The Washington Commanders (7-5) entered Week 13 on a three-game losing streak, badly needing a win before next week’s bye. On the other side, the Tennessee Titans, who were coming off an upset road win over the Houston Texans.
Tennessee began the game on offense, with Washington’s defense quickly setting the tone. Linebacker Frankie Luvu was everywhere, forcing a quick punt. Three plays in, Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. had a 40-yard touchdown, and the rout was on.
Washington’s defense forced two turnovers, giving Jayden Daniels and the offense short fields, and Daniels did the rest, running for one touchdown and throwing two to wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
Here are four quick takeaways from the first half:
Jayden Daniels looks sharp
Daniels carried the ball six times for 30 yards and rushed for a touchdown. He completed 12 of 13 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns. He looked much more like the quarterback we saw before the Week 7 rib injury. Daniels didn’t throw downfield a lot in the first half, keeping everything in the short and intermediate area, but he was sharp on almost every throw. He did miss Noah Brown on what would’ve been an easy touchdown. Daniels completed the pass but threw it to the back shoulder, and Brown couldn’t run after the catch—an excellent half of football for Daniels.
Brian Robinson Jr. is back
The Titans entered Sunday with the NFL’s No. 2 total defense. They are good at defending the pass and stopping the run. Robinson, who has missed games with hamstring and knee injuries, injured his ankle last week. He looked completely healthy in the first half, carrying the ball 11 times for 85 yards and a touchdown. The Washington offense is very different when Robinson is healthy and on the field.
Kliff Kingsbury heard the noise
On Washington’s first series, wide receiver Terry McLaurin lined up on the right side and caught the first pass thrown his way. There was another series where it looked like McLaurin was lined up in the slot. Kingsbury took criticism in recent weeks for not targeting McLaurin enough, or moving him around the formation. In the first half, McLaurin caught five passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns.
Frankie Luvu was everywhere
As he has done several times this season, linebacker Frankie Luvu was everywhere. Luvu set the defensive tone for the Commanders on the first series and was active throughout the half. He picked up his eighth sack of the season.
