Tennessee Titans @ Washington Commanders
Final Score: Commanders 42 – Titans 19
Writer: Jason Wolf (J_Wolf_Picks on Twitter)
Even though Commanders beat the Titans by 23, the final score doesn’t quite do justice how ugly this game was for Tennessee. The Titans shot themselves in the foot with penalties, drops, and two first half fumbles, which the Commanders capitalized on by scoring two touchdowns off of the ensuing possessions. Tennessee gave the Commanders short fields and Washington took them and ran with it, jumping out to a 28-0 lead after just 20 minutes of game time. Washington put up 28 points before Will Levis passed for five yards. For the majority of the first half, the Titans had more penalty yards then they did of total offense. Jayden Daniels was pinpoint accurate and the Washington ground game was destroying Tennessee all day as the improved offensive line had their best game of the season. Washington ran for 267 total yards on the ground and 3 rushing TD’s to go with them as Brian Robinson ran free all day and Terry McLaurin caught another two touchdown passes. Levis had some flashes and made some nice plays with the game out of reach while the Commanders rested on their laurels and ran the ball all second half long in what was a terrible team effort for the Titans but an overall another encouraging performance from Will Levis. While the Commanders are surely headed for a playoff berth, at least the Titans can walk away from this one with more hope that Levis might be the guy if they can surround him with a competent team.
Two Up
- Brian Robinson -With Austin Ekeler on IR, Robinson has a massive opportunity to dominate the lion’s share of touches out of the backfield as well as in the redzone and goal-to-go situations. Robinson “only ran the ball 16 times in a game where the Commanders were dominating and up by 20 for most of the game but they had no reason to force him the ball yet he still produced over 100 yards and a TD. In more competitive games, they will rely on Robinson even more. He looked injury free and ready to carry the load down the playoff stretch heats up.
- Jayden Daniels – Over the past few weeks, there were concerns about a potential injury that Daniels might be playing through but Daniels put that to rest for now with his performance in this game. Throwing for 3 TD’s and running for another (his 6th of the year), Daniels played confidently and composed, dicing up the Titans with ease and efficiency. With the offensive line improving and his health trending up, Daniels could be in for a strong finish to the year, even with a couple of tough matchups on the horizon.
Two Down
- Calvin Ridley – Welp, it appears that the Calvin Ridley disappearing act is at it again. Other than one 30 yard reception off a broken play, Ridley and Levis weren’t able to get on the same page. Miscommunication on routes, a bad drop, and some inaccurate Levis passes led to an awful day for Ridley as he only came down with two of seven targets on the day. He hasn’t quite found any consistency singe his big breakout game all the while Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has scored eight TD’s in their last eight games.
- Jeremy McNichols – It was assumed that McNichols was going to be the beneficiary of Ekeler’s IR stint but backfield mate Chris Rodriguez might have just locked down the RB2 job while Ekeler is on the shelf. RIP to any fringe playoff fantasy teams who may have spent considerable FAAB or a high waiver hoping to pick up an RB gem for the playoff push.
Tennessee Titans
Quarterback
Will Levis: 18/37, 212 Yards, 2 TD | 2 Carries, -3 Yards
Will Levis clearly has the physical tools and talent to be a perennial NFL starter but the Titans aren’t doing him many favors with the team they have surrounded him with. Of course, rebuilding is a process but they need to give him time and a real chance at showing what he can do with a real team behind him. He wasn’t spectacular in this game, and he was actually slightly less accurate than he has been lately but he absolutely wasn’t one of the reasons they were down 28-0 19 minutes into the game and couldn’t come back all game. One of Levis’ best throws on the day came on his first TD pass of the game. With 28 seconds left in the first half and down 28-0, Levis hit Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a beautifully thrown deep ball which was perfectly located and dropped into NWI’s outstretched hands. The defender had no chance to make a play as the ball was placed absolutely sublime. Levis also didn’t throw an interception or lose a fumble which is massive for the young QB as in most of his starts, he has at least one turnover (usually more). While his team was embarrassed and he wasn’t given a chance to get a win, games like this will build his individual confidence as he was playing well and chaining together the right decisions. He took care of the football and threw two touchdowns while throwing for 200+ yards on a day where the game script was as negative as you could get. Predictable passing situations for days. You can tell he is really making a concerted effort not to force things and is prioritizing holding on to the ball + limiting turnovers. On one play in the third quarter, Levis was flushed out of the pocket and was looking for a receiver but there was nothing there so he just spiked the ball on the ground instead of taking a hit or trying to force something, which is a welcome sight to Titans fans who have become all too used to seeing him make some boneheaded, highly costly mistakes. His TD-scoring drive just before the end of the first half was a thing of beauty. Some of his best plays on the day came from that quick drive which Levis impressively led down the field. His TD throw was excellent but the best play came on 3rd & 21 from the TEN 40 when three pass rushers were closing in on Levis when he ducked and spun out of the potential sack(s) and almost fell down, recovering and escaping the pocket, quickly throwing a dart to Calvin Ridley that went 30 air yards. Not the longest throw but the accuracy while on the run and ability to keep his eyes downfield was highly impressive. Just one flash of Levis’ athletic ability, mobility, and big arm throwing a dot while on the run, showing off the potential that Levis might be able to unlock if given time and better pieces surrounding him. His teammates let him down in this one with fumbles, penalties, and drops. There were at least five blatant drops that I saw throughout the game that should have gone for completions. Over the last four weeks, Levis has gone 71/115 (62%) for 960 yards, 8.3 YPA, 7 TD’s / 2 INT’s & 101.3 QBR. He is finally stringing together decent performances and showing gradual improvement in decision making and processing, two of his biggest weaknesses.
Notes
- He did make an ill-advised throw while taking a big hit from Frankie Luvu and was almost picked off. It very well could have been intercepted but the ball hit the ground just before the DB was able to come down with it.
Running Back
Tony Pollard: 8 Carries, 35 Yards | 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 33 Yards
Tony Pollard only saw eight carries on the day, and there was not much he could do about that as the Titans were down 14-0 after five minutes and were down 28-0 after 20 minutes. The game script was egregiously negative so he actually did well to accrue almost 70 yards of total offense. His day was saved from a fantasy production standpoint by his work in the passing game as he saw six targets which isn’t the norm for Pollard but with the Titans down all game they were in catch up mode from the jump. He racked up yards in dump-offs and found himself wide open on a 25 yard reception. His production on the day would have been a lot worse if not for the surprising amount of targets he saw. With Tyjae Spears the more prototypical pass-catching back and the Titans down a million, I was surprised to see so much Pollard and so little of Spears or any other RB. Pollard also lost a fumble in the first quarter with the Titans already down 14-0. It was his first fumble of the season but he could have done a lot better job of securing the ball as he was being swarmed by defenders. The fumble proved to be a costly one as the Commanders took the ball and immediately scored on the ensuing possession, putting an early stamp on the game by going up 21-0.
Tyjae Spears: 1 Carry, 3 Yards
I was definitely surprised by Tyjae Spears‘ lack of involvement in this one. Tony Pollard has clearly been the RB1 by far but if Spears can’t see the field in a game where the Titans are down 28 in the second quarter, then when could we reasonably expect him to have any impact on offense? The coaches need to do a better job of mixing it up and getting Spears more opportunities to touch the ball in space in order to utilize his talents. Pollard shouldn’t be seeing six targets while Spears doesn’t get a single look in the passing game.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Calvin Ridley: 7 Targets, 2 Receptions, 45 Yards
This was a game that Calvin Ridley will desperately want to forget. He was targeted seven times, good for second on the team but only managed to come down with two balls for 45 yards. Granted, most of his targets were on deeper throws given the negative game script the Titans were facing all game but Ridley dropped a lot more yards than he produced today. He has at least seven targets in six of last eight games so the volume and target share remains encouraging but the efficiency just wasn’t there today as Ridley and Levis struggled to get on the same page. Ridley did get himself open on a couple of his targets which Levis missed him on. His day could have been much bigger but Levis was inaccurate on some targets, and Ridley had a bad drop which would have went for a big gain. Ridley did a great job working himself open on the 30-yard completion that came on a broken play with under a minute left in the first half. Did a good job to secure the ball as he had to go low to make the catch.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine: 8 Targets, 3 Receptions, 61 Yards, 2 TD
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine‘s TD streak is still intact after this game. He now has eight TD’s in his last eight games and is only one of five players to have 8+ receiving TD so far this year. His nose for the endzone just keeps producing scores. It hasn’t seemed sustainable but we’ve been saying that for two months now so clearly there is something really working. NWI was targeted a bunch on the day but only came down with three balls. He did make most of his three catches though as two went for TD’s, justifying his team-leading eight targets. He did a great job holding onto the ball on his second TD grab of the day. As soon as he caught the ball he was whacked by the defender who delivered a big hit. NWI secured the ball, showing off some impressive toughness. He also has an absolutely dirty double move that he’s scored two touchdowns off of in the last two weeks.. He burned his defender on the move for his first TD and Levis delivered a dime but NWI deserves some more attention and praise for his performance this year in a lost season for the Titans.
Tyler Boyd: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 37 Yards
Probably his most memorable play of the day will be when he obliterated a defending CB. Boyd also laid a powerful chip against Danielle Hunter last week before catching a pass. The vet proves his worth to the football team by displaying his willingness to do the dirty work and get physical to help his team. He also made a good catch on his long 15 yard gain on the day when he ran a post route and Levis delivered a ball right over Boyd’s shoulders to his outstretched hands. Boyd did a beautiful job tracking the ball over his shoulders and coming down with the ball in bounds.
Chigoziem Okonkwo: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 27 Yards
Chig Okonkwo had a season-high six targets on the day but only produced a paltry 27 yards. His involvement in the offense is sporadic and unreliable. Other than a splash play here or there every few weeks or so, he is well off the fantasy radar for now.
Washington Commanders
Quarterback
Jayden Daniels: 25/30, 206 Yards, 3 TD, INT | 9 Carries, 34 Yards, TD
Jayden Daniels was locked in from the jump, finishing the first half with a 93% completion rate, 135 total yards, three total TD’s, and a 135 QBR. Daniels took advantage of short fields that the Titans gave them and executed in the redzone, scoring TD’s 3/3 times they found themselves there in the game’s opening 20 minutes. Daniels finished the game completing over 80% of his passes, going 25/30, yet again showing veteran QB level decision making and accuracy. The way he takes what the defense gives him and doesn’t force things shows poise and composure beyond his years. His placement of the ball on short-intermediate throws was nearly flawless in this game. His accuracy and zip on the ball in the short/quick passing game is reminiscent of late-stage Brady. He was highly accurate, composed in the pocket, displayed excellent ability to avoid pressure and extend plays, and made the right decisions. His timing with Terry McLaurin is excellent. Daniels always knows where he’s going to be. Daniels is 21/25 for 317 yards and 5 TD’s when targeting McLaurin over the past 5 games. He mostly used his legs as a functional tool to escape pressure and pick up small gains that kept drives going and short first downs. He is plenty fast when he takes off running but it seems like he saves it for in case of emergency. There is so much room for him to run more but they have a great dynamic / balance as is right now but he could definitely be putting up more gaudy rushing stats in the right situations. He has an impressive instinct on when to run or break the pocket quickly in order to get a short gain instead of a sack or incompletion. He also showed some nice jukes and moves on his four-yard TD run. He made three defenders miss on two jukes in short range and dived into the endzone, almost untouched. This 4 TD performance with only a somewhat-fluky interception as the sole blemish, should put any OROY “debate” to bed, if there is any still needlessly lingering.
Notes
- Daniels’ INT was an ever so slightly too high and he paid the price as Ertz tipped it in the air and it fell right into the hands of Titans’ Amani Hooker. Daniels’ throw wasn’t the worst but in the crowded middle of the field, it’s dangerous to throw a pass that could get tipped, and that’s exactly why. It wasn’t the worst throw in the world, and the decision was the right one.
Running Back
Brian Robinson: 16 Carries, 103 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Whatever happened last week with his ankle did not seem to be bothering him at all in this game as he was a beast all day. On his 40 yard TD scamper, Robinson took one cut and turned uphill, outrunning the defenders at the second level and finding pay dirt. The blocking on the play was great but he is an excellent one-cut-and-go type back and took full advantage of the hole opened by the o-line, even showing off some surprising open field speed when he hit his second gear. Robinson is fast, powerful, and reliable. Washington has multiple good ball carriers between Jayden Daniels and the RB’s so they don’t need to feed Robinson 20+ times a game but there is no doubt that he is the kind of RB who could take that kind of workload and thrive. He excels at falling forward and creating extra yards after contact in the second level + open field.He also only had one single TFL on the day, a testament to the offensive line’s performance as well as Robinson’s strength as a ball carrier. He has above-average patience and vision as a runner and a fantastic ability to grind out the extra tough yards. He’s a strong, physical runner who is the catalyst to this offense operating at full speed. Daniels’ job becomes much easier when the ground game can produce consistently with Robinson (and to a somewhat lesser degree, Ekeler as well). He had three carries that went fro 10+ yards, including the 40 yard TD run where he put his burst and speed on full display.
Chris Rodriguez: 13 Carries, 94 Yards, TD
It is worth noting that Chris Rodriguez saw all of his touches in the fourth quarter with the game far out of reach. The running game was firing on all cylinders so giving him touches made sense as he had the hot hand and there was no need to feed Robinson with the game in hand. He was the biggest beneficiary of Austin Ekeler‘s absence. He saw 13 carries and took advantage of each of them, racking up 94 yards and a TD for a stellar 7.2 YPA. Rodriguez was electric. He was fast, hit the hole hard, and ran with conviction. He had a 25 yard scamper and a 17 yard run, picking up 42 yards on 2 carries, and rushed for 52 more on 11 caries, good for almost 5 YPC. He was cut from the Commanders eight days ago but was brought back due to the Ekeler being placed on IR. The offensive line was opening up holes all day but Rodriguez capitalized on his opportunities to the max. WIth Ekeler on IR, Rodriguez’ performance might have been enough to lock down a bigger share of the RB opportunities than Jeremy McNichols for the foreseeable future.
Jeremy McNichols: 6 Carries, 32 Yards
Coming into this game most people thought that Jeremy McNichols was in line for an increased workload with the absence of Austin Ekeler but it was Chris Rodriguez who was the main beneficiary of Ekeler’s absence as he out-touched McNichols 13:6. McNichols did have a nice run where he met a brick wall at the LOS but then cut to his left and still managed to beat the defense to the edge, getting outside for the 10+ yard gain and first down. With Rodriguez’ performance, it is fair to wonder about McNichol’s role moving forward.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Terry McLaurin: 8 Targets, 8 Receptions, 73 Yards, 2 TD
“Scary” Terry McLaurin had another excellent day in the air, coming down with all eight of his targets for a team-leading eight receptions, 73 yards, and 2 TD’s. It is the 5th time in 6 games that McLaurin has recorded either 100 yards or two scores. If you lower that threshold to 98 yards, then he has gone over that benchmark or scored twice in 8 of his last 9 games, which is an absurd stat and is representative of the consistency that he’s been producing with this year. His connection with Daniels is a thing of beauty. Connecting on 100% of their attempts and hooking up with two more scores on the day, their on-field connection is already blossoming into one of the most formidable QB-WR duo’s in the league. On McLaurin’s first TD catch, Daniels did a great job extending the play and buying time for his receivers to get open and McLaurin did just that, working his way from the right side of the field all the way across the left side of the endzone and in the soft spot of the zone, wide open for the TD. Daniels put it high out of reach of the closest defender and McLaurin showed great hands to leap and come down with the score. On McLaurin’s second TD of the first half, he did a great job being physical with his DB and working himself open on the short slant in the endzone. McLaurin was being dragged down while making the catch but showed excellent hands and toughness to get open and come down with it. He also did a great job to come down with a ball that Daniels threw too low. McLaurin had to hit the brakes and dive down to the floor but was able to get his elbows underneath the ball and secure the short gain that converted a third down and iced the game. The fact that he came down with all of his targets with the degree of difficulty that they had was super impressive. McLaurin outmuscled and outworked his way to his 73 yards and two touchdowns on the day, showing why Daniels has so much trust in him, and McLaurin is quickly establishing himself as a true elite WR1 in the league.
Zach Ertz: 6 Targtes, 3 Receptions, 35 Yards, TD
Zach Ertz could have had an even bigger day as Jayden Daniels slightly overthrew him, causing Ertz to tip the ball up in the air, leading to the interception. Maybe a more athletic receiver could come down with that ball but it would be a tough ask of anybody as it was in traffic and thrown too high + hard. Ertz only came down with three of his six targets in a game where the Commanders were dominating from beginning to end. There will certainly be bigger games for Ertz given his targets and connection with Daniels. Ertz knows how to get himself open in the middle of the field. He is a great redzone weapon for the rookie JD. On his long gain of 25 yards, Ertz hit his route sharply and left the defender in the dust, catching the ball in stride and gaining another 10+ YAC while dragging his way forward with a defender brining him down, showing that he’s still got some juice left in the tank.
Noah Brown: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 27 Yards
Noah Brown made a nice catch on 2nd & 7 down the sideline where Daniels slightly threw too far towards the back shoulder but Brown made the excellent adjustment and was able to turn his body and come down with the catch in bounds. With so many options for the Washington offense, Brown just isn’t a regular featured part of the offense.
Dyami Brown: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 35 Yards