Commanders vs. Ravens – Studs and Duds

Washington's journey along the Beltway didn't go entirely as planned. The Ravens exposed the weaknesses of the Commanders defense and asserted themselves offensively throughout the game. However, Dan Quinn's squad didn't back down and showed great resilience and the ability to score points against one of the best defenses in the league.

In the end it just wasn't enough. However, this game showed us a few things: 1) This team can be it competitive with Daniels in the middle; and 2) Washington is still far from being considered one of the elite teams in this league.

Below are my studs and duds of the game, followed by some notes.

Stollen:

Jayden Daniels – Daniels went up against the best defense he has seen as a pro and did everything he could to keep Washington in this game. He was an efficient 24-35 (including two drops) for 269 yards and two touchdowns while adding 22 rushing yards. He threw a pass that should have been easy to intercept, but luckily it was blocked.

Terry McLaurin – Terry led the team with six receptions and had 53 yards while scoring two receiving touchdowns on the afternoon. His fourth down touchdown reception was beautiful.

Mike Sainristil – I know the secondary didn't play very well, but I don't think Sainristil is to blame for that. I saw him in pretty solid coverage and he came up and showed off all his skills when it came to taking on blockers and running backs. He also recorded his first career interception early in the first quarter. He was one of the only bright spots in the background.

Dante Fowler – The front four commanders generated very little pressure in the afternoon. Fowler was an exception, recording four tackles, three for a loss, two sacks (one was more of a coverage sack) and three pressures.

Duds:

Benjamin St Juste – We've all seen this movie before. One week St-Juste looks great, the next he comes out and commits multiple penalties, gives up 100 easy catches to the receivers he's supposed to guard, and just looks out of place on the football field. Well, as you may have guessed, this game was the latter.

Daron Payne – Payne did not record any meaningful statistics during the game. I think I saw him chasing a ball carrier once, but I'm not 100% sure. I think Mathis and Newton have just as big an impact on the defense as Payne; And for a fraction of the cost!

Andrew Wylie – Wylie really struggled on the sidelines. He allowed a sack, allowed multiple pressures and had two penalties (false start and interception).

Emmanuel Forbes – This may be the first time I've called a player who didn't actually play in the game a dud – but that's exactly how Forbes' career has been. It's sad that he's such a bad player, but what's even more embarrassing is that he can't even see the field in the middle of this ragtag group of corners we have. The young man didn't draft or bench himself, so I guess I should really blame Ron Rivera.

Tony Romo – Romo continued to draw on the teleprompter the ENTIRE game WHILE THE LIVE GAME WAS RUNNING! It was so damn annoying.

Notes:

• Frankie Luvu has come back down to earth after an outstanding game last week. He didn't contribute much in terms of pass rushing and his coverage and tackling were pretty much non-existent.
• It would be really nice to see one of our safeties make a great pass at least once this season.
• Noah Igbinoghene didn't play very well (he was mostly used in the slot), but he wasn't as bad as some others. At least he looked like he was busy on most plays, even when he got beat.
• Brandon Coleman has shown some good and bad in games this year. He released pressure pretty quickly in the fourth quarter and hit a sack off the edge, but I saw him show good feet and athleticism a few times to ride his man past Daniels.

• Against the Ravens tight ends, Jeremy Chinn lost coverage a few times. I don't blame him for our reporting difficulties, but the errors need to be pointed out.
• I really hope Jon Allen's pectoral muscle injury isn't bad enough to affect his already dwindling trade value.
• Austin Ekeler continues to show his value as a receiver in the passing game. He averaged 11.8 yards per reception and 25 yards per reception in the game.
• Daron Payne should be considered a trade candidate at the deadline.