The Washington Commanders snapped their three-game losing streak by taking down the Tennessee Titans in a 42-19 blowout win. Here are five takeaways from the victory.

1. The running game was back.

There were several problems with the Commanders' offense during the team's three-game losing streak, but the struggles on the ground were the most noticeable. A unit that was routinely putting up 100-plus yards found little room against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, and it led to fewer scoring opportunities.

The Commanders were back to dominating the ground against the Titans, though, and it started early. Brian Robinson's first carry of the season, which came on the third play of Washington's opening drive, saw the running back go 40 yards untouched for a touchdown -- the longest rushing score by a Washington player since 2019.

The Commanders rushed for 267 yards on 45 carries -- the most in single game since 2012 -- and multiple players got in on the action. Jayden Daniels, who was limited on the ground for the last three weeks, had nine carries for 34 yards, including a three-yard touchdown. Jeremy McNichols, filling in for Austin Ekeler, added 32 yards on six carries, including a 12-yard run that moved the offense to the Titans' 9-yard line.

Robinson led the effort with 103 yards, but Chris Rodriguez Jr. nearly matched that mark with 13 carries and 94 yards after taking over the load in the second half. Twelve of Rodriguez's carries came in the fourth quarter, including a seven-yard touchdown that helped ice the game.

2. The defense smothered the Titans early.

The Commanders had one of their most successful first halves of the millennium against the Titans, scoring on three straight possessions for just the third time since 2000. The game was essentially over halfway through the second quarter, but a big reason for that is because the defense made the Titans' offense a nonfactor.

The Titans barely had the ball long enough to build any momentum in the first half. Prior to their touchdown in the second quarter, Tennessee had run just 13 offensive plays -- just five more than the eight penalties they committed in that span. They were held to just one first down in their first four drives compared to the Commanders' 12 and had fewer yards (24) than the Commanders had points (28).

The 28-0 deficit severely hamstrung the Titans' offense, which already showed signs of struggling in previous games. The running game, an area where the Commanders had struggled all season, was bottled up from the start. Tony Pollard accounted for 35 yards on just eight carries with a long of just seven yards.

Things got slightly better for the Titans in the second half, but it was too late by then and almost impossible to pull off a comeback.

3. Jayden Daniels looked crisp.

Daniels was back to himself after three weeks of having uncharacteristic misses in the passing game. He didn't have to do much with his arm, but the 25 completions he had on 30 passes were crisp and on point.

It was clear from the first quarter that Daniels was in a different groove compared to previous weeks. Washington had a plan to get the ball out of Daniels' hands quickly, and it helped the quarterback get in a groove. He completed his first six passes, starting with a 10-yard completion to Terry McLaurin.

Daniels' connection with McLaurin was one of the highlights of the day. Daniels went to McLaurin early, another emphasis for the Commanders, and it resulted in the receiver catching all eight of his targets for 72 yards and two scores -- the third such performance of the season.

The return of the screen game -- a strong point of the offense early in the season -- also helped boost Daniels' completion percentage. It created opportunities for players like Dyami Brown, who had four catches on five targets.

Daniels' day ended with him passing for three touchdowns and rushing for one. He is the first Washington player to record at least three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in a game since Kirk Cousins in Week 15 of the 2015 season against Buffalo.

4. Washington created and capitalized on turnovers.

Washington's defense has prioritized creating turnovers all season. Sunday's game against the Titans is a prime example of why that's so important to them.

Two plays after the Commanders went up 14-0, their defense provided them with a chance to hang even more points on the board. Mike Sainristil ripped the ball away from Tony Pollard and recovered the fumble at the Titans' 24-yard line. It only took three plays for the Commanders to capitalize with Daniels hitting McLaurin for a 16-yard score.

Five seconds of game time later, the Titans coughed up the ball again. This time, it was Jha'Quan Jackson who had the ball slip through his grasp on the ensuing kickoff. Tyler Owens fell on it at the Titans' 34-yard line, and the offense took advantage of that good field position once again, as McLaurin capped off a nine-play drive with a three-yard touchdown grab.

After getting just one turnover in the first three weeks, Washington has forced at least one in nine of the last 10 games.

5. The Commanders are having fun again.

The last three weeks have not been fun for the Commanders. As Daniels eloquently put it at the podium after the win over the Titans, "Losing sucks." So, linebacker Bobby Wagner took it upon himself to speak to the team last week to remind his teammates that they needed to get back to having fun.

It certainly looked like the Commanders were having fun running up the score on the Titans.

Despite all the bumps that Washington experienced in November, there's plenty of reasons for the team to be happy about heading into the bye week. For starters, the Commanders have doubled their win total from 2023 with a chance to get their first winning season since 2016 with four games left.

What's more, a playoff appearance looks like a reality, assuming the Commanders can handle their business following the week off. Aside from the Eagles, three of their final opponents have either losing or non-winning records. If they go at least 3-1, they will control their destiny and get to the postseason for the first time since 2020.

The hope is that Washington's win over the Titans is a return to the dominance the team showed in the first half of the season. They'll need that momentum heading into the final stretch, and if it is the start of a bounceback, things are about to be a lot more fun in Washington.