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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)
Jayden Daniels battles through struggles to lead Commanders to first win
Breaking down some of Daniels struggles and some of his best throws against the Giants
[D]espite that effort from Kingsbury to help get Daniels settled early, Daniels struggled for large parts of the first half. He got himself into trouble and out of rhythm by taking a bunch of sacks. Daniels was sacked five times in this game. He only lost 16 yards on those sacks, which tells you he wasn’t getting sacked at the top of his drop, but rather closer to the line of scrimmage. That typically means the quarterback is responsible for a lot of those sacks. So let’s break them down.
On second and seven, the Commanders look to run a quick game concept known as stick spacing. They begin the play aligned in a bunch set to the right, but receiver Dyami Brown motions across the formation to the left. The two remaining receivers to the right, Terry McLaurin and Luke McCaffrey, run the stick concept with McLaurin running out to the flat and McCaffrey spotting up inside on the stick route. Brown turns his motion into part of the spacing concept, with Ertz spotting up over the middle and Brown breaking off his route further outside.
Daniels first read here is to McLaurin in the flat. He does immediately line up to throw there and I think there is a window for him to throw. Yes, the trailing corner is close by and potentially in a position to undercut the pass, he’s also got his back and head turned to McLaurin rather than Daniels, so he can’t see the ball being thrown. I think if Daniels pulls the trigger as soon as he sets up here, he can probably hit McLaurin in the flat. However, he either doesn’t like the look or perhaps panics a bit because a linebacker is rushing completely free up the middle. That defender may well have gotten to him before he could have finished his throwing motion, which might have led to the decision not to throw the ball.
As soon as Daniels turns down the throw to McLaurin, the defender is on him and should have a sack. Somehow, Daniels miraculously manages to stay on his feet and fight through the tackle attempt to break free and keep the play alive. He’s forced to then roll out to his left and probably loses track of exactly where he is on the field. He attempts to run to salvage what he can of the play but gets forced out of bounds two yards short of the line of scrimmage, leading to a two-yard sack. In an ideal world, you’d love to see Daniels find the line of scrimmage and recognize he isn’t going to make it back so he can just throw it away and not lose yards or take a hit. But he’s a rookie in his second game, so it’s an understandable play on his part. It’s an avoidable sack in two areas, so Daniels has to take his share of the blame here, but I can also understand why a rookie quarterback would take a sack here.
Washington Post (paywall)
Don’t be fooled by the scoreboard: Washington’s defense struggled again
Can Coach Dan Quinn fix the Commanders’ defense? He might not have the requisite talent on the roster, particularly at cornerback.
The Washington Commanders’ new defense looks a lot like the old one. While Coach Dan Quinn and his staff deserve time and benefit of the doubt — it has been two games at the start of a rebuild — it’s also hard to ignore how porous the unit has been, especially on the perimeter.
Don’t get fooled by Sunday’s box score. Washington’s defense easily could have cost it the home opener, and the New York Giants scored just 18 points in part because their kicker got injured on the opening kickoff.
[T]he defense is a big concern. In 15 drives, it has allowed seven touchdowns and three field goals; it has forced just one three-and-out and one turnover. The stars are not wreaking havoc, and the stopgaps are not stopping gaps. And it won’t be easy to get right against the upcoming slate of offenses: at Cincinnati, at Arizona (on a short week), home vs. Cleveland, at Baltimore.
Opponents seem to know quick throws on the perimeter can mitigate the Commanders’ highest-paid defensive players: tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Neither has made a big difference in the first two games; they have combined for five tackles and two quarterback hits. It’s hard to parse how much is their fault vs. how much they can actually do against quick throws.
Commanders.com
Final thoughts | Zach Ertz was a strong presence in Week 2
Zach Ertz was a big presence
There were hints during training camp at what the chemistry between Daniels and tight end Zach Ertz could be. There wasn’t much of it against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the veteran pass-catchers was physical against the Giants and created problems for them, as he led the team with 62 yards.
“I just felt his presence really strongly in this game,” Quinn said. “He was dialed in, really ready to go.”
One of the plays that impressed Quinn the most was the moment when Ertz ripped the ball away from a Giants defender for a 21-yard pickup on third-and-4. Later in the third quarter, Ertz drew a penalty while completing a 14-yard catch, which led to him getting more fired up on the field.
Despite being one of the older active tight ends, Ertz has shown that he still knows how to get open and make plays.
Sports Illustrated
Commanders WR Comes in Clutch vs. Giants
The Washington Commanders had a big play from Noah Brown to help them beat the New York Giants.
In one of the biggest plays on the final drive, Jayden Daniels found Noah Brown for a 34-yard catch that got the Commanders across midfield.
The catch marked Brown’s third of the game, landing him with 56 receiving yards on the day. It’s not the flashiest stat line of Brown’s career, but it was crucial.
The Commanders have been waiting for their receivers to step up in the early part of the season, and now that Brown is getting situated in Washington, he appears to be on the road towards becoming a big part of the offense.
Podcasts & videos
VICTORY MONDAY: Week 2 New York Giants Recap | The Booth Review | Washington Commanders | NFL
Got a kick talking about a Commanders victory with @granthpaulsen:
* A win is definitely a win
* The dynamic RB duo
* Jayden Daniels get it done
* CB concerns
* Austin Seibert’s record-setting game and his connection to a Washington all-time greathttps://t.co/PhrDzwPSfz— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) September 16, 2024
Episode 910 – The Austin Seibert Game. Analysis & discussion of #NYGvsWAS. Jayden Daniels, Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, Zach Ertz, the offensive line, the defense & much more. First #Commanders regular-season win in more than 10 months. Enjoy it.https://t.co/EwNatRsH5J
— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) September 16, 2024
On video wrapping up a Commanders win. Lots to discuss. @ESPNRichmond https://t.co/y5xOwO5E4A
— John Keim (@john_keim) September 16, 2024
NFC East links
ESPN
NFL Week 2: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game
Commanders
Did Washington discover its run game? Quarterback Jayden Daniels needs more help, and the run game provided it Sunday. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. had the two longest runs of his career (32 and 40 yards) en route to 133 yards. His power inside made a big difference, and Austin Ekeler’s contributions in the pass game fueled the offense. Ekeler caught three passes for 47 yards and ran eight times for 38 more. Washington needs to find its identity and lacks firepower in the pass game, but if the run game produces it can at least control the game and limit the defense’s time on the field.
Describe the game in two words: Ugly win. But it sure beats a pretty loss for a group that’s trying to rebuild the franchise. Daniels was sacked five times but led a game-winning drive — thanks to a 34-yard pass and 14-yard run — that was capped by Austin Seibert’s seventh field goal.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Washington’s coverage plan for Malik Nabers. Washington used backup Mike Davis against the Giants rookie for the first half and it did not go well as Nabers caught five passes for 73 yards. The Commanders kept playing man against Nabers in key spots, and he’d beat them on crossers. — John Keim
Next game: at Bengals (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Giants
Is this finally a step in the right direction for QB Daniel Jones? It’s hard to tell. Why? Jones always seems to play well against Washington. He threw a pair of touchdown passes Sunday and now has 12 TD tosses and three interceptions against the Commanders in his career. Jones continued the trend by playing well in this matchup, making good plays even late in the fourth quarter. It had to be good for his confidence. That’s huge considering it was a concern entering Week 2.
Biggest hole in the game plan: The Giants didn’t have a kicker. Yes, that really happened. They couldn’t even try to kick a field goal to take the lead with just over two minutes remaining because Graham Gano pulled his hamstring chasing down the opening kickoff. The problem was that the Giants knew Gano was already hurt entering Sunday (they added him to the injury report Saturday with a groin problem) and didn’t leave themselves with a contingency.
Most surprising performance: Wide receiver Malik Nabers. It’s not that surprising that the No. 6 draft pick is playing well, but what is surprising is his 18 targets — the most for a rookie since Rams receiver Puka Nacua’s 20 in Week 2 last season. Nabers wasn’t just part of the game plan, he was the game plan for the Giants. He finished with 10 catches for 127 yards and his first career touchdown. Only problem is that his fourth-down drop with just over two minutes remaining deep in Washington territory was costly. — Jordan Raanan
Next game: at Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Cowboys
What should be made of the Cowboys’ defense? Dominant against the Browns. Dominated by the Saints. Through three quarters, the Saints averaged 9.7 yards per play. The 35 points allowed in the first half tied for the most given up through the first two quarters in team history. Last year, the Cowboys allowed more than 35 points in a game just once. Carr was hardly touched and neither was Kamara, who had four touchdowns. Mike McCarthy was around for the last time an opponent had four touchdowns against Dallas with Packers running back Aaron Jones scoring four in a Green Bay win at AT&T Stadium.
Early prediction for next week: It’s not going to get any easier. The Ravens have historically been one of the better rushing teams in the NFL, in part because quarterback Lamar Jackson is a game-changer. He can make defenses look bad on his own. Derrick Henry has yet to go off in his first two games with the Ravens, but the Cowboys were bludgeoned by the Saints in every way, giving up more than 5 yards per carry on their first six possessions.
Describe the game in two words: Over early. This wasn’t as bad as the 48-32 wild-card loss to the Packers last season, but only because this wasn’t a playoff loss. The Cowboys allowed touchdowns on the Saints’ first six possessions. The offense moved the ball but failed on two red zone trips, settling for too many Brandon Aubrey field goals. — Todd Archer
Next game: vs. Ravens (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
NFL league links
Articles
Washington Post (paywall)
Bryce Young benched as Panthers’ starting QB after major struggles
Winless Carolina is turning to veteran backup Andy Dalton following another grim outing from the No. 1 pick in 2023.
Panthers Coach Dave Canales on Monday confirmed reports that he had decided to bench Young, the No. 1 pick of the 2023 draft, in favor of veteran Andy Dalton.
“This is the best decision for our group, for our team, going forward,” Canales told reporters at a news conference.
Young has shown scant progress this year, even though the Panthers took steps in the offseason to improve his environment.
Carolina’s biggest move was replacing coach Frank Reich with Canales, whose work with Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield gave him a reputation as something of a quarterback whisperer. He may still prove up to the challenge of getting Young on track, but Canales did not indicate Monday whether Dalton was getting the job on a week-to-week or more permanent basis.
Canales said Monday that while he alone made the decision to bench Young, he did “gather information from the people that are critical to making these kinds of decisions.”
Asked how much of a role Panthers owner David Tepper may have played, the coach replied, “I want to keep that private.”