The Commanders are capable of beating another bad team. What does that mean for next season?
All the Washington Commanders’ first victory in quite some time truly proved was that they can, indeed, beat one of the other worst teams in the NFL.
“We were going to get in the left-hand column by any means necessary, it felt like, and however long that took,” coach Dan Quinn said. “The last two months have been extremely challenging.”
There were some hints in the 29-21 win at the New York Giants on Sunday — which ended Washington’s eight-game losing skid — related to what certain players might be able to provide in 2026.
Even if linebacker Bobby Wagner insisted: “We’re not trying to think about next season.”
Running back Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt looked, once more, like a possible starter.
Another rookie, wideout and punt returner Jaylin Lane, looked like a keeper. Defensive back Mike Sainristil, a second-year player whose coverage has been shaky at times, showed with his fourth interception of the season that he has a nose for the ball and is maybe the only consistent turnover-maker on the defense. Tight end Ben Sinnott caught a 36-yard pass on his lone target in the first game since Zach Ertz was lost for the season to a torn ACL; Sinnott now has caught all 10 targets in his two-season career.
That’s not to say things seem promising overall, of course.
There are far too many holes on the roster and questions about how to move forward. Earning half of your triumphs against the lowly Giants (2-12, with eight losses in a row) is not exactly something to brag about, especially one year after coming so close to reaching the Super Bowl.
“It’s been a long season,” acknowledged wideout Terry McLaurin, who scored on a 51-yard catch-and-run Sunday.
What’s working
The run game, when offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury leans on it. With starter Chris Rodriguez Jr. sidelined by a groin injury, Jeremy McNichols got the chance to open the game at running back, but seventh-round draft pick Croskey-Merritt really shined against the Giants, getting 18 carries for 96 yards (an average of 5.3 per run) and a 16-yard touchdown — his first TD since Oct. 5, when he had two in what was Washington’s most recent victory before Sunday. “It felt amazing to get back in the end zone,” Croskey-Merritt said. In all, the Commanders ran 37 times for 145 yards.
What needs help
Holding onto the football. The Commanders fumbled four times — including one by Croskey-Merritt and two by quarterback Marcus Mariota, who again played in place of the injured Jayden Daniels (left elbow) — but were fortunate to lose only two of those, thanks to a couple of loose-ball recoveries by rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. Mariota has turned the ball over three times in the past two games. “I have to find ways to stop with these,” he said.
Stock up
Lane. His 63-yard punt return for a score in the second quarter was a big play in this sluggish game between a pair of bad teams. He’s the first player for Washington to bring two punts back for TDs in a season since Brian Mitchell did it 31 years ago — and the first rookie to do it since Johnny Williams in 1952.
Stock down
Wagner in coverage. He was beaten again while trying to deal with a running back on a route, giving up an 18-yard TD catch from Jaxson Dart to Tyrone Tracy in the third quarter.
Injuries
LT Laremy Tunsil (shoulder, oblique), WR Noah Brown (rib) and TE Colson Yankoff (ankle) left Sunday’s game. Daniels’ status for next week is up in the air.
Key number
136 1/2 — Career sacks for Von Miller after he picked up another Sunday, moving him past Jared Allen for No. 12 on the all-time list since the NFL began recording the stat officially in 1982. Miller’s seven sacks this season are the most on the Commanders and his personal best since 2022.
Next steps
Another meaningless NFC East contest — well, meaningless for Washington — comes Saturday, when the Commanders host the division-leading and reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (9-5) in a rematch of last season’s conference title game. Two of Washington’s last three games this season come against Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia, which snapped a three-game losing streak with a 31-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders this weekend.
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