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Commanders.com
2. The defensive line stuffed the Giants’ run game.
It was clear that the Giants wanted to try running through the Commanders’ defense. Kinlaw threw a wrench in that on the first play, and it set the tone for a stifling performance up front.
The Giants dealt with the Commanders’ disruption all afternoon, as players like Kinlaw and Daron Payne were regular visitors in the backfield. They helped hold the Giants’ rushing attack to 74 yards — the 10th lowest total of Week 1 — and the ninth lowest yards per carry average.
What’s more impressive is how the Commanders stonewalled the Giants once they got their hands on the Giants’ running backs. The team gained zero yards after contact, which came in handy when the Commanders needed to keep New York out of the end zone on two goal line stands. Wilson ended up leading the Giants with 44 yards, but much of that came from scrambles, rather than designed runs.
The Commanders still have much to prove in how they can perform against the run. The Packers only had 78 rushing yards in their win over the Detroit Lions but had the fifth best ground attack last season. Still, it’s an encouraging sign from a group that tied for the third-most yards allowed per rush last season.
Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)
Daniels was uncharacteristically sloppy himself, especially when it came to accuracy and ball placement, two traits he’s typically excellent with. Daniels finished the game having completed 19 of 30 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown, along with 68 yard rushing on 11 carries. It perhaps speaks to Daniels’ quality that we can talk about a 301 total yard performance as a sloppy one, but that is what it was.
Daniels had a number of missed opportunities in the game which if he had taken, the Commanders probably would have won the game much more comfortably than they did. There were two throws in particular that stood out and they came on back-to-back plays.
Those two missed throws weren’t the only missed opportunities for Daniels in this game, but they were the most glaring ones. It wasn’t just missed throws that led to Daniels’ performance being sloppy though. He was uncharacteristically off target with passes, even when he completed them. He was consistently behind targets, especially when throwing over the middle.
The Athletic (paywall)
It wasn’t a comfortable win. On the other hand, the game wasn’t second-plate-of-nachos-impact-on-your-skinny-jeans tight, either (and, honestly, who told you that was a good look?). The better team played better more frequently Sunday and finished things off in the fourth quarter, behind a defensive line that dominated New York and mostly new faces on offense that picked up the slack for Daniels and McLaurin....
