Players and coaches around the league use plenty of buzzwords to describe their six divisional games each year. Physical and intense come up a lot. But the Washington Commanders used a different phrase ahead of Sunday’s tilt with the New York Giants: fun.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and coach Dan Quinn both said they’re looking forward to facing their division rival.
The Week 2 matchup between the NFC East foes, a 21-18 victory for the Commanders, was anything but fun. Washington limped to victory without scoring a touchdown, instead relying on a franchise record seven field goals from kicker Austin Seibert.
That was seven weeks ago, though.
The 6-2 Commanders of Week 9 said at practice this week that they’ve grown exponentially since the September showdown with the Giants.
The numbers back them up. Through the first two games of his NFL career, Daniels had yet to throw a touchdown.
Then he broke out.
The Commanders’ offense has put on a show since its inert Week 2 performance, orchestrating a hyperefficient display that has drawn comparisons to the St. Louis Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf from the turn of the century. Washington has scored on 60% of its drives this season, the best rate in NFL history through eight games of a season.
Daniels has thrown for 1,326 yards and seven touchdowns in his six games since facing the Giants. The offensive explosion has catapulted the No. 2 draft pick to the front of the Rookie of the Year race and into MVP conversations.
“He can throw it under pressure. He can escape and make plays with his feet. He can escape and make plays with his arm. He’s got good command, which we knew,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said of Daniels this week. “He makes good decisions.”
Daniels’ magic touch was never more apparent than on the last play of Sunday’s win against the Chicago Bears, as the rookie etched himself into Commanders lore. With two seconds remaining, the LSU product scrambled for almost 13 seconds behind the line of scrimmage before heaving a Hail Mary 52 yards to the endzone, where wide receiver Noah Brown secured it for the 18-15, game-winning touchdown.
After torching opposing defenses for the past month and a half, Daniels will face a new challenge on Sunday. The Giants are the first team to take a second shot at the Commanders’ rookie sensation.
Daniels wouldn’t say New York has an advantage, though.
“It’s gonna be a different game. It’ll be different from Week 2 to now,” he said. “Obviously, they’ve grown as a defense and a team; we’ve grown as an offense and a team. It’ll be fun to go out there and play a division foe again.”
Quinn isn’t worried that the Giants have already seen his dual-threat quarterback. His coaching staff planned for this, intentionally leaving some tricks up their sleeves for the rematch.
“This is gonna be a tough battle. It was in Week 2, and we’re preparing for that again. That’s part of the fun of division games,” he said. “We know we’ll get their best shot and, in return, they’ll get ours.”
Injuries could hinder Quinn’s squad on Sunday. Daniels was limited in practice this week as he continued to nurse a rib injury, while starting left tackle Cornelius Lucas missed workouts with an ankle issue.
Rookie Brandon Coleman, who missed last week’s game with a concussion, would likely start if Lucas can’t play. The pair have split time throughout the season.
Center Tyler Biadasz, running back Brian Robinson Jr. and linebacker Frankie Luvu also appeared on the injury report this week with thumb, hamstring and shin injuries, respectively.
The Commanders will need all hands on deck to protect their quarterback’s sore ribs against a voracious Giants pass rush. New York’s 35 sacks lead the NFL, with tackle Dexter Lawerence taking down quarterbacks a league-best nine times.
Though the Giants sit at the bottom of the NFC East with a 2-6 record, the Commanders aren’t taking their opposition lightly.
“They’ve established that just fantastic rushing the passer, and that’s really one of the impacts they’ve made,” Quinn said. “There’s a lot, you know, that I’ve seen them improve upon since our game.”
Robinson, the hard-running halfback known for seeking out contact, relishes the opportunity to take another crack at the Giants. The Alabama product ran for a season-high 133 yards during the Week 2 matchup.
He’s looking for a repeat performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday.
“It’s a little bit more personal than most. These are the kind of games that count in the end,” said Robinson, who will probably play despite limited practice. “We got to win them; we got to win them all.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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