The Commanders wrapped up a road-trip heavy September with a 42-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals to go 3-1 on the season. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, wide receiver Terry McLaurin, running back Jeremy McNichols and Washington's defense came up big to lift the Burgundy & Gold to its third win in a row.
Jayden Daniels
The best. The most. The highest. The superlatives that can be used to describe the rookie quarterback in this first quarter of the season just keep on flowing. After his record-breaking primetime performance against the Bengals, Daniels picked up right where he left off against the Cardinals.
Once again, Daniels was precise with the ball, going 26-for-30 for 233 passing yards on the night. What's important to note about the signal-caller is his ability to not just put the ball in a receiver's hands, but his precision of placement, as was shown in passes to Olamide Zaccheaus and Terry McLaurin in the first quarter. Daniels has a great sense of where to put the ball based on the movement of a player's body.
Running prowess also continues to be a strength for Daniels. His quickness saw him avoid tackles and extend plays throughout the game, while his speed allowed him to pick up good yards, including a nine-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter and a first down in the fourth quarter. Even his sliding is looking elite.
Daniels threw an interception for the first time in his young pro career. The sky didn't fall. In fact, the quarterback couldn't have responded better. The pick happened about nine minutes into the second quarter on a throw intended for McLaurin with the Commanders up by seven. Daniels stuck to his game, though, and led the Burgundy & Gold to another 28 points. A Washington offense hasn't scored 42 points against an opponent in nearly eight years.
Another week, another stellar performance from the rookie. With his demeanor and talent, Daniels is the lynchpin for an offense that now ranks in the top five in 10-plus categories.
Terry McLaurin
Terry McLaurin is having so much fun playing football right now. The chemistry with his quarterback is consistently growing, and that's paying off.
The wide receiver was his quarterback's favorite target in Week 5, and he finished the day with seven receptions for 52 yards. In addition to flexing his reliable hands, McLaurin, for example on a throw on Washington's second possession of the game, demonstrated his excellent footwork to stay in bounds.
For the second game in a row, the wide receiver also recorded a touchdown. On third-and-goal in the fourth quarter, McLaurin hauled in a dot from Daniels to give Washington the 19-point lead. It marked the first time McLaurin has scored in consecutive games since 2020. After last night, McLaurin also passed Bobby Mitchell for the eighth-most receptions in franchise history.
He's scoring, finding the ball with some regularity and even blocking (see: Brian Robinson's first-quarter run for 17 yards). Whatever his contributions, McLaurin is enjoying what's coming together in Washington.
"This is a really fun offense to be a part of," McLaurin said after the game. "For the guys who've been here for so long we haven't quite had this feeling."
Jeremy McNichols
Jeremy McNichols was a name to watch coming into this game against the Cardinals. With Austin Ekeler out with a concussion, it looked as if the running back could very well see the ball more against Arizona. McNichols was named a captain coming into this game -- his Hulk-like moment where he flipped a Bengals linebacker on the fourth-quarter McLaurin touchdown could have had something to do with that. The play embodied the sort of "arrive violently" Dan Quinn wants to see.
Whatever the reason, there was a feeling McNichols could step up in a big way in Week 5, and he did. In the second quarter, with the game tied and Washington on Arizona's 27-yard line, McNichols picked up the ball from Daniels and skipped away from defenders for a run all the way into the end zone. He did particularly well to keep his feet in bounds as Cardinal players crowded to push him outside. The run was the longest rush of his career, and his first rushing touchdown since Week 13, 2020.
McNichols made some more magic in the fourth quarter as he found a gap down the middle and shimmied seven yards for Washington's last touchdown of the game. In addition to his two touchdowns, he finished with eight carries and 68 yards, including a team-high 8.5 yards per carry.
Not bad for a guy who, before this season started, hadn't taken an offensive snap since 2021.
The defense
If Washington's offense had been considered "cooking," Washington's defense had been more, say, in the cutting and chopping phase. The operation was coming together, competent folks were in the kitchen working on it and good things could be envisioned on the horizon. The unit was simply not where it wanted to be.
In the win against the Cardinals, though, Washington's defense showed huge strides. The secondary didn't give up explosive plays, and the front seven made its presence known. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen recorded his first sack of the season, while defensive end Dorance Armstrong recorded two sacks.
Bobby Wagner and Daron Payne got in on the action bringing down Kyler Murray in the third quarter. Frankie Luvu and Jeremy Chinn forced a fumble in the fourth quarter, which Luvu recovered. The Commanders' defense made plays and frustrated Arizona's offense as it curbed the home team to just 14 points. Cardinals quarterback Murray, who is known for his rushing skill, was limited to just three yards on the ground.
The Week 5 win is the kind of performance Washington's defense was hungry for. It gives the unit a solid base to learn and grow from as the team looks for its fourth win in a row this next Sunday at home against the Cleveland Browns.
