Washington Commanders @ Los Angeles Chargers
Final Score: Commanders 27, Chargers 10
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter/X, Reddit)
It was the return to action from Jayden Daniels, facing off against one of the league’s best in Justin Herbert. The Chargers marched down the field on their first drive on the back of a 41-yard scramble from Herbert, and found the endzone from his arm for Ladd McConkey‘s first TD of his season. After forcing a 3-and-out, the Chargers extended their lead with a field goal… but those would be the last of their scoring of the day. Quentin Johnston caught a deep pass but fumbled it away, providing Jayden with some momentum to go 74 yards down the field and let Jacory Crosky-Merritt break off a 22-yard TD. Some nagging injuries to the Los Angeles’ offensive line caused issues as Washington brought pressure to get the Chargers off schedule. Ladd had an incredible 57-yard punt return for a TD that was called back by a roughing-the-kicker penalty, which extended the Commanders’ drive to be able to tie the game up going into the half. Crosky-Merritt continued his tear to start the second half with another TD, this time from the 5-yard line. Herbert made a few big throws to Johnston and Keenan Allen, but they were each called back by penalties. Washington put up another field goal, so the Chargers felt pressured to go for it on a 4-and-2 on the Commanders’ 39 – to no avail. Even after they forced a fumble and worked their way back into scoring position, a tipped ball at the line of scrimmage was intercepted by Washington. The Commies worked a 13-play drive to burn 6:32 off the clock, and a last-ditch lob to the endzone was caught by Deebo Samuel to put a stamp on the game.
Two Up
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt — A two-tuddy day is just what the Bill-ievers wanted. He was far and away the most explosive runner on the team.
- Ladd McConkey — Finding the endzone is the best way to shake off a slow start to the year. His punt return TD was amazing too, if only it had stood.
Two Down
- Omarion Hampton — This one has nothing to do with his play – he was great on the field – but he left the game with an apparent injury.
- Quentin Johnston — Not only was it his season-low in targets, but he coughed up a fumble on his first catch of the day.
Washington Commanders
Quarterback
Jayden Daniels: 15/26, 231 Yards, 1 TDs | 8 Carries, 39 Yards
Football is better with Jayden Daniels back on the field. There were a few throws for Deebo Samuel that were well defended by Tarheeb Still, but he looked as mobile and decisive as ever. From a purely critical standpoint, Jayden was fairly quick to the gun to take off running, but you can’t really blame him when there’s an opening to gain a few easy yards. Most of his throws were on the money, but a few spikes, throwaways, and drops lowered his completion rate on the day. Jacory Croskey-Merritt finding the endzone a few times also took away from some potential TDs through either the ground or the air, but he was able to connect with Samuel late.
Running Back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt: 14 Carries, 111 Yards, 2 TDs, 1 FUM (Lost) | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 39 Yards
This was a signature game for the rookie RB, who was clearly the hot hand in the backfield. He broke off multiple long gainers, including a 27-yard run, a checkdown he took for 28 yards, and a 15-yard rushing TD. His workload was mostly limited to the early downs and was not the 2-minute back, but his efficiency against what is believed to be a stout Chargers defense should be extremely encouraging. He’s explosive at the line of scrimmage and often shook off would-be tacklers to get to the second level or further. Expect this type of workload to continue, and this offense should stay on the field and get into scoring positions more often with Jayden Daniels back at the helm.
Chris Rodriguez Jr.: 5 Carries, 7 Yards
All of Chris Rodriguez Jr.‘s carries came on the Commanders’ final drive of the game. He came in throughout the game rotationally, mostly on 3rd downs, but hardly ever had his number called. With how explosive “Bill” looked today, it will be an uphill battle for him to earn time on the field aside from splitting reps with Jeremy McNichols.
Jeremy McNichols: 1 Carry, 6 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 12 Yards
Also rotating behind “Bill”, Jeremy McNichols might be the 2A ahead of Chris Rodriguez Jr.‘s 2B. He had a decent 6-yard carry in the second quarter and caught a swing screen that he took for 12. McNichols was also employed as the 2-minute drill RB, which could have some value moving forward or at least indicate the team’s trust in him as a pass catcher. If you’re looking for a handcuff option to stash behind Croskey-Merritt, I’d prefer McNichols over Rodriguez.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Deebo Samuel: 11 Targets, 8 Receptions, 96 Yards, 1 TD
Terry McLaurin is still sidelined with his hamstring injury, allowing Deebo Samuel to fully flourish in this Kliff Kingsbury offense. Deebo was all over the field, from multiple WR screens to deep dig routes across the field for chunk gains. He had a borderline “garbage time” TD, where the Commanders went for it on a 4th down from the 8-yard line and Jayden lobbed the ball into the corner of the endzone for Deebo to run under. Even when McLaurin comes back, I don’t expect this type of usage to take a hit – I’d expect Terry’s targets to draw away from essentially every other pass catcher.
Luke McCaffrey: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 50 Yards
“LMC” is the designated kick returner, but finds his way into the WR rotation. He had a big return on the opening kickoff to set up their offense on the 41, but his biggest play of the day was a moonshot from Jayden that he hauled in for a 50-yard catch. Notably, he had a target in the endzone that Jayden simply threw over his head. His share of snaps and targets simply aren’t reliable as a fantasy asset, especially with the returns of McLaurin and Noah Brown on the horizon.
Jaylin Lane: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 16 Yards
Jaylin Lane is another WR similar to McCaffrey who is in a steady rotation and fears being stuck behind McLaurin and Brown upon their return. He had a deep dig that was thrown high and away from him that he wasn’t able to bring in, but made a strong contested catch up the seam.
Zach Ertz: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
The veteran TE was a total non-factor in this one. Zach Ertz dropped his lone target in the middle of the second quarter. With how well the offense was producing on the ground and screens, Jayden was able to convert (or at least take a shot on) longer developing pass plays deeper down the field. He was on the field for a little over half of their snaps, and ran the second most routes to only Deebo. John Bates was on the field for only 1 fewer snap, and Ben Sinnott also saw a good bit of field time. Ertz is far from a reliable start, but could still be worth holding as a spot start in deeper leagues.
John Bates: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Tay Martin: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Chris Moore: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback
Justin Herbert: 22/29, 166 Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | 4 Carries, 60 Yards
This seems to be the theme for Herbert this season, and maybe even his whole career – he’s extremely talented and plays at such a high level, but fate is just never in his favor. He’s showing himself to be much more willing to use his legs, and he’s clearly very capable as he started the game off with a 41-yard scramble. The state of their offensive line is extremely concerning. Pipkins and Becton were both on and off the field as they battled injuries, and both of their star tackles are already out. He was sacked 5 times, 4 of which came from his blindside. Herbert was throwing darts through the air, but a few bigger chunk plays were called back by penalties. Even when he got the offense into scoring position, his pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage and picked off. It’s a frustrating situation for fantasy managers because we can see how talented he is and how good this offense can be, but it’s a coin flip whether the two stick or slide.
Trey Lance: 3/4, 44 Yards | 1 Carry, 11 Yards
Trey Lance came in during garbage time on LA’s final drive with only a minute left, down by 17. His only incompletion was a spike, but the defense was playing full prevent, which allowed for some easy completions and a lacadaisical scramble.
Running Back
Omarion Hampton: 12 Carries, 44 Yards | 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 26 Yards
The first-round rookie looked as impressive as ever through most of this game. Omarion Hampton was being utilized fully as a bellcow and seemed like he broke a tackle every single time he touched the ball. He’s also fully capable in the passing game, catching screens and checkdowns alike. His health is now in question, though, as he exited the game in the 3rd quarter, shaken up before heading back to the locker room in the 4th. He jogged his way into the locker room, but we’ll have to wait and see what the injury is & how severe it could be.
Hassan Haskins: 5 Carries, 13 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
With Omarion Hampton’s health in question, Hassan Haskins should be the primary replacement option for fantasy purposes. Haskins was on the field and getting work early on in the game when Hampton needed a breather, and was heavily utilized on the drive immediately following Hampton’s departure from action. He was the RB3 heading into this season because he’s not the most explosive playmaker, but he could see a decent workload should the rookie miss any time.
Kimani Vidal: 4 Carries, 18 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
While Hassan Haskins was more involved, Kimani Vidal broke off a few runs for 8 and 11 yards. There’s a chance he could have earned some more work in the event of Hampton missing any time, but the usage of the two would indicate a preference toward Haskins.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Ladd McConkey: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 39 Yards, 1 TD
I hope you didn’t sell low on Ladd McConkey, but you were rewarded if you held onto him or bought in on him. The first target his way was broken up by tight coverage, but he hauled in his second for a 2-yard touchdown to break the seal on his TD dry spell. The other incompletion his way was a ball thrown at his feet as Herbert was under pressure. Ladd had an electric punt return that he took all the way to the house, hurdling two would-be tacklers along the way, but it was called off due to a roughing the kicker penalty. He’s a QB-friendly WR who is great at finding space and working his way back to the ball, but most of his usage was in the short area. This type of usage could be fairly reliable moving forward, given the injuries to the offensive line.
Keenan Allen: 9 Targets, 5 Receptions, 58 Yards
On his first target of the day, Keenan Allen caught a quick slant and skirted the tackle for a nice 29-yard gain. He had two other big catches of over 25 yards that were called back by penalty, and because his second foot landed a hair out of bounds, respectively. He was also the intended target in the end zone of Herbert’s tipped interception. Keenan did have a simple drop, but this game could have been another big one if it weren’t for the couple of mishaps. Either way, it’s important we recognize Allen on reaching a career milestone in this performance:
Keenan Allen surpasses Marvin Harrison to become the fastest player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions ⚡️@chargers | #BoltUp pic.twitter.com/XJiVThNEs3
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) October 5, 2025
Quentin Johnston: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 40 Yards, 1 FUM (lost) | 1 Carry, 9 Yards
This was a tough game for Quentin Johnston. He had a nice end-around carry early on, but he was sandwiched on his first catch of 19 yards, which he fumbled away. His next target didn’t come until the second half, and the 23-yarder was called back by a holding penalty. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s “panic in the streets” mode, though; he still led the WR room in snaps and routes run. I’d fully expect a bounce-back week from him in the near term.
Tyler Conklin: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 30 Yards
Both of Tyler Conklin‘s catches came on the final drive of the game in garbage time. He had a critical pass zipped his way on 4th down that went straight through his hands. Granted, it’s hard to catch a full force throw from Herbert at a relatively close distance, but it cost the team the possession.
Oronde Gadsden II: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
Similar to Tyler Conklin, Oronde Gadsden‘s only catch was during garbage time. He’s shown flashes of being a talented pass-catcher in previous games, but there are too many mouths to feed with how elite the WR room is.