see.”
That scene and community feel was magnified the following day at SoFi Stadium, where burgundy and gold could be seen in nearly every section.
“Right now, it’s kind of feeling like a home game,” James Sagario said.
Many of those repping the visiting team donned the jersey of Washington’s starting quarterback. Sure, that might be typical attire for fans of any NFL team in-stadium on gameday, especially when the signal-caller won Rookie of the Year honors nine months ago and has ushered in a new era for the franchise. However, this game was special for Washington’s #5 and folks like him who are also from the Los Angeles area.
“I’ve talked to people from the San Bernardino area where Jayden went to high school and they’re coming to the game just to watch him,” lifelong fan Dan Tacante said.
The Athletic (paywall)
Jayden Daniels is still improving. Just look at these 6 plays vs. Chargers
The fear was that Jayden Daniels would be limited, that the brace on his left knee — or the knee itself — would hinder his running or his elusiveness, eliminate his quick cuts or somehow slow him down. Or maybe, even worse, that it would affect his passing, rendering him a lesser version of the quarterback he was in 2024.
But on Sunday, in a 27-10 win over the Chargers in his hometown of L.A., Daniels left little doubt about his knee or much else. The deep passing that was lacking in his first two starts of the season showed up in abundance, along with sound decision-making (he slid!), a command of the offense, that same elusive running and a knack for extending drives.
Daniels completed 15 of 26 passes (57.7 percent) for 231 yards, a touchdown and a 100.0 passer rating in the Commanders’ win. Four of those completions were for 20 yards or more (he had only three 20-plus-yard completions in his first two starts). He also picked up 39 rushing yards on eight carries, becoming the first player in NFL history to top 4,000 career passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in his first 20 games.
But there were a handful of plays that really showed the breadth of his ability and his growth as a quarterback.
Washington Post (paywall)
The Commanders get mad, get even and get going in the right direction
All those angry outbursts Sunday? That’s Washington’s way of showing some urgency this season.
Jayden Daniels had no idea what Bobby Wagner was angry about, but it was clear to anyone with eyes that he was pissed off. During the two-minute warning in the second quarter Sunday, the Washington Commanders linebacker started yelling as he walked toward his team’s sideline. As Wagner’s tirade dragged on, the second-year quarterback attempted to calm his fellow Los Angeles-area native.
“Shoot, I don’t know,” Daniels said when asked what Wagner was upset about. “I just seen him yelling on the field.”
Wagner wasn’t upset about what the Los Angeles Chargers were doing — they had been limited to a three-yard run on the play before he turned up — but rather what he wasn’t seeing from the Commanders. He felt they were lacking energy, and his rant was a way to cultivate it.
“Just wanted to make sure everybody get right and everybody lock in and play a little bit better,” Wagner said. “We need all the energy we can get.”
That energy translated to the field on the next snap, when Wagner nearly sacked Justin Herbert. The pressure forced Herbert into a doomed checkdown that lost seven yards and derailed the Chargers’ drive. It was a key moment during a 27-0 run by the Commanders as they upended Los Angeles, 27-10.
Wagner’s passion seemed to start a chain reaction with the coaches and players. At halftime, Coach Dan Quinn was screaming as he spoke about keeping up the urgency. The Commanders already had climbed out of a 10-0 hole to tie the score, but he knew more would be needed to put away the Chargers.
“We have a standard that’s set,” Daniels said. “Obviously, that starts with DQ, and Bobby’s well respected on this team and throughout this league, and me being the quarterback, I’m respected, too. Sometimes you can’t just be all cool and calm; sometimes you got to be a little fired up to get guys going.”
Washington Post (paywall)
Hail or Fail: Bill breaks out, and Jayden Daniels feels right at home
The good and the bad from Washington’s win over the Chargers, including two huge takeaways and a game-sealing 99-yard drive.
Hail: Takeaways, plural
The Commanders tripled their number of takeaways this season with two against the Chargers, and they both came in big spots. In the second quarter, with Los Angeles driving and looking to add to its 10-0 lead, safety Quan Martin knocked the ball loose from wide receiver Quentin Johnston after a catch just outside the red zone, and cornerback Marshon Lattimore recovered at the Washington 26-yard line. Midway through the fourth quarter, with the Chargers threatening to cut into the Commanders’ 20-10 lead, Sainristil intercepted Herbert’s pass intended for Keenan Allen at the goal line after Jer’Zhan Newton deflected the pass at the line of scrimmage.
Hail: The exclamation point
After Sainristil’s interception, Washington mounted a clock-killing 13-play, 99-yard touchdown drive. Daniels capped the march with an eight-yard scoring strike on fourth down to Deebo Samuel Sr., who finished with eight catches for 96 yards. “My favorite part of the game was the last drive,” Commanders Coach Dan Quinn said. “To go 6 minutes and 30 seconds at the end, that’s a big deal for us. To be able to run the ball and go finish.” “It felt like we were playing football again, like our brand of football,” Daniels told Fox’s Erin Andrews. “I think that showed the last drive, to go 99 and score a touchdown on fourth down to end the game.”
Heavy.com
Commanders Made Key Change for Marshon Lattimore vs. Chargers
The Washington Commanders finally saw the Marshon Lattimore who’s a four-time Pro Bowler and shutdown cornerback in Week 5. All thanks to a key change made for the 27-10 road win over the Los Angeles Chargers, a schematic adjustment revealed by impressive statistics.
Those numbers come from Next Gen Stats (h/t The Team 980’s Ben Standig), who revealed how Lattimore “allowed only 1 catch for 6 yards on 41 coverage snaps against the Chargers despite playing his 10th lowest rate of man snaps since 2018.
Playing fewer snaps in man coverage might not seem like a seismic shift for Lattimore, but this was a smart change for the Commanders. An example of going against the grain to revive the fortunes of a once-elite player who had been struggling mightily.
His improved showing against the Bolts makes it easier to split the early portion of Lattimore’s first full campaign in a Commanders uniform into two distinct categories. The 29-year-old has flip-flopped between exceptional, like he was against the Chargers, as well as the New York Giants in Week 1, and dire enough to be shredded in one-on-one matchups.
Dismal outings against the Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons belong in the dire category, but the Commanders played things smarter in L.A. Simply put, Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. reduced the number of times Lattimore had to play on an island.
Instead, keeping two safeties deep helped Lattimore play with a little more composure. He was less handsy than in man coverage, where he’s had trouble trailing receivers on the perimeter.
Commanders Wire
Washington Commanders report card: Grading each unit from Week 5 win over Chargers
Coaching: A
There is really nothing negative to critique here. Head coach Dan Quinn didn’t make any bad decisions regarding time management, and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. knew when to attack the Chargers’ beat-up offensive line. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury called another gem of a game, sticking with the run but doing whatever he could to get Daniels into a rhythm, which he did.
Commanders.com
Final thoughts | Commanders ‘optimistic’ about Terry McLaurin’s possible return
The Commanders have been riddled with injuries for the past month, but there’s some hope on the horizon for the squad. Quinn said he’s optimistic that wide receiver Terry McLaurin will make his return this week, and the same goes for the likes of Noah Brown and guard Sam Cosmi. Those players still need to prove they’re healthy in practice, but it seems like the Commanders are one step closer to being healthy.
“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.”
Pro Football Focus
Top 15 NFL rookies through Week 5
2. RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders (84.9)
Croskey-Merritt powered the Commanders’ running game in the team’s upset win over the Chargers. He recorded his first 100-yard game, carrying the ball 14 times for 111 yards (fourth most), six first downs (tied for second most) and two scores. He gained 74 yards after contact (fourth most) at an average of 5.3 yards per attempt (third best), in addition to tying for first in first-down-plus-touchdown rate (42.9%) and ranking second in 10-plus-yard runs (seven),
Croskey-Merritt is now the second-ranked running back by PFF overall grade (84.9) and top player in PFF rushing grade (90.1). He is the only back with a 90.0-plus PFF rushing grade through this point of the season. Croskey-Merritt has seen 10 or more carries in only two games, yet he places in the top 20 in rushing yards (283). He is averaging 4.4 yards gained after contact (second best) and has notched nine explosive gains (tied for eighth most). Most of his carries have come in gap schemes (34), where he’s gained 212 yards (fifth most).
Pro Football Focus (Premium)
NFL season-long statistical review ahead of Week 6: Team tiers, pass rates and more
Pro Football Focus (Premium)
Grading all 32 first-round rookies after Week 5
Pick No. 29: Washington Commanders: T Josh Conerly Jr.
- Overall Rookie Grade: 49.2 (Rank: 7/8)
- Principal Opponent: Tuli Tuipulotu
- Week 5 Snaps: 59
- Week 5 Grade: 60.9
Conerly played his part in the Commanders’ excellent rushing performance, as he turned in a 67.0 PFF run-blocking grade. He did well to seal off defenders on a couple of occasions, which allowed Jacory Croskey-Merritt to bounce outside for first downs. Conerly struggled a bit more in pass protection, allowing four pressures and earning a 49.2 PFF pass-blocking grade.
Pro Football Network
Commanders RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt Sets Wild Rookie Milestone
Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s breakout performance against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday didn’t just lift the Washington Commanders to a convincing win; it sent shockwaves through the league and the analytics world. PFSN’s proprietary RBi metric rewarded the rookie’s dominance with a 93.6 grade, the highest among all running backs this season.
Not only was Croskey-Merritt’s 71.4% rushing success rate the best of any running back in Week 5, but he also continues to set a new standard for rookie efficiency and impact, now holding the second-best season grade for a rookie running back since 2013, only trailing Miami Dolphins star De’Von Achane’s 95.9 grade from 2023.
On Sunday, Croskey-Merritt converted 71.4% of his carries into successful plays, ranking first among all backs in the league for Week 5.
PFSN’s definition of “rushing success rate” hinges on a running back’s ability to keep the offense moving on schedule, gaining the necessary yards on any down to avoid putting the team behind the sticks. Croskey-Merritt ran for an average of 7.9 yards per carry and notched 111 rushing yards on just 14 attempts while adding 39 receiving yards. He also ranked third in both yards before contact (2.64) and yards after contact (5.29).
These numbers can’t be dismissed as a one-off: Croskey-Merritt has now earned the highest individual game RBi grade twice this season, having previously posted a dominant effort against the New York Giants in Week 1. Through five games, he owns the best cumulative RBi for the 2025 season.
Podcasts & videos
NFL Week 5 Recap: Commanders Defeat Chargers 27-10 | Booth Review | Washington Commanders | NFL
Commanders flipped the script in Jayden Daniels’ return | Chris Simms Unbuttoned | NFL on NBC
Deebo Samuel Was A STEAL For The Commanders
NFC East links
Bleeding Green Nation
Jalen Hurts emphasizes lack of execution in Eagles’ struggles against Broncos
On needing to get set quicker
“I can’t tell you what the issue is. Ultimately, I can take accountability for everything and take responsibility for it all. The lack of execution and maybe lack of sense of urgency in how our operation is. And so I take the responsibility for all of it because I’m just trying to find solutions for it. Just trying to grow and learn from it and I look at this as an opportunity in itself. You play the game to win and when you don’t, you learn from it.”
The QB didn’t care to throw anyone under the bus when asked if the play calls were getting to him in enough time, and noted that it comes down to making whatever it is work.
He was also asked about Saquon Barkley’s illegal shift penalty, and the QB shouldered some responsibility for that.
“No miscommunication. From what I remember, the clock was low and on the fourth-and-six, fourth-and-three or whatever it was, he counted at the mercy of the clock. I think if we operate a little faster, get to the ball, we can maybe avoid some of that. Nonetheless, when you have a motion tagged to a play, I put that towards operation as a unit and that starts with me. So I own that. I can play smarter in that and make it work given what we’re doing.”
On the offensive struggles
“I won’t say the word out of balance. I just think we’re searching for improvement and so given what type of team we’re built to be, we have to be able to establish the run in some regard and that could look different. It may not be what it’s been, but ultimately being able to lean on the run game is important.”
The QB kept mentioning a lack of execution when asked about the offense stalling in the second half, and about what the issues were on Sunday.
Blogging the Boys
Sunday’s game shows why we should put solid trust in PFF
To keep the recap simple: going into this week, there was a contingent of Cowboy fans who took issue with the gap between Dak Prescott’s raw passing numbers so far this year and his (to that point) 2025 NFL-best PFF grade at QB. Claims were made dragging PFF grades down.
Yesterday’s game against the Jets shows why fans should put good stock into PFF.
On the surface, Prescott had a very good game: season-best 8.2 Yards Per Attempt, 4 TDs to 0 INTs, and even under the hood a little 0 Turnover Worthy Plays. That had to be a strong grade, right? Nope. Instead, it was a season-low 70.9 overall grade for the QB, dragged down by what is so far easily his worst passing grade (63.9, next-worst being his 77.3 against Chicago). How can this be?
I hope anyone watching the game already knows the answer – Prescott was scattershot with his ball placement. He had a number of dropbacks in which he made a good read but simply missed the throw, a tendency that pops up here and there in some games, especially early in contests. It simply wasn’t a good individual performance from him, but the Cowboys controlled the game overall well enough that it didn’t matter.
For more specifics, he only had one “Big Time Throw”, a season-low Adjusted Completion Percentage, and only had to account for 6 Pressures, less than half of the next-lowest number of those he has faced (13) in any other game this year.
This is what PFF offers us. It’s most precise at evaluating positions that operate more in isolation, such as WR and CB, but even for ones that are more entangled with supporting cast it is still far far more accurate than any other tool available to us – because it’s the only one that makes any real effort to judge what the QBs do individually.
So when you have Prescott carrying a flawed supporting cast (possibly more than he ever has before in his career) early in the year but ending up with a correspondingly weaker raw stat line – and when he has an off day that fortunately came in a game that was almost uncontested – PFF to at least a solid extent will pick up on that! Yes, it’s a good idea to not take their numbers as locked-in, final, perfect evals, but they’re an ideal starting place and should not be waived off without good specific reasons to question any given performance grade.
Big Blue View
Proposed trades get the Giants WR help, draft capital
Trade for WR Chris Olave
Olave is 25, had 100-yard receiving seasons in 2022 and 2023, his first two NFL seasons, and with 33 catches in five games this year he is on pace for a career-high 112 receptions. Olave had seven catches for 59 yards Sunday against the Giants. He could absolutely help the Giants.
I do not, though, see the PFSN package as being realistic. Why would the Saints want the 28-year-old Slayton, who has $9 million in guaranteed salary next season? Even though that is $6 million less than the $15.493 million in guaranteed salary Olave has next season, I’m not sure that makes sense for New Orleans.
I am also not sure that makes sense for the Giants. Yes, Slayton had a terrible game Sunday. He is, though, a good player. Wouldn’t the Giants want to try to add Olave to Slayton and Robinson?
There is another consideration. The Giants already do not have a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They sent that to the Houston Texans in the Dart trade. Can they also give up their second-round pick, which means they would miss out completely on Day 2 of the draft? I don’t think so.
Trading Evan Neal to the Vikings
Each week when I put together the Big Blue View mailbag there are a number of Neal-related questions. Most of them boil down to “why won’t the Giants give him a chance at guard?” I believe PFSN’s assessment is correct — the Giants have clearly moved on.
Yes, Neal might be a capable run blocker at guard. The Giants, though, clearly do not trust him more than starter Greg Van Roten or backup Aaron Stinnie. I am not privy to everything that has gone on over the four seasons Neal has been with the Giants, but I have the impression the relationship between player and team has not been an easy one. The misdiagnosis of Neal’s ankle injury might be part of that. So, too, might his initial refusal to consider a move to guard.
If Neal had been so good at his new position this summer that he had forced his way into the lineup, he would be playing. The organization clearly did not think that was the case.
I would be in favor of a move like this. Neal is dead weight on the Giants’ 53-man roster, and they might as well get something for him.
Maybe Neal goes on to be a useful player somewhere else. So be it. At this point, it seems almost certain that isn’t happening with the Giants.
Upcoming opponent
Windy City Gridiron
Who would you rather have as your Quarterback moving forward? Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels?
Let’s be honest – this question was everywhere last season and throughout the offseason. Much of it had to do with Daniels’ historic rookie season. A lot had to do with the Bears’ historic incompetence of developing top end talents at the QB position. But after last season, I think my answer would have leaned towards preferring Jayden Daniels. He had proven himself on big stages and elevated a downtrodden franchise, while Williams had a mostly uneven rookie year marred with bad sacks, inconsistent accuracy, and loss after loss.
But this is a new season, and we are beginning to see the potential of Caleb Williams become actualized.
There are two main reasons why I am sticking with Caleb Williams moving forward.
- Injuries:
- Jayden Daniels’ frame, play style, and frame give me a lot of concern. He had two occasions in college where he had injuries to his ankles and has now missed two games with a sprained knee. While that isn’t an extensive injury history, it’s the fact that he rushes the ball approximately 9 times per game and had a very lean frame that gives me concern. I suspect that lower body injuries will be a major part of his career moving forward if he does not get thicker in his lower half or reduce his rushing tendencies.
- Caleb Williams had proven to be durable throughout his career to this point, having played all 21 games of his professional career and all 37 games of his collegiate career once installed as the starter his Freshman year at Oklahoma. While Williams is still more than just a pocket passer and tends to be a runner, he takes fewer hits than Daniels and is built much stockier as well. I think Williams will be more durable and his game will translate to longer term success in the league.
- Trajectory/Potential:
- Jayden Daniels has either regressed or maintained similar stats from 2024 to 2025.
- Completion Percentage is down from 69% to 59%
- Passer Rating is down from 100.1 to 93.2
- QBR is down from 67.7 to 39.0
- On Target Throw Percentage is down from 78.2% to 50.5%
- Completed Air Yards per Attempt is holding from 3.7 to 3.6 despite his receivers drop percentage dropping from 4.3% to 2.1%
- Touchdown Pass Percentage is down from 5.2% to 4.1%
- He has completed 16/36 passes over 10 yards for 44%
- This is a lot of stats to say that Jayden Daniels has taken a real step back so far this season. It’s entirely possible that he gets back to his 2024 form with a lot of season left, but the early returns have shown some regression in his accuracy and ability to consistently connect with receivers downfield, as he has only completed 16/36 passes attempted 10+ yards beyond the LOS.
- Caleb Williams has taken a real step forward in 2025 compared to 2024.
- Completion Percentage is holding from 62.5% to 62.3%
- Passer Rating is up from 87.8 to 97.8
- QBR is up from 43.3 to 57.5
- On Target Throw Percentage is down from 72.4% to 68.8%
- Completed Air Yards per Attempt is up from 3.0 to 4.0
- Touchdown Pass Percentage is up from 3.6% to 6.2%
- He has completed 23/45 passes over 10 yards for 51%.
- While Williams still needs to clean up certain issues related to accuracy, he has made significant strides across the board, and is outpacing Daniels in many statistical categories. Considering he has been in his system for 4 games and this is Daniels’ second year in his, there is a lot of reason to believe that Caleb will continue to ascend.
- My last point regarding potential is that Caleb is still a full year younger than Daniels. While this might not seem significant, it means that Caleb still has more time to develop before he hits his prime, and given their current 2nd year trajectories, that is a good sign for Caleb’s future.
- Jayden Daniels has either regressed or maintained similar stats from 2024 to 2025.
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Over the Cap
2026 Cap Space vs Salary Guarantees
The teams in the upper left quadrant are the teams that would look to be in the best shape for next season. These teams have an abundance of cap space already on the books for next year and they have the most flexibility with their roster since their guarantee commitments are relatively low.
If you are a good team that is an exciting prospect to continue building and I would argue should put these teams in a position to acquire big salaries at the trade deadline this year if it maximizes their chances for 2025.
For the bad teams like the Titans at least it is a shining light in what looks like a bad year.
NFL.com
Patrick Mahomes on Chiefs’ collapse vs. Jaguars: ‘We’ve lost too many games already’
From missed interceptions to Mahomes’ pick-six to the 13 penalties for 109 yards to not making a play on the final Jags drive, it was a forgettable night all around.
The flags were particularly problematic. The 13 penalties were tied for the most in a game in the Mahomes era (Week 11, 2018 shootout with the Los Angeles Rams). The end of the game was shaped by penalties. Harrison Butker kicked the ball out of bounds, giving the Jags excellent field position for their final drive. Then, corner Chamarri Conner was flagged for pass interference in the end zone, setting up Jacksonville’s game-winner.
“Whether I agree with them or don’t agree with them, it doesn’t matter,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of the penalties. “They called them. And so you have that many penalties, you give up field position. You can out-stat them to death, but it doesn’t matter. It’s the score that matters, and we’ve got to take care of business there.”
Falling to 2-3, the Chiefs have a losing record through five games for just the second time in the Mahomes era. In 2021, they also started 2-3 before turning things around to go 12-5, losing in the AFC Championship Game to Cincinnati.
NFL.com
No undefeated teams in NFL heading into Week 6 for first time since 2014
By virtue of playing the night game on Sunday, the Bills were the last undefeated team. It marked just the second season in the Super Bowl era in which the Bills were the last undefeated team (also 1980 — started 5-0, finished 11-5, lost in Divisional Round at San Diego Chargers).
The early-season success hasn’t been an indicator of February parties in recent years. The 2006 Indianapolis Colts are the most recent “last undefeated team” to win the Super Bowl that season. The 18-season title drought by such teams is three times the previous famine (six-season droughts from 1966-1971 and 2000-05).
Spring Football
Pro Football Talk
UFL adds teams in Columbus, Louisville, Orlando
Last week, the UFL officially said farewell to Michigan, Memphis, and San Antonio. On Tuesday, the spring league officially said hello to Columbus, Louisville, and Orlando.
The UFL has announced the addition of three teams for 2026. Meet the Columbus Aviators, the Louisville Kings, and the Orlando Storm.
