- The Washington Commanders’ offense struggled in a 27-18 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
- Quarterback Jayden Daniels faced constant pressure, particularly from Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons.
- Washington’s offense posted its lowest total yardage and yards per play since Daniels became the starter.
- Quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offense posted their lowest yardage total since he became the starter.
- Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons generated eight pressures, consistently disrupting Washington’s plays.
- The Commanders also suffered several key injuries, including to running back Austin Ekeler.
The last offensive play of the Washington Commanders’ 27-18 defeat at the hands of the Green Bay Packers was an encapsulation of how the game went for the unit led by second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons, already looking at home in Green Bay, beat Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil, then dispatched of left guard Brandon Coleman and made a beeline for Daniels, who once again had to throw early in an effort of self-preservation.
No separation, no time, no chance.
During the week, Washington coach Dan Quinn said there were plays in a 21-6 Week 1 victory over the ghastly New York Giants that were “close.”
“Those are the ones that you don’t get second chances in our game, but it shows that we need the timing, we need the execution,” Quinn said. “And that kind of speaks to September football a little bit.”
Washington managed 15 first downs – two by penalty. The fewest for the Commanders last year, during Daniel’s magical rookie season in which his team made the NFC Championship Game and he won Offensive Rookie of the Year, was 18 (twice).
The rest of the stats paint a worse picture for the Commanders. The 251 total yards of offense was the worst since Daniels became the starter and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was hired by Quinn.
Parsons, per Next Gen Stats, had eight pressures (despite just 0.5 sacks), with six of those coming in the second half. Washington could not run the ball, with 51 rushing yards between three ballcarriers (Daniels led the team with seven carries). Daniels finished 24-for-42 with 200 passing yards. That none of his seven scrambles (17 rushing yards) resulted in a first down was a grave error.
The 3.5 yards per play was the lowest mark for the Commanders in Daniels’ young career. Washington was 5-for-16 on third down. According to NextGen Stats, the Commanders had two explosive plays (65 total) for a 3.1% explosive play rate, which would have been the lowest explosive play rate in a single game all of last season. NFL numbers guy Warren Sharp noted that the Packers blitzed Daniels 12 times, with two sacks, and he completed three passes on those plays.
Kingsbury’s calls lacked much flair for most of the night. Too often Daniels’ best option on third-and-medium or worse was a back shoulder throw to a receiver down the sideline. And too often that throw wound up low and away and fell incomplete.
Of course, when the kicker (Matt Gay) misses two field goals (both from 50-plus yards), it’s going to make the offense look worse.
To put lipstick on the final score margin, the Commanders scored the game’s last touchdown with 2:53 left in the game. Daniels still displayed his elite playmaking ability as a pair of Packers had free rushes at him. He still hung in there to find Samuel for a score and extended the two-point conversion in the pocket to hit Luke McCaffrey.
The brutality extended to the Commanders’ injury report. Running back Austin Ekeler was carted off with an Achilles injury late in the fourth quarter. Prior to that, tight end John Bates – one of the team’s better blockers – exited with a groin injury, the same body part that caused wide receiver Noah Brown to leave as well. Deatrich Wise, a defensive end, was carted off in the first half with a groin injury.
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel said the injuries were deflating.
‘That kind of takes the fight out of you, a little bit,’ Samuel said, according to the Washington Post. ‘You know all the work they put in, all summer long. Just to see them go down, it kind of hurt. But that’s the nature of this game.’