Spotlight on the offensive line’s standout performance
Some were calling this a trap game. But the Giants always seem to play Washington tough, no matter how their season is going or what clouds are hanging over their QB.
The Giants were one of six two-win teams heading into the Week 9 matchup. Their offense ranked 26th in the NFL at -0.084 EPA/play, while the Commanders ranked 1st at +0.216 EPA/play. However, that didn’t necessarily mean it would be a cake walk. The Giants pass defense ranks 9th in the league in both yards and TDs allowed.
One of the keys to the Giants strength on defense is a pass rush featuring Brian Burns and Azeez Ojulari on the edge and Dexter Lawrence, with 9 sacks on the season, in the middle. Prior to Sunday’s game, the Giants were sacking opposing QBs on 13.3% of dropbacks, which ranks up there with some of the greatest defenses of all time. With rookie Brandon Coleman playing his first full game at LT, due to an injury to Cornelius Lucas, there was reason to be anxious.
Those concerns proved to be unfounded. The Commanders’ OL did an exceptional job of containing the Giants pass rushers, allowing only 4 pressures all game and no sacks. The Commanders led from start to finish. The Giants offense came to life in the second half and started to mount a comeback.
But when it really mattered, the offense put together a 9 play, 67 yard drive, featuring a back breaking 42 yard completion to Olamide Zaccheaus, followed by some good old fashioned ground and pound chain moving runs by Chris Rodriguez. That allowed the Commanders to run out the clock and protect their lead. The game ended with three kneel downs inside the Giants’ 2 yard line. The score could easily have been more lopsided than it was.
Good teams dominate weak opponents. The Commanders are without a doubt one of the better teams in the league. Next Sunday they will have another opportunity to demonstrate just how good they are against the 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers. But before we move on to that game, let’s review the key contributions to Washington’s commanding performance in their second victory over the New York Giants.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
OFFENSE
In his rematch with the Giants, Jayden Daniels completed 15/22 passes (68.2% completion rate) for 209 yds and 2 TDs with no interceptions.
In the Week 2 outing against the league’s top pass rush unit, Daniels was sacked 5 times and faced 13 total defensive pressures. Seven weeks later in Sunday’s rematch Daniels faced just 6 pressures and became the first opposing QB this season to avoid being sacked by the Giants. Instead, Daniels scrambled 3 times for 29 yards. He finished the afternoon with 8 rushing attempts for 35 yds (4.4 YPA) and 3 first downs, with 1 broken tackle.
Daniels’ super efficient performance earned a near perfect QBR of 96.0. That could well be the highest QBR ever achieved by a QB who was not the weekly leader. Lamar Jackson edged past Daniels with a QBR of 97.2. For the season, Daniels ranks third in the league at 76.0, behind Jackson (77.0) and Joe Burrow (76.3).
With Brian Robinson nursing a knee injury, Austin Ekeler got the start and ran for 42 yds and 1 TD on 11 carries (3.8 YPA). He also caught 3/5 targets for 41 yards. Ekeler was the Commanders’ second most efficient receiver at 3.73 Yds/Route Run. Ekeler broke 2 tackles rushing and 1 after the catch en route to compiling 4 rushing first downs and 1 on a reception.
Ekeler was overshadowed in the run game by 2nd year RB Chris Rodriguez, who entered the game in the second half and had his second biggest day as a Commander. Rodriguez had 11 carries for 52 yds (4.73 YPA) with a long of 17 yds in the red zone. He rushed for 3 first downs with 1 broken tackle. He also took 4 snaps lined up at FB, but was not targeted in the passing game.
Jeremy McNichols rushed 8 times for just 20 yds (2.5 YPA), with 1 fist down on an 8 yard run. McNichols also rotated at FB.
Noah Brown was the Commanders’ leading receiver this week, catching 5/6 targets for 60 yds and 2 first downs. Brown was the Commanders’ third most efficient receiver at 3.16 Y/RR. He caught 2/3 contested targets.
Olamide Zaccheaus was second on the team with 2/2 receptions for 48 yds. He was the Commanders’ most efficient WR when he was on the field at an impressive 9.60 Y/RR.
Dyami Brown was targeted just once on a short pass to the line of scrimmage and ran after the catch for a gutsy 24 yd first down, with a broken tackle.
I might have mentioned a time or two that the “starter” designation is often meaningless. This week the Commanders designated all three TEs as starters, while only naming one starting WR.
Zach Ertz was targeted just once this game, making the reception for 5 yds.
This week marked the first time that Ben Sinnott Ertz’s receiving total. He was targeted once and made a reception for a 12 yd gain for a first down. This was Sinnott’s highest receiving total, surpassing his previous high of 6 yds against the Panthers, just two weeks ago. On the season he has caught 3/3 targets for 18 yds and 1 TD. Sinnott lined up at FB twice, 1 snap short of WR Dyami Brown.
This was the first time all season that each OL position was manned by a single player for the entire game. That included Brandon Coleman playing his first complete game as the starting LT, with veteran Cornelius Lucas sidelined with an ankle injury. Swing tackle Trent Scott took 1 snap lined up at TE in max protection.
The OL had its best game of the season in pass protection against the NFL’s leading pass rush, which I have covered in a separate article. Here I will report on the individual performance stats.
Pass Protection
Rookie Brandon Coleman became just the second LT this season to not yield a single pressure to the Giants’ pass rush. The other was the Commanders’ Cornelius Lucas in Week 2. In the first Giants game, Coleman gave up 3 pressures in 13 pass block snaps, resulting in a season high pressure rate of 23.1% for himself and all OTs facing the Giants. In last week’s rematch, Coleman was a perfect 0/0 on sacks and total pressures in 27 pass block snaps. The pass protection stats for the other offensive linemen are as follows:
- LG Nick Allegretti: 0 sacks, 1 hurry, pressure rate 3.7%
- C Tyler Biasdasz: 0 sacks, 1 hurry, pressure rate 3.7%
- RG Sam Cosmi: 0 sacks, 1 hurry, pressure rate 3.7%
- RT Andrew Wylie: 0 sacks, 1 hurry, pressure rate 3.7%
Run Blocking
The OL’s run blocking was somewhat less spectacular this week than the pass protection. Here are the PFF run blocking grades:
- LG Nick Allegretti 70.8
- LT Brandon Coleman 70.6
- RT Andrew Wylie 56.2
- RG Sam Cosmi 52.2
- C Tyler Biadasz 51.8
Penalties
Nick Allegretti committed the sole OL penalty this week, a 10 yard holding call with 0:53 remaining and the Commanders facing first and 10 from the Giants 34 yard line.
Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
DEFENSE
DE Dorance Armstrong tied with Jeremy Chinn for second on the team in generating defensive stops. For readers who have not been following the Snap Counts Plus articles this season, a stop is a tackle that represents a failure the offense. A stop occurs when the defender holds the offense to less than 40% of the yards to gain on first down, 50% of the yards to gain on second down, or prevents a conversion or score on third or fourth down.
Armstrong made 3 stops in 4 tackles. He also had 1 QB hit and a pressure rate of just 4% on 25 pass rush snaps. Armstrong would have had a sack, but his arm hit Daniel Jones’ helmet and, instead, he was assessed a 15 yard penalty for roughing the passer.
Dante Fowler continued the standout play, registering 2 sacks, 3 tackles and 3 assists, 2 TFL, 1 forced fumble and 2 QB hits, according to Pro Football Reference. He generated pressure (sacks) on 12.5% of pass rush snaps. He also missed 2 tackles, but we will forgive him. For the season to date, he has 6.5 sacks, exactly equal to this week’s rival T.J. Watt. Of course, Watt has played one fewer game. Fowler is 3 sacks ahead of former Commander Montez Sweat, who has missed two games with injuries.
Clelin Ferrell has been struggling with a knee injury all season. Against the Giants, he made 1 tackle for a stop and 1 assist. He also had 1 QB hit on 16 pass rush snaps (6.25% pressure rate).
Jalyn Holmes and Efe Obada each had one tackle assist.
A week after his breakout performance against the Bears, Johnny Newton played more of a supporting role against the Giants, recording 1 tackle and 5 assists. PFF scores tackles a little differently, and credits him with 2 defensive stops. He also generated 1 QB hurry on 21 pass rush snaps (4.8% pressure rate).
Daron Payne made 1 tackle for a stop and 2 assists.
Phidarian Mathis had 2 tackle assists and generated 2 QB hurries on just 10 pass rush snaps (20% pressure rate).
Sheldon Day made 1 tackle for a stop with 1 assist and generated 1 QB hurry on 10 pass rush snaps (10% pressure rate).
Bobby Wagner made 3 tackles and 4 assists, with 2 missed tackles. PFF credits him with 7 tackles and 2 assists, with 5 stops. He also recovered the Daniel Jones fumble forced by Dante Fowler in the first quarter. Wagner blitzed twice without generating pressure. He was not targeted in the passing game.
Frankie Luvu assisted 5 tackles. He was targeted once in coverage and broke up the pass intended for Malik Nabers. Luvu was flagged for a 4 yard neutral zone infraction penalty at the end of the first quarter.
Mykal Walker had 1 tackle assist and 1 missed tackle in just 3 defensive snaps.
Benjamin St-Juste made 6 tackles with 1 defensive stop and missed 1 tackle. He was targeted 7 times in coverage, allowing 6 receptions (85.7%) for 61 yds. Receivers in his coverage achieved productivity of 1.79 Yds/Coverage Snap. St-Juste was primarily matched up on WR Malik Nabers (6 Tgt, 5 rec, 46 yds), with 1 matchup against WR Darius Slayton (1 Tgt, 1 rec, 15 yds).
Mike Sainristil made 4 tackles and 2 defensive stops, with 1 missed tackle. He was targeted 4 times in coverage, allowing 4 receptions for 29 yds. He held receivers in his coverage to 0.85 Yds/Cov Snap. He had 3 matchups against Malik Nabers (3/3 rec, 18 yds) and 1 against Darius Slayton (1/1, 11 yds).
Noah Igbinoghene made 3 tackles with 1 stop and 2 missed tackles. He was targeted 5 times in coverage and allowed 3 receptions for 8 yds, with 1 pass breakup. He held receivers in his coverage to just 0.27 Yds/Cov Snap. Igbinoghene matched up against Malik Nabers (1/1, -5 yds), TE Theo Johnson (1/0), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (2/1, 10 yds), and RB Tyrone Tracy (1/1, 3 yds).
Penalties
St. Juste was flagged for an 8 yard pass interference call to give the Giants a first down on 3rd and 5 at midfield in the fourth quarter. It was his fourth DPI call of the season.
Sainristil was flagged for his first DPI penalty for 15 yds on 1st and 10 at midfield with 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter. Fotunately, it didn’t make difference to the game outcome. Welcome to the NFL, Mike.
Chinn was the Commanders’ leading tackler this week, with 7 tackles and 6 assists, 2 TFL, 3 total stops and 1 missed tackle. He was targeted 7 times in coverage, allowing 6 receptions for 74 yds and 1 TD, with 1 pass breakup. Chinn was primarily lined up on TE Theo Johnson. He had 2 matchups against slot WR Wan’Dale Robinson and allowed 2 receptions for 0 yds.
Percy Butler made 2 tackles and 2 assists, with 1 stop. He was targeted twice in coverage, allowing 1 reception for 2 yds.
Quan Martin made 1 tackle/stop and 2 assists. He was not targeted in coverage.
Percy Butler made 2 tackles and 2 assists, with 1 stop. He was targeted twice in coverage, allowing 1 reception for a 2 yd TD to TE Chris Manhertz.
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SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker Austin Seibert retained his position as the NFL’s leading scorer (97 pts), extending his lead over Steelers’ K Chris Boswell to 12 pts. Seibert was 2/2 on field goals from 31 and 20 yds, and 3/3 on extra points.
Tress Way punted twice for 109 yds (54.5 YPA) and a net average of 48.5 yds. His 56 yd punt near the end of the first quarter pinned the Giants at their own 8 yd line, after a 6 yd return and a 7 yd penalty on the Giants.
Long snapper Tyler Ott snapped 7 times without incident.
Austin Ekeler had 1 kickoff return for 35 yds, with no fair catches or muffs.
Olamide Zaccheaus returned 1 punt for 8 yds, with no fair catches.
Jeremy Reaves has had a lot of competition for special teams tackles this year. This week he led the team for the first time this season with 2 tackles.
Nick Bellore was second with 1 tackle, 1 assist, and 1 missed tackle. He retained his position as the NFL leader, with 10 tackles, 4 assists and 4 missed tackles in special teams coverage.
Tyler Owens, Percy Butler, Jordan Magee and Mike Sainristil each made 1 tackle. Mykal Walker and Jeremy Chinn had assists. Jeremy McNichols missed 1 tackle.
For the fourth week in a row, the Commanders had no penalties on special teams.
Week 8 Poll Quiz Answer
Last week’s poll asked which of a select group of Commanders would have the biggest game against the Bears. DT Johnny Newton finished first with 34% of the vote. RB Austin Ekeler came in second at 20%, while Everyone was the third most popular answer at 13%.
The Commanders’ regular star performers are only included in these polls if there is some doubt about whether they will play, so Rookie of the Week Jayden Daniels and WR Terry McLaurin were not options. Edge rusher Dante Fowler has also played his way onto the exempt list.
The correct answer last week was OT Brandon Coleman, who finished 5th, with 9% of the vote. The 19 respondents who voted for Coleman can take victory laps in the comments. If any of the 42 readers who voted for Ekeler feel that he was short changed after totalling 83 yds from scrimmage and a TD, you are welcome to file a grievance with the Hogs Haven head office. A rookie OT blanking Brian Burns and the Giants’ other pass rushers in his first full game is bigger than that.