Washington Commanders vs. Cleveland Browns – Studs and Duds

The Browns visited Landover and the Commanders made sure they ran away with a 34-13 victory. This game was so out of control that the coaches pulled Jayden Daniels in favor of Marcus Mariota early in the fourth quarter. It was an absolutely GORGEOUS day to be a Commanders fan!

Again, similar to last week, all three phases of the game worked for Dan Quinn’s team. And while box score viewers might assume it was a near-perfect game for Washington, that wasn’t quite the case. Without a few mistakes (an interception at the two-yard line) and a few missed opportunities, Daniels and Co. could have scored even more points. At the very least, these will give coaches something to actually train with during practice this week.

Washington is indeed on the move, and we should all embrace it!

Below are my gameplay sections, followed by some notes.

Stollen:

Frankie Luvu – Luvu was completely UNSTOPPABLE against Cleveland. He literally did it all on defense, leading the team in seven tackles, including two for a loss, two and a half sacks, three QB hits, four pressures and a fumble recovery.

Jayden Daniels – This wasn’t Jayden’s best game, but that just shows how good the rookie is. He did throw an interception at the goal line and had a few uncharacteristic throws, but his 14 receptions went for 238 yards and a touchdown (he should have had two if McLaurin didn’t drop a beautifully thrown ball in the end zone), and he added in Added 82 rushing yards a little over three quarters into the game. He is truly special at this early stage in his young career.

Bobby Wagner – The veteran leader of this defense had a very good game against the Browns. He recorded six tackles, one for a loss, one and a half sacks and several pressures on the afternoon.

Commanders’ offensive line – Yes, you read that correctly. This is the second week in a row that the entire Commanders offensive line has received stud status from me. For the most part, they controlled the line of scrimmage against a good Browns defensive front, gave Daniels fairly clean pockets to operate from, and showed good athleticism in hitting second-level defenders and making blocks downfield in the screen game . Also praise the tight ends, running backs and wide receivers who throw blocks!

Austin Ekeler – Ekeler returned to action this week after missing a game with a concussion and didn’t miss a beat. He managed 143 yards from scrimmage and threw some nice blocks in pass protection. He is a real weapon in the passing game, as a runner and in the return game.

Jonathan Allen – Jon Allen had his breakout games in 2024 against the Browns. He had had a very busy season leading up to this game, but his motor seemed to be running at full speed throughout the afternoon. He had four tackles (all solo), one for a loss, a sack and several pressures.

Duds:

For the second week in a row I have no duds!

Notes:

• Terry McLaurin didn’t have his best game. While he had four receptions for 112 yards (both of which led the team), he also lost a fumble and dropped a would-be touchdown on a perfectly thrown pass from Daniels.

• It was nice to see Dyami Brown finally get involved and collect two balls, including a nice deep ball for a touchdown.

• Mike Sainristil is starting to make the big appearances we’ve all been waiting for.

• Even Big Phil Mathis was there today!

• Jeremy McNichols scored a rushing touchdown while averaging 6.3 yards per carry and showed good pass defense.

• This secondary is starting to play a little better. Communication looks much better than at the beginning of the season. St-Juste, Noah Igbinoghene, Mike Sainristil, Quan Martin and Jeremy Chinn seem to agree.

• Dorance Armstrong is starting to play some nice games in a row. He now has three sacks and a forced fumble on the young season.

• Austin Seibert remains perfect for the season.

• Kliff Kingsbury continues to stay one step ahead of opposing defenses.