The Washington Commanders made the trip to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles on Sunday for their first game of the season. It was always going to be a tough test for the Commanders, but they were in it until the very end.
Jayden Daniels led the team down the field and found rookie Antonio Williams for a touchdown near the end of regulation. Unfortunately, a failed two-point conversion sealed the team’s fate, so they’ll begin the season with a loss.
There were definitely some positives to take away despite the loss, though. Now, let’s identify the studs and duds from this performance.
Stud: Jayden Daniels
Jayden Daniels’ stats won’t make anybody look twice, but I still feel like he actually played well. After losing most of last season to injuries, it’s not surprising
that Daniels didn’t play totally perfect.
The quarterback still threw for 164 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Daniels also rushed for 31 yards, showing that last season didn’t make him scared to move. I didn’t think the play calling did Daniels many favors in this one, and neither did his running backs. This was a solid performance against a very good team.
Dud: Rachaad White
Rachaad White did not have an ideal debut. The running back only accumulated 22 yards on seven carries and caught two passes for just five yards. It wasn’t an ideal matchup for White, but Bill Croskey-Merritt was more efficient.
The Commanders will need more from White going forward. A more reliable running game today would've helped extend some drives and given Daniels some much-needed help.
Stud: Antonio Williams
Antonio Williams was awesome all summer, and he continued that in Week 1. The rookie caught all four of his targets and ended with 64 yards and one touchdown.
Williams’ touchdown catch was awesome. The rookie picked the ball off the turf and showed off his strong hands. The receiver room looked like a major question mark in the offseason, but it’s starting to look like a strength.
Dud: Terry McLaurin
Terry McLaurin has been Mr. Reliable for the Commanders for years now. The receiver was penciled in as the WR1 all offseason, but he might not be that for much longer.
Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams both had better games than McLaurin did on Sunday. The veteran ended with just two catches for 14 yards on four targets. Williams had the same number of targets as McLaurin, while Diggs had double the targets.
Stud: Sonny Styles
Sonny Styles had some not-great moments in coverage, and he only ended with four tackles. However, the highs were really high, as Styles showed off what made him a top pick.
The rookie picked up his first NFL sack, blowing Saquon Barkley up in the process. Styles ended with one sack and two tackles for loss, which was a solid performance given his tough assignment.
Dud: David Blough
I’m not sure if this sentiment will be shared by most, but I wasn’t impressed with the offensive play-calling. The most obvious example of a bad call was the two-point conversion at the end, which, for some reason, involved John Bates and a shovel pass.
I understand being cautious with Daniels in his first game, but the run game needs more creativity. It felt like the main plan today was for Daniels to force it to Diggs and hope it works out.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Studs and duds from Commanders' heartbreaking Week 1 loss
