What a victory Saturday night on the road in a hostile environment against the number one seed in the NFC!
Washington came to play, and while not everything was perfect (the defense allowed 201 rushing yards and three touchdowns), Joe Whitt’s unit had five turnovers and the offense put 39 points on the board to come away with a convincing 45-31 victory. to advance to the NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia against the Eagles next Sunday.
The magical season continues…
Below are my Studs and Duds from the game, followed by some notes.
Studs:
Jayden Daniels – Daniels was absolutely incredible, passing for 299 yards and two touchdowns while adding 51 yards on the ground. More importantly, he took care of the football throughout the game. In a hostile environment, he remained calm, composed and collected and never let the moment become too big for him. He’s a special talent who’s having a special season!
Terry McLaurin – As he has all year, Terry stepped up and made HUGE plays for the offense. He made a nice catch and ran on a quick screen where he took it to the house from 58 yards.
Brian Robinson- Robinson had a very rough last five weeks, but he stepped up his play against Detroit, totaling 77 yards on 15 carries and scoring twice. He showed good vision and broke out on the night and looked like the Brian Robinson of old.
Dyami Brown Brown led all Washington receivers with six receptions for 98 yards. He’s really improved over the last four weeks, including the two playoff games, and is starting to look like a legitimate NFL receiver.
Mike Sainristil- Sainristil is becoming a frequent member of the Stud roster – and for good reason. The rookie had another great defensive game recording five tackles and two HUGE interceptions, including one in the end zone against Jameson Williams just before halftime.
Jérémy Chinn – Chinn led the Commanders in total tackles with 12 and recorded a game-ending interception against Goff. He was very good down the stretch and may have managed to land a new contract in Washington.
Quan Martin – Martin has quietly had a very good season. He had a big interception that he returned for a touchdown. This play set the tone for Washington’s defense.
Dorance Armstrong- Armstrong made an impact on Washington’s defense all night, recording three tackles, including two sacks (one by strip-sack that Frankie Luvu recovered) and two pressures.
Brandon Coleman – The rookie had a pretty rough season at left tackle, but he played the role against the Lions, showing well in both pass protection and run blocking. It was one of his best matches of the season.
Nipples:
There will be no DUDS names in this playoff edition of Studs and Duds.
Remarks :
- Frankie Luvu made some sensational plays throughout the game, including a fumble recovery and a big hit on Goff during Martin’s interception return.
- Zach Ertz continues to show his value for rookie Daniels in this offense. He made five receptions for 28 yards and a score.
- Austin Ekeler played a big role in the game as a runner and receiver. He averaged 7.8 YPC on six attempts and caught four passes for 41 yards.
- Dante Fowler recorded a nice TFL, a QB hit, and two pressures in the game.
- Once again, Daron Payne didn’t record any significant stats.
- Unlike his counterpart, Jon Allen put pressure on Goff and caused rushed throws.
- I was surprised to see Trent Scott play well when he replaced the injured Sam Cosmi at right guard.
- Marshon Lattimore had a very good game against the Detroit receivers and never seemed to recover from his hamstring problem.
- Bobby Wagner is the leader of this defense, but make no mistake: he is a liability in coverage.
- Tress Way only threw once in the game and nailed the 48-yarder inside the 20.
- Prayers for a speedy recovery to Sam Cosmi who suffered a torn ACL.
