Commanders Vs. Giants (Game Two) – Studs and Duds

The Mara Curse is OVER!

This was a weird game to watch. It didn’t really seem like Washington was clicking on all cylinders either offensively or defensively, yet they controlled the game from start to finish. The refs tried everything they could to help the Giants out, but in the end, Washington’s offense proved to be too powerful for the G-Men to stop. It may not have been pretty, but Washington walked away with a 27-22 victory and will still lead the NFC East.

Below are my Studs and Duds of the game, followed by some Notes.

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Studs:

Jayden Daniels – Superman may have had a rather modest game compared to his standards, but a modest game for the young phenom is a GEM for most NFL quarterbacks. He was an efficient 15/22 for 209 passing yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions and added 35 yards on the ground.

Austin Ekeler – Ekeler filled in nicely for the injured Brian Robinson, gaining 42 rushing yards and a touchdown while snagging three receptions for 41 yards. He also added 35 yards on his lone kickoff return. 118 all-purpose yards and a tuddy – not a bad day!

Dante Fowler – Fowler was a game-wrecker on defense, collecting six total tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and five pressures. He’s been a very pleasant surprise so far this season.

Jeremy Chinn – Chinn was all over the field for Washington, leading the team with 13 total tackles (7 solo), two for a loss and a pass defended.

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Duds:

Mark Sanchez – Did Washington do something to Sanchez when he was part of the organization in 2018? It surely seemed like he was all-in for the Giants throughout the broadcast. He was an embarrassment as a player, and he’s not much better in the booth.

The refs – Hermie and his Island of Misfit Toys were extremely bad all game – from poor spots to bogus pass interference calls, the crew embarrassed themselves. And just so you know, there were some egregious calls that this crew missed on us too…

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Notes:

• Washington’s secondary did allow nine receptions to Malik Nabers, but those receptions only went for a total of 59 yards.
• I thought Chris Rodriguez did a nice job making the most of his career high 11 touches, turning them into 52 tough yards.

• Noah Brown stepped up in a big way, and was Daniels’ go-to target on the afternoon, hauling in five receptions for 60 yards.

• Kudos to the O-line for not allowing any sacks on the afternoon, and for paving the way for 149 rushing yards. I though Brandon Coleman played pretty well, and the unit was close to getting Stud status from me.
• Terry didn’t have a huge statistical game, but his two receptions were both touchdowns.

• Payne and Mathis were pretty quiet all afternoon. This is expected from Mathis, but Payne needs to step up his game.
• Austin Seibert has 25 made field goals on the season. This leads the NFL. When is the last time you could say that about a Washington kicker?