The Washington Commanders sent a statement Sunday with their 42-19 win against the Tennessee Titans: Don’t count us out.
For the first time since 1996, Washington picked up eight wins in their season, thanks to complete domination with their run game. The win put them in the No. 7 spot in the Wild Card thus far. Going 13 weeks and entering their bye week with a win was good for Dan Quinn and a team that has weathered concussions, hip and leg injuries, and a shaky defense.
The Commanders entered Sunday’s game on a three-game losing streak after a 34-26 loss to Dallas. Meanwhile, the Titans, who came into Sunday’s game having won only three games, were hoping to change their fortunes with a win. That would not happen against a Washington squad that knows they are a playoff team and were out to prove it.
Commanders Quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 25-of-30 for 206 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Running Back Brian Robinson Jr. carried the load in Sunday’s win with 16 carries for 106 yards and one touchdown. A returning Chris Rodriguez Jr. had a fantastic game with 13 carries for 94 yards, followed by Daniels on the ground with nine carries for 34 yards. Titans Quarterback Will Levis completed 18 passes for 212 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Titans Running Back Tony Pollard was completely shut down, rushing for only 35 yards.
Commanders Set High Pace Early, Stunning Titans Defense
The game got ugly early in the first quarter, starting with a 40-yard touchdown run by Robinson Jr. putting the Commanders up 7-0. This was followed by a three-yard run by Jayden Daniels for another touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0. With 1:27 left in the quarter, the Titans fumbled the ball, marking their 22nd turnover this year, with Washington recovering.
The Commanders capitalized again, this time with a deep left pass to Wide Receiver Terry McLaurin for a 16-yard touchdown, making it 21-0. Those points tied a franchise record for most points in the first quarter of a game. The Titans fumbled a kick return recovered by the Commanders, leading to another Daniels touchdown pass to McLaurin, putting the Commanders up 28-0. Tennessee silenced the crowd in the final 30 seconds of the half with a 27-yard pass from Levis to Wide Receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine giving the Titans their first score. However, the touchdown couldn’t cover the 11 penalties in the first half that cost them 85 yards.
Titans Never Overcome Commanders’ Momentum
Tennessee found some rhythm in the third quarter with an early field goal, cutting the score to 28-10. The Titans had more good fortune with a Daniels interception, which they converted into a 44-yard field goal, reducing the score to 28-13. However, the Commanders kept pouring it on, beginning the fourth quarter with Daniels connecting with Tight End Zac Ertz to extend the lead to 35-13. The Titans responded with another touchdown, bringing the score to 35-19. Following the touchdown, the Titans went for two, a first this season, but were unsuccessful.
Washington controlled the ball for a whopping 40 minutes of Sunday’s game, thanks to a drastic change in the play calling and converting third and fourth downs. An example of this was completing a fourth-down pass to Wide Receiver Luke McCaffrey with under five minutes left in the game. The Commanders are 13-for-15 on fourth-down conversions this season, and with the cushion the Titans’ defense was providing against the pass, this decision was a no-brainer. This led to a season-high 42 points, which tied their Week 4 42-14 win against the Arizona Cardinals.
Final Thoughts
Washington played Tennessee like they were the Philadelphia Eagles, and it worked. The Titans, however, had many self-inflicted wounds with dropped balls and penalties. They made it an easy win. Going into a bye week, the Commanders can now focus on getting refreshed and healthy to close out the remaining games in the season. They need to win out.
