LANDOVER — Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn said he knew during practice last week that his team might be in for a “grimy” game at Northwest Stadium against the Cleveland Browns. But the team’s inconsistent defense flipped the season’s script Sunday, shutting down the Browns on the way to a dominant 34-13 victory.
“It doesn’t always look great,” Quinn said after Sunday’s win. “You just keep battling; you stay in the fight.”
Despite a slow start on the part of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the team’s usually efficient offense, Washington stayed in the fight on Sunday thanks to an identity-making performance by its much-maligned defense.
The Commanders’ defense, which entered the game as the worst third-down unit in the league, rallied to stop the Browns on each of their first 12 third-down attempts.
“They played a hell of a game,” Daniels said, noting that he and the offense stumbled out of the gate with a punt and a turnover. “They gave us opportunities even when we weren’t clicking at first to get back on the field and get back into a rhythm. Without them, we wouldn’t be in this position today.”
With the support of the defense, Daniels and the offense rallied as the game continued.
By the end of the game, Washington had dissected Cleveland’s defense for 215 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The Commanders’ dual-threat signal-caller posted 238 yards and one touchdown through the air, along with a game-high 82 rushing yards.
Daniels still managed to flash the jaw-dropping plays that have set the league on fire through five weeks. Just before his first-quarter interception, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner eluded pass rushers, scrambled to his right, and found wide receiver Terry McLaurin deep down the field for a 66-yard gain.
Daniels’ pinpoint deep accuracy popped up again when receiver Dyami Brown beat his defender on a go route for a 41-yard touchdown.
The rookie said his defense kept the team afloat, but they said their job is easy with a superstar behind the center.
“For him to do what he does, it just fires us up,” linebacker Frankie Luvu said.
The defense dominated while the offense struggled outside of a handful of explosive plays. Quinn’s group held the Browns to 212 total yards and sacked Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson seven times.
Watson’s underwhelming performance, with 125 passing yards and a lone touchdown with the game out of reach, could have looked even worse — Washington safety Quan Martin dropped a sure-fire interception that hit him in the hands in the second quarter.
After four weeks of so-so play, linebacker Bobby Wagner said his defense is finally starting to showcase its potential.
“We had some plays that kind of changed the trajectory of how the game is going,” he said. “We just want to be active and productive.”
The defensive breakout was fueled by a pair of offseason additions: Luvu and Wagner. The dynamic duo combined for 13 total tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Whenever the Browns threatened to string a drive together, Washington’s linebackers would arrive to put out the fire.
When Cleveland tried to convert a 4th-and-1 in the first quarter, Luvu was waiting to stuff the run and bring his offense onto the field.
When the Browns opened a third-quarter drive with a pair of productive runs, Wagner placed a hard hit on Watson, knocking the football into Luvu’s waiting arms.
But, even on a day when everything seemed to go right, Washington’s star defenders left with some regrets.
“I should’ve scored on that one,” Luvu said, lamenting that he only gained five yards on the fumble return.
A stalwart defense was the missing piece for the Commanders during their promising start. The offense posted incredible efficiency numbers (punter Tress Way was only needed once during their last three victories), but the defense looked like a liability.
That wasn’t the case on Sunday.
“It felt like energy, all the things that you want,” Quinn said. “But more than anything, just seeing the team connected, playing for one another — it’s complementary football.”
With one of the league’s best offenses and a still-improving defense, the 4-1 Commanders are riding a four-game winning streak to their best start since 2008.
The hot start is especially meaningful for longtime Commanders like McLaurin and defensive tackle Jon Allen — they’ve seen a lot of losses in their combined 14 seasons with the team.
“It feels good. It’s exciting,” Allen said. “But I think it’s a character flaw to get too high with the highs and too low with the lows. I’m going to enjoy it; it’s fun, but there’s still a lot of football left to be played.”
Next up is a quick trip up Interstate 95 to face defending MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
The perennial contender Ravens present a stiff challenge for the upstart Commanders, one they say they won’t take lightly.
“We’ve got to be able to minimize mistakes if we’re going to be able to win that game,” McLaurin said. “But the vibes in here are really high.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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