The Washington Commanders secured their ninth win of the season by holding on to beat the New Orleans Saints, 20-19. Here are five takeaways from the victory.

1. Touchdown Terry.

Terry McLaurin continues to roll in what has been a tremendous season for the veteran wide receiver.

McLaurin had another solid day for the Commanders against the Saints, catching seven passes on 10 targets for 73 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the first half. The first came between two Saints defenders on Washington's opening drive, capping off an acrobatic play from Jayden Daniels, while the second put the Commanders up 14-0 on a three-yard grab.

Arguably his most impressive play, however, was a 25-yard grab in the third quarter that converted a second-and-11. McLaurin plucked the ball out of the air on the left side of the field, putting the Commander at the Saints' 44-yard line.

The Commanders' effort to get McLaurin the ball more often has paid off for them, as they are now 7-3 when he gets at least 50 yards. It's also helped him have what's shaping up to be the best season of his career. He is the first Washington wide receiver to have 10 or more touchdown receptions since Gary Clark did so in 1991, and his four multi-touchdown games are the second-most in the NFL this season trailing only Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase.

McLaurin is on pace to hit a career-high 1,172 yards with three games left.

2. Another dominant first half from the defense.

The Commanders continued their dominance in the first half of games this season by shutting out the Saints in the first. It is the third time this season they accomplished the feat and the most in a single season since 2015, and they nearly did so two weeks ago against the Tennessee Titans.

Much of that had to do with how little success Jake Haener could find in the passing game. On top of Marshon Lattimore locking down receivers and getting zero targets for the day in his Commanders debut, players like Mike Sainristil provided tight coverage working against the Saints' depleted arsenal at wide receiver. Haener still tried to force the ball to playmakers, though, and he paid for it with Sainristil getting his second interception of the season.

Of course, all that happened on the few occasions Haener was able to get the ball off. Frankie Luvu and the Commanders' pass-rush brought consistent pressure on the second-year quarterback, bringing him down three times for a loss of 29 yards. Haener was held to a passer rating of 16.2 in the first half, leading to him being benched in the third quarter.

The Commanders also continued their improvements against the run, as the Saints were held to 18 yards on the ground in the first half and 69 overall. Alvin Kamara, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a groin injury, had just 12 yards on five carries.

3. Jayden Daniels was exceptional.

It was Daniels' return to Louisiana, and as expected, he balled out.

Daniels was nearly perfect in the first half, completing 17 of his 19 pass attempts for 140 yards and two touchdowns. His athleticism was on full display as well; seconds before McLaurin scored the first touchdown of the game, McLaurin rolled to his left, stumbled but kept his balance before throwing a strike to the receiver in the end zone.

Daniels led the Commanders with 66 rushing yards on 11 carries, with his most impressive scramble coming on a third-and-14 in the third quarter. Daniels moved to his left and made a slight juke to make a defender stumble, which allowed him enough room to convert and put Washington at the Saints' 24-yard line. He also converted a fourth-and-1 at Washington's 45-yard line by cutting upfield and vaulting over the pile.

It was just the latest addition to what has been a record-setting season for Daniels. He became the third rookie in NFL history to have thrown for over 3,000 passing yards and rushed for over 600 yards. He joins Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III as the only other players to do so in NFL history.

4. Missed opportunities to clean up.

As exciting as the failed two-point conversion from the Saints that sealed the win for the Commanders was, there were moments that could have given Washington a much safer lead.

McLaurin, for example, was wide open for what could have been touchdowns on three separate occasions in the second half. All three ended with the ball barely slipping through McLaurin's grasp. It should serve as a reminder for the Commanders that they will need to capitalize on those moments against better opponents like the Philadelphia Eagles, who will be coming to Northwest Stadium next week.

Another missed opportunity came on the Commanders' final offensive drive of the night. Rather than punt, coach Dan Quinn sent Greg Joseph out to try a 54-yard field goal. Joseph's kick was wide right, providing the Saints with a short field and a chance to tie the game.

There were also the nine penalties called on Washington that hurt both sides of the ball. A holding call eliminated a 23-yard gain by Dyami Brown in the fourth quarter that would have moved the Commanders to the Saints' 10-yard line. Before that, Benjamin St-Juste was called for illegal use of hands on a third-and-10 that kept the Saints' scoring drive alive.

As the Commanders move into their final two games, they cannot afford to miss anymore scoring opportunities or chances to get opponents off the field.

5. A tighter hold on the playoffs.

The Commanders have been in position to earn a playoff spot at this point in previous seasons. They were 7-5-1 in 2022 needing to win at least two of their games to get into the postseason; in 2021, they were 6-6 with a possibility to lock up a spot. Both seasons ended with disappointment, as they lost three of their last four in 2022 and four of their last five in 2021.

As with many aspects of the 2024 season, things might be different this time around. It wasn't a pretty game, but the Commanders performed in the moments that mattered most and secured their first winning record since 2016. They now have a firmer hold on the No. 7 seed in the playoffs, as the New York Times playoff simulator gives them a 95% chance at making the postseason.

The work is far from done, though. They'll need to play well against their last three opponents, starting with the Eagles next week. They'll then host the Atlanta Falcons, who are still working to lock up the NFC South, and then close out the year with a road matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Commanders have already outperformed expectations this year and have a chance to do so again by making the playoffs in the first year under Quinn's leadership. None of their next games are surefire victories, but if they can continue to play tough in critical situations, they will give themselves a shot.