Fans can’t ask for a much better game than the display put forth by the Washington Commanders and the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, now the prohibitive favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, dazzled in the type of game that has become a season-long tradition for the Commanders: A back-and-forth show that is eventually closed by a couple of ice-cold plays from Daniels. The Falcons, who entered the game in desperate need of a win to maintain their playoff positioning, gave the Commanders all they could handle, falling short at the buzzer like so many other teams. There’s plenty to learn after such an entertaining, meaningful contest at the year’s end.
1) The Commanders Are A Threat To Any Division Winner
Great quarterback play can cover up quite a few deficiencies, a fact demonstrated by Daniels on Sunday night. Washington was mediocre in almost every other facet, struggling to run the ball and in multiple categories defensively, but none of it mattered. Daniels put the team on his shoulders to produce 354 total yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner. This is the second week in a row he’s pulled a performance like this off, the first coming against the Philadelphia Eagles in another thrilling victory. With Daniels at the helm, the Commanders shouldn’t be more than three-point underdogs against any team in the Wild Card round.
As of now, Washington is set to move into the sixth seed, trading places with the Green Bay Packers. Assuming both teams notch wins in Week 18 (against the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears, respectively), the Commanders are likely to face the Los Angeles Rams in the first round. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them as two-point underdogs, or even as a coin flip against Sean McVay and crew.
2) The Move to Michael Penix Jr. Was The Right One
After Penix‘s first start against the New York Giants, there were certainly some question marks floating around the state of Atlanta’s offense. The rookie led only two touchdown drives against one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and with an established veteran like Kirk Cousins on the bench, it was fair to wonder if Penix would really provide much of an upgrade.
Those questions were answered on Sunday night. Penix didn’t have the all-world performance that the NFL would have liked to see from him, but he was quietly solid. His one interception was largely because of a miscommunication between him and his receiver, and aside from a few missed throws outside the numbers (a fourth-quarter mishap to Drake London comes to mind), Penix performed admirably. He hit easy throws in rhythm and showed off his arm by driving multiple difficult passes in crucial moments, including the final drive to send the game into overtime. The former Washington Husky wasn’t perfect, but it was a step in the right direction in his second career start.
3) Run Defense Could Be Washington’s Achilles Heel
It’s hard to believe the score of this game was 17-7 in Atlanta’s favor as both teams headed to their locker rooms. The Commanders had sprinted down the field on their first drive of the game, following that success with a whole lot of nothing. This was at least partially thanks to the Falcons’ run game. Running back Bijan Robinson enjoyed running lanes big enough for a small car throughout the first quarter and would end the night averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Success on the ground would allow Atlanta to hold the time of possession advantage in the first half, keeping Daniels and the Washington offense on the sideline for long stretches.
The Commanders were significantly better against the run in the second half, but the blueprint is partially out. Daniels is nearly unstoppable when he’s on the field, so the only solution is to keep him off. Teams like the Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles are sure to employ an extremely run-heavy approach to try to maintain possession and eat huge stretches of clock while Daniels watches from the sideline.
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