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Throughout the offseason, most of the attention in Washington has been on star wide receiver Terry McLaurin. The second-team All-Pro finally got his high-priced contract extension after a dramatic standoff, and both sides are ready to move forward. Still, he’ll need to back it up by showing he hasn’t lost a step on the field.
There is also running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who became a quick fan-favorite over the offseason. He impressed throughout camps and preseason, with Washington even trading away starter Brian Robinson Jr. in part due to his emergence. Everyone is curious to see if he’ll play a role after being listed No. 4 on the running back depth chart.
But let’s not overthink this: the most important player on the 2025 Commanders is second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels. That’s not up for discussion.
Though he is by no means the whole team, this squad will go as far as Daniels takes it. The worst thing that could happen to Washington’s season is that he suffers a dreaded sophomore slump, much like C.J. Stroud did a year ago with the Houston Texans.
Skeptics have used Stroud’s slight regression as justification for pumping the brakes on Daniels. This is outright lazy given that they are two entirely different quarterbacks — and that the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner is significantly better. The Ohio State product had an impressive first season, but it paled in comparison to what Washington’s No. 2 overall pick accomplished last fall.
Daniels will need to prove he’s more than just a flash in the pan. If he struggles in Week 1 against the New York Giants, it will be a long week in Washington as the peanut gallery does their victory laps. But he can also do the best possible thing by lighting up the stat sheet and scoreboard, perhaps even throwing his name into the ring as an early NFL MVP candidate along the way.
Big Blue View
I expect a heavy RPO and quick horizontal passing attack with a healthy dose of the running back by committee on the deck to temper Dexter Lawrence, Burns, Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Washington was almost even in 2024, with 3×1 and 2×2 usage, and often worked with 11 personnel (62% of the time).
The Giants will likely employ a lot of nickel, and they’ll have their hands full with the talents of Jayden Daniels. I do expect the Giants to use Abdul Carter as a spy, but that will only be situationally; Carter’s ability to get after the quarterback from every angle should be his primary usage. With that said, New York MUST watch out for Daniels’ legs, as they attempted to do in Week 9 but failed to execute upon in Week 2.
Kingsbury has a successful rushing attack. Most of their runs are out...
