Giants @ Commanders
Final Score: Commanders 21 – Giants 18
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter)
Former LSU teammates Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers squared off in their first NFC East matchup, but perhaps the most impactful player for this game was Graham Gano. Gano hobbled off the field after the opening kickoff and didn’t return for the remainder of the game. Devin Singletary found the endzone and Daniel Jones connected with Malik Nabers and Wan’dale Robinson for two more touchdowns, but without their kicker, the Giants were forced to go for two after each score. They failed to convert any of their attempts. Meanwhile, Jayden Daniels and Brian Robinson Jr. led the Commanders’ offense into the red zone on four of seven drives, and, despite being held to field goals, kept the game within reach. Unable to kick a field goal to take the lead late in the game, the Giants went for it on fourth down and Nabers dropped a catchable pass on what would have been a first down. Daniels promptly led a 2-minute drill to put his team back in scoring position, and Austin Seibert played the hero to connect his seventh field goal of the day to win the game.
Two Up
- Brian Robinson Jr. – He proved today why he deserves to have a larger role in this offense, often making the first tackler miss and showing explosiveness when he has room to work with.
- Austin Seibert – 7/7 on the day. While his longest field goal was only 45 yards, the Commanders needed every point.
Two Down
- Graham Gano – Holding his leg as he limped off the field, Gano’s timeline to return and the corresponding kicking game for the Giants is a major question mark going forward.
- Austin Ekeler – Ekeler seems to have lost ground in the split backfield after much of his snap share was given to Robinson Jr.
New York Giants
Quarterback
Daniel Jones: 16/18 178 Yards, 2 TDs | 5 Attempts, 32 Yards
Despite a whirlwind of criticism following last week’s brutal performance, Jones displayed some professionalism and efficiency for much of this game. He did so by finding his first reads on short quick throws and allowing his receivers to run after the catch, but still showed his inaccuracies as he failed to connect either of his deep shots down the field. He made good decisions in most phases of the game – whether it was read options or scrambling out of the backfield. He does take the loss after failing to convert any of the two-point conversions (one of which he threw an interception).
Running Back
Devin Singletary: 16 Attempts, 95 Yards, 1 TD, 1 FUM | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 0 Yards
“Motor” Singletary continued to provide this team what they brought him in for – reliable touches with a few explosive runs mixed in. Singletary maintained his role as the featured back and, despite turning the ball over on the first drive of the second half, was on the field for almost the entirety of the Giants’ possessions. He punched in his first touchdown of the year and is likely to continue to see goalline carries, should the opportunities arise.
Tyrone Tracy: 1 Attempt, 2 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Malik Nabers: 18 Targets, 10 Receptions, 127 Yards, 1 TD
Exceeding twice as many targets and receptions as he had last week, Nabers established himself as Jones’s go-to receiver. The first-rounder showed each aspect of his skillset- creating separation on his routes and making defenders miss for meaningful yards after the catch. He did drop a catchable ball late in the game allowing Washington the opportunity to win the game, but it was a great showing from the rookie receiver nonetheless.
Wan’dale Robinson: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 18 Yards, 1 TD
Taking a step backward from his involvement against the Vikings last week, Robinson lost many of his potential targets to Malik Nabers. Most of his targets were short or intermediate routes, one of which was a 5-yard out route he brought in for a touchdown.
Darius Slayton: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 33 Yards
With most of his yards coming from a 19-yard reception in the second quarter, Slayton’s role also took a backseat to Nabers in this contest. Additionally, he takes the blame for dropping a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter, which won’t help his station in the pecking order.
Jalin Hyatt: 0 Targets
Theo Johnson: 0 Targets
Washington Commanders
Quarterback
Jayden Daniels: 23/29 210 Yards | 10 Attempts, 44 Yards
The rookie quarterback had a seemingly efficient day given his stat line and getting his first win, but it doesn’t come without some critique. Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury did a good job easing Daniels into the game by focusing pass attempts on short receiver screens early in the game. While Daniels was able to lead his offense down into the red zone on most of their possessions, he failed to find paydirt. He is an undeniably talented runner, but there were a few plays he kept the ball instead of keeping his eyes down the field and extending the play. He took a punishing hit early in the game as he scrambled for a first down, but was luckily able to return to the game.
Running Back
Brian Robinson Jr.: 17 Attempts, 133 Yards | 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
The Commanders showed some favoritism toward Robinson as he doubled Ekeler’s touches and snaps, and deservingly so. Robinson’s explosiveness was on display as he eluded defenders in open space, broke tackles, and slipped through the line on a 40-yard run on a third & short that looked as if it were snuffed at the line of scrimmage. Don’t let Ekeler’s receiving yards fool you, Robinson may have proven himself as the defacto lead back.
Brian Robinson Jr. just pulled off a magic trick 👀
📺: #NYGvsWAS on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/5IyJP0JVn0— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
Austin Ekeler: 8 Attempts, 38 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 47 Yards
Last week’s game against Tampa Bay was a more even split between the two backs, but Ekeler definitely saw less field time than his counterpart this week. Often coming in after Robinson was already on the field for a few plays, it seemed as though Ekeler was more of a reliever to Robinson than a complementary back. While he did convert 47 yards through the air, they came off catches either at or behind the line of scrimmage with no defenders in sight.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Terry McLaurin: 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 22 Yards
The yards per reception speaks for itself – Kingbury wanted to get Terry involved in the game and did so through screens, hitches, and short slant routes. He did have an impressive toe-tapping grab for 14 yards to reassure that his lack of production is mostly due to a lack of opportunity.
Zach Ertz: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 62 Yards
The 12th-year veteran is far from finished. Washington may have drafted a rookie tight end in Ben Sinnot, but Ertz remains the reliable big man in the middle of the field. His longest catch of the day went for 21 yards as he ripped the ball away from the defender on a near interception, which may have even been the highlight of the game.
Noah Brown: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 56 Yards
Not heavily involved for most of the game, Brown hauled in a pivotal 34-yarder on the last drive of the game to help put his team in field goal range for the game-winner.
Dyami Brown: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards
Olamide Zaccheaus: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 13 Yards
John Bates: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
Luke McCaffrey: 0 Targets
Ben Sinnot: 0 Targets