Hogs Haven
Washington moves to 5-2 with home win, kicking off a 3-game winning streak
With the Cowboys on a bye and the 3-2 Eagles beating the 2-4 New York Giants at 1:00 to get to 4-2, this late-afternoon game represented the culmination of Week 7 for the NFC East. To stay in control of the division, Washington would need to shake off last week’s loss to the Ravens and earn a win to move to 5-2 on the season.
Fortunately, the visiting 1-5 Carolina Panthers represented the closest an NFL team usually gets to a comfortable ‘get well’ opponent.
The Panthers offense ranked 25th in the league in yards gained and 28th in points scored, while the defensive ranks for yards and points are 29th & 31st. With Washington boasting the top-scoring offense in the NFL, this appears to be the ideal matchup for Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, and an opportunity for Joe Whitt’s defense.
Commanders fans will remember this game for the “Oh yeah...Oh shit” moment that occurred on a Jaden Daniels 46-yard run on Washington’s first offensive snap of the game. Daniels was tackled from behind by two defenders and went down awkwardly, injuring his ribs.
Daniels finished the drive, but Marcus Mariota finished the game. It would be 6 or 7 games before JD5 really looked 100% again.
This was the first of two games in the 2024 season where Mariota played a key role on the field. He finished with 34 yards on the ground and 205 passing yards, with a pair of touchdown throws.
Panthers QB Andy Dalton was held to 93 passing yards, 3 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. This was one of the three most dominant wins of the Commanders season, and if it weren’t for the Daniels injury, would probably have been a truly stress-free day for fans.
Dante Fowler opens up the game with a huge defensive play
Carolina got the ball first. Two quick first downs on 3 plays moved the ball into Washington territory at the 49-yard line.
Four plays later, it was 3rd & 9 at the 25 yard line. Washington’s defense came up huge with a pick six. It was a terrible play by Panthers QB Andy Dalton. Under backside pressure from Clelin Ferrell, Dalton missed the checkdown to his RB and put the ball right into Dante Fowler’s hands. Fowler had nothing but green grass between himself and the end zone at the far end of the field. It went in the books as a 67-yard return on Washington’s 2nd interception of the season.
It was Washington’s first defensive score of the season, and a shellshocked Panthers team, who had been moving the ball easily on the opening drive, went to the sideline to find themselves down 7-0 after the PAT.
Panthers extend futility with 3 & out
After a run & a short pass completion, it was 3rd & 4 at the 41 yard line. Dalton’s pass on third down skipped off...
