By Ben Standig, Joe Rexrode and Amos Morale III
The Washington Commanders had about as perfect of a half a team could have in Sunday’s 42-19 win against the Tennessee Titans.
Save for a Nick Westbrook-Ikhine touchdown in the second quarter and a missed Zane Gonzalez field goal attempt, Washington dominated from kickoff.
The Commanders scored 21 points in the first quarter alone.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was 14-of-15 for 105 yards as he led the Commanders on four consecutive scoring drives to start the game. Daniels rushed for a touchdown and connected with receiver Terry McLaurin twice for scores.
Running back Brian Robinson Jr. added another touchdown in the first quarter. Washington’s defense also recovered two fumbles in the first half.
That’s more like it
That was much better, particularly for an offense that struggled to score in consecutive losses to the Eagles and Cowboys. Besieged by regression talk under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Washington scored touchdowns on its first four drives and generated 463 net yards. After recent third-down struggles, the Commanders converted nine of 14 attempts against the defensive leader in that category.
The Commanders weren’t at full strength, but having a healthy Robinson in the backfield helped raise the potential. Robinson eclipsed the century mark for the fourth time in his career after missing three games and being limited in two others due to injuries since Week 6. The 40-yard touchdown on the first possession was the longest run in the power back’s career.
Not only does Washington need the RB production after placing Austin Ekeler (concussion) on IR, but his presence also prevented the Titans from zeroing in on Daniels’s play after play. — Ben Standig, Commanders beat writer
McLaurin gets involved early
Part of the pre-game offensive conversation included more early targets for McLaurin and an expanded route tree for Washington’s top receiver. Kingsbury favors using the “X” receiver almost exclusively on the left side of the formation. Against Tennessee, McLaurin’s first catch came lined up on the right. Same for touchdown number one.
McLaurin’s route sent him across the field and Daniels fed the open target for a 21-yard score. Touchdown number eight set a single-season record for the sixth-year veteran, a mark he extended later in the first half. McLaurin caught all seven of his targets from Daniels. There is no doubt who Washington’s top receiver is. Sometimes, the amount of passes his way doesn’t always reflect that status. No issue on Sunday. — Standig
Kicking remains an issue
Washington likely remains in search of a kicker during the bye week. Zane Gonzalez took over after Austin Seibert landed on IR. After Seibert missed three kicks last week, including a potential game-tying extra point in the closing seconds, Gonzalez erred on field goal attempts from 46 and 52 yards.
He did make all six extra points. That’s not nothing, but probably not enough to prevent the front office from checking around for help. — Standig
Sainristil stepping up
The Commanders won the turnover battle (2-1). Impressive rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil stripped Titans running back Tony Pollard and recovered the first-quarter fumble. He also led the team with seven tackles. Sainristil has emerged as Washington’s top corner, and while projected in the slot long-term, he likely remains on the outside whenever Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) makes his Commanders debut. — Standig
Titans gave themselves no chance
It was 28-0 Washington early in the second quarter and the Titans had run 10 offensive plays. That goes beyond the Commanders’ early sharpness and domination, which produced touchdown drives of 80 and 59 yards on their first two possessions.
The Titans chipped in with lost fumbles from Tony Pollard and returner Jha’Quan Jackson, on consecutive opportunities to touch the football. Tennessee fought back, scoring 13 straight points. But the most disappointing aspect of this performance from start to finish was a run defense that gave up more than 250 yards. — Joe Rexrode, Titans beat writer
No step forward, no step back either for Levis
Will Levis was coming off arguably the best performance of his young career in an upset win at Houston – a performance that still included an interception for a touchdown – and it was hard to evaluate him in this game given the circumstances. But he didn’t turn it over and he appeared to see the field well and make good decisions.
He missed some throws. He had a few dropped. He ended up 18-for-37 for 212 yards and two pretty touchdown passes to favorite target Westbrook-Ikhine. As always, Levis did it under constant duress, against a quality pass rush (two sacks, nine quarterback hits) and behind a shoddy offensive line. — Rexrode
Required reading
- NFL Week 13 scores and live updates: Predictions, odds, inactives, analysis and more
- What to make of Kliff Kingsbury and the Commanders’ recent offensive regression
- NFL Draft 2025 Big Board: Travis Hunter takes No. 1 spot, 4 QBs in updated top 50
(Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
