No offensive struggles for Jayden Daniels, Commanders in big win over Titans: Key takeaways

By Ben Standig, Joe Rexrode and Amos Morale III

The Washington Commanders had about as perfect a half as a team could have in Sunday’s 42-19 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Except for a touchdown by Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in the second quarter and a missed field goal attempt by Zane Gonzalez, 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 early in the game. Daniels rushed for the touchdown and connected twice with receiver Terry McLaurin for scores.

Running back Brian Robinson Jr. added another touchdown in the first quarter. Washington’s defense was also able to recover from two fumbles in the first half.

That’s more like it

That was much better, especially for an offense that struggled to score in consecutive losses to the Eagles and Cowboys. Beset by regression talk under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Washington scored touchdowns on its first four drives and racked up 463 net yards. After the recent difficulties in the third half, the Commanders converted nine of 14 attempts against the defensive leader in this category.

The Commanders weren’t at full strength, but a healthy Robinson in the backfield helped boost the potential. Robinson surpassed the century mark for the fourth time in his career after missing three games since Week 6 and being limited in two more games due to injuries. The 40-yard touchdown on the first possession was the longest run of the powerback’s career.

Not only does Washington need RB production after placing Austin Ekeler (concussion) on IR, but his presence prevented the Titans from targeting Daniels’ play after play. — Ben Standig, Commander’s Beat Writer

McLaurin gets involved early

Pregame offensive talk also included more early targets for McLaurin and an expanded route tree for Washington’s top receiver. Kingsbury prefers to use the “X” receiver almost exclusively on the left side of the formation. Against Tennessee, McLaurin’s first catch came to the right side. The same goes for touchdown number one.

McLaurin’s route sent him down the field and Daniels fired the open goal for a 21-yard score. Touchdown number eight set a single-season record for the sixth-year veteran, which he later extended in the first half. McLaurin intercepted all seven of his targets from Daniels. There is no doubt who Washington’s top receiver is. Sometimes the number of his passes does not always reflect this status. No problem on Sunday. — Constant

Kicking remains a problem

Washington will likely continue to look for a kicker during the bye week. Zane Gonzalez took over after Austin Seibert landed on IR. After Seibert missed three shots last week, including a potential game-winning extra point in the final seconds, Gonzalez made a mistake on his field goal attempts from 46 and 52 yards.

He made all six extra points. That’s not nothing, but it probably isn’t enough to stop the front office from looking for help. — Constant

Sainristil strengthens

The Commanders won the turnover battle (2-1). Impressive rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil beat 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 cornerback, and while he’s projected at the position long-term, he’s likely to be sidelined when Marshon Lattimore (hamstring injury) makes his Commanders debut. — Constant

Titans didn’t give themselves a chance

Entering the second quarter, Washington was 28-0 and the Titans had run 10 offensive plays. That goes beyond the Commanders’ early sharpness and dominance, which resulted in touchdown drives of 80 and 59 yards on their first two possessions.

The Titans contributed with lost fumbles by Tony Pollard and returner Jha’Quan Jackson on consecutive opportunities to touch the football. Tennessee battled back and scored 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

For Levis, there is neither a step forward nor a step back

Will Levis had arguably the best performance of his young career in a surprise win at Houston – a performance that still included an interception for a touchdown – and it was difficult to evaluate him in that game given the circumstances. But he didn’t turn around and seemed to read the field well and make good decisions.

He missed a few shots. He had dropped a few. He finished 18 of 37 for 212 yards and two nice touchdown passes to favorite target Westbrook-Ikhine. Levis, as always, did it under constant pressure, against a top-notch pass rush (two sacks, nine quarterback hits) and behind a poor offensive line. — Rexrode

Required reading

(Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)