Washington returns to the win column
The Washington Commanders lost their last three games before taking care of business against the Tennessee Titans. They were the #2 seed in NFC a month ago, but losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys saw them tumble to the 7th seed. A loss to the Titans on Sunday w=could have put them into a spiral with two weeks to figure out what the hell happen to their magical season that started at 7-2. That darker timeline didn’t happen. Instead they jumped out to a 28-0 lead, and finished Tennessee off in a 42-19 blowout.
That victory also stopped the Commanders slide down the power rankings. They were as high as #3 before the losses started piling up. Now they are in the 7-15 range, and firmly in control of their playoffs destiny. There’s also a chance they move up to the 6th seed with some help. Jayden Daniels and Washington’s offense were back last week, and they’ve reestablished themselves as a team that can be dangerous when everything is clicking.
The win over the Titans puts them at 8-5, doubling their wins from last year’s disastrous 4-13 season. Washington already cashed on FanDuel’s 6 1⁄2 win O/U from before the season. The Commanders odds have all improved expect for the Super Bowl odds. The NFC East is a two way race, and the Commanders odds improved, but the Eagles are still heavy favorites.
- Winning the Super Bowl odds: +5500 —-> +7000
- Winning the division title odds: +2700 —-> 2100
- “To make the playoffs” odds: Yes -340, No +260
High: 7
Low: 15
Average: 10.9
#7
NumberFire
Last week: 10
#8
USA Today(Davis)
The last time Washington had as many as three 40-point games in a season – 1991 – the Lombardi Trophy arrived in the nation’s capital. Last week: 9
#9
The Athletic(Kendall)
Worst-case scenario: The Titans defense just quit
Did Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury put to bed the idea that his unit is destined to be exposed down the stretch or was Sunday just about the Tennessee defense? The Titans are 27th in scoring defense (27.7 ppg), and there’s not much left to play for in Tennessee. Still, the Commanders ended a three-game losing streak as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score. Last week: 11
#10
ESPN
First-time Pro Bowl nominee: Linebacker Frankie Luvu
The Commanders were busy in free agency, but Washington’s staff was particularly excited about Luvu. Turns out it was for good reason. Luvu, who had 12.5 sacks combined in his past two seasons with Carolina, is second on the Commanders with eight sacks and nine tackles for a loss. The seventh-year linebacker provides energy and, as coach Dan Quinn said Sunday, fits the identity of who the Commanders want to become defensively. — John Keim Last week: 11
Sports Illustrated(Orr)
I thought this was a quality win for the Commanders. The Titans are not a great football team but have played well defensively in stretches, and Tennessee is one of the better rushing teams before first contact (which shows they’re at least getting to the right place). I was impressed by how well the Commanders blocked situationally early in this game, especially on two big Brian Robinson runs off zone read. The first one was sealed by the absolute stealthiest John Bates block and the second was a stealthy block from Tyler Biadasz. These are the tiny margin plays that are going to keep this offense explosive. And the tiny margin plays that lead to a mammoth 267 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Last week: 16
Yahoo Sports(Schwab)
The Titans aren’t good but it was still a positive to see the Commanders play like they did earlier this season. Jayden Daniels, who was banged up, moved around better Sunday, rushing for 34 yards and a touchdown. Daniels and the Commanders seem to be back on track. Last week: 10
Sporting News (Iyer)
The Commanders got their groove back in a comfortable matchup with the Titans at home. Jayden Daniels needed that get-well game, helped plenty by the traditional running game — a steady formula for Washington to finish with a wild-card berth. Last week: 11
Pro Football Talk
They finally woke up; can they stay awake after the bye? Last week: 10
Bleeding Green Nation(Gowton)
The Commanders snapped their three-game losing streak with a blowout win against Tennessee. Perhaps Jayden Daniels is getting healthier? Last week: 10
Sharp Football Analysis
Last week: 10
#11
NFL.com(Edholm)
The Commanders arrived at their bye on a high note, ending their three-game losing streak with a resounding victory that had to be good for their souls. After their recent offensive struggles, this kind of outing — even against the three-win Titans — was badly needed. Tennessee’s defense still ranks in the top 10 in several major defensive categories, adding a layer of impressiveness to what Washington accomplished. In the three-game losing streak, the Commanders recorded just seven total runs of 10 yards or longer — the same number they put up on Sunday alone. Good things happen when Jayden Daniels and Brian Robinson are running well and Terry McLaurin is getting involved early. Washington can now rest up and prepare for the stretch run. The Commanders are in great shape for a wild-card spot and can keep pushing the Eagles for the NFC East title. Last week: 11
The 33rd Team(Mosher)
After a three-game losing streak, the Washington Commanders bounced back in a huge way, scoring 21 points in the first quarter.
Jayden Daniels looked fantastic, and the defense did a good job of limiting Tony Pollard on the ground. Washington has fallen back in the NFC East, but it still has an excellent chance of earning a Wild Card berth. Last week: 11
Clutch Points(Johrendt)
A 21-point, first quarter was all the Washington Commanders needed to coast to victory in their Week 13 matchup with the Tennessee Titans. Even though Jayden Daniels only threw for 206 yards, he fired three touchdown passes, with two of them going to Terry McLaurin.
The Commanders defense forced three fumbles (recovering two) and shut down Tony Pollard and the rushing attack. This was a pretty easy win for the Commanders, who moved to 8-5 on the year and are hungry for a playoff berth. Last week: 11
WalterFootball
The Redskins did well to rebound from their pathetic display against the Cowboys. More importantly, Jayden Daniels looked great for the first time since his rib injury. He went 25-of-30 for 206 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. I’d say that’s pretty good. Last week: 12
Odds Shark
Last week: 11
#12
CBS Sports(Prisco)
They snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Titans. The offense came alive and Jayden Daniels looked like himself again. Last week: 13
Fox Sports(Helman)
It does not matter who you beat when you snap a three-game losing streak. The Commanders’ offense looked as good against Tennessee as it has in six weeks, and now they’ve finally reached their bye week. It’s the type of win that gives you confidence these guys can land the plane and reach the postseason. Last week: 12
The Score
The Commanders were able to get back on track against the Titans last week to halt a three-game skid. Leaning on a rushing attack that’s averaging 156.9 yards per contest after their bye week should help Jayden Daniels avoid hitting the rookie wall. Last week: 12
Sportsnaut(Johnson)
There’s the version of the Washington Commanders we’ve been waiting to see. It started on Sunday with running back Brian Robinson Jr. opening things with a 40-yard touchdown run. That opened the floodgates to 28 unanswered points with 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter. This was simply thorough domination by the Commanders, securing their 8th win of the season. With the Saints, Falcons and Cowboys remaining on the schedule, Washington has a real shot at 10 wins this year. Last week: 13
Pro Football Network(Rolfe)
- Offense+ Rank: 4
- Defense+ Rank: 20
- Special Teams Rank: 13
- SOS Rank Through Week 13: 31
The Washington Commanders managed to end their three-game losing streak, which was halted in impressive style against the Tennessee Titans. The offense looked to be back on track after some underwhelming outings, and it came against a defense that has been reasonably good this year.
Yet, it is still fair to question the Commanders’ credentials. Their only win against a team with a winning record was against the Cardinals in Week 4. Other than that, they are 0-4 when facing teams who are .500 or better this season. The bye week comes at a perfect time for this team to regroup, as Washington likely needs at least two more wins to secure a Wild Card spot. Last week: 14
Bleacher Report
The Commanders entered Week 13 in need of a win after dropping three straight. Apparently, all they needed was to face the Tennessee Titans, because that seemingly fixed all that ails the Commanders.
Washington did essentially anything it wanted Sunday against a Titans defense that ranked toward the top of the NFL in yards allowed. Washington amassed a staggering 267 yards on the ground, averaging almost six yards a pop on a whopping 47 carries. Quarterback Jayden Daniels had just five incompletions on 30 pass attempts, throwing three touchdown passes and running for another.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin told reporters he was impressed all-around with the effort from his teammates.
“That was one of the best displays of complementary football we’ve played in a little while, and we still didn’t play our cleanest,” said McLaurin. “For us to do that against a really solid team just shows us what we can do if we execute at a high level and play off of one another.”
We don’t know how “solid” the Titans are. But in Week 13 at least, the Commanders certainly were.
Analyst’s Take
Kliff Kingsbury heard the criticisms about his offensive shortcomings in the second halves of seasons and answered with a Week 13 gem. Yes, Washington beat up on a three-win team, but the Tennessee Titans allowed the second-fewest yards going into last week’s games. The Commanders had no issues running the ball on the Titans’ ninth-ranked run defense, racking up 267 yards and scoring three touchdowns on the ground. — Moton Last week: 12
New York Post(Dunleavy)
Last week: 12
Team Rankings
Last week: 15
#13
NFL Trade Rumors(Woodie)
Washington scored touchdowns on their first four possessions and never looked back, cruising to a win over the Titans. It was a nice bounce-back game for first-round QB Jayden Daniels, who had fallen off a bit since his scintillating start to the season. Last week: 13
#15
The Ringer(Lee)
Last week: 16