Hogs Haven
A trip out to the West Coast with a banged-up roster doesn’t usually spell good things for the away team, but the return of Jayden Daniels, a much-maligned defense making a statement, and an AMAZING game from Bill changed the narrative and helped Washington walk away with a 27-10 win.
It’s definitely a step in the right direction, and the win put Washington back over .500 on the season.
Below are my Studs and Duds of the game, followed by some notes.
Bill Croskey-Merritt: Bill finally had his breakout game – and it wasn’t because he was underwhelming in his first four games; it was because HE WASN’T GETTING ENOUGH TOUCHES! Kliff must finally be comfortable with the rookie, as he was getting touches in both the rushing and passing game. He did put the ball on the ground once, however that won’t even touch the positives he had against a solid Chargers defense. He had 14 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns and added two receptions for 39 yards.
Jayden Daniels: In his return to action after missing the last two games, Jayden looked a bit rusty to start but heated up quickly. He finished the game with 231 yards passing and a touchdown (he should have had another if Chris Moore hadn’t dropped yet ANOTHER pass) and added 39 rushing yards. Most importantly, he didn’t look at all hobbled from the knee issues.
Deebo Samuel: Terry who? Another week, another Deebo STUD mention! Samuel AGAIN led the receiving corps in receptions (8), yards (96) and scored the room’s only touchdown on the day. So far, he’s been everything Washington has hoped for; and more! He has 30 receptions, 300 receiving yards, 46 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the season.
Jer’Zhan Newton: I feel this was Newton’s best game as a pro. He was all over the field and impacted the game in a few big ways. He had two tackles, one for a loss, a sack, two quarterback hits, multiple pressures and a deflected pass that Sainristil intercepted at the goal line.
Dorance Armstrong: Armstrong was a menace all afternoon, leading the defense with two sacks and two quarterback hits to go along with his three tackles, two of which were for a loss. He’s having a great start to the season.
Mike Sainristil: Sainristil was second on the team with nine total tackles (7 solo), two passes defended, a bit hit on Allen on the sideline to force him out of bounds and the interception at the goal line. He did have a bad offsides on a field goal that gave the chargers a first down, but ultimately that didn’t come back to bite Washington. Great rebound game from the second-year pro.
Von Miller/Jacob Martin: Miller quietly had a real nice game, generating multiple pressures and quarterback hits, while collecting three total tackles, one for a loss and 1.5 sacks. Martin had three pressures, a...
