At the end of the first half, the Commanders lead the Cardinals 17-7 as Jayden Daniels is 11/13 for 96 yards with one interception. The Cardinals scored on their first possession but haven’t made a trip to the red zone since
Here are three takeaways from Washington’s first half:
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Until Daniels’ interception in the second quarter, he was 9/9 and had completed 30 of his last 32 throws for a 94% completion. So far, the rookie is on an incredible run, and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is doing an excellent job allowing him to build off his completions. Just because he made his first mistake four weeks into his career doesn’t mean you should stop letting it rip.
Kingsbury’s run game has also substantially improved from last week’s 3.4 yards per carry against the Bengals and is averaging 5.6 yards per run so far. Jeremy McNichols has also impacted the game in Austin Ekeler’s absence with 33 yards and a touchdown.
Run defense needs to improve
Washington’s run defense has shown little resilience so far this season and picked up where they left off to start the game. Up until the Cardinals’ last drive of the half, they had 5.3 yards per carry. Jeremy Chinn has been the most impressive stopper in the run game, but Arizona has still had success even when he’s brought down into the box.
Someone needs to start making plays on the front seven because both Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne have been quiet all year.
Stick with the gameplan on defense
Overall the Commander’s defense has shown a lot of improvement today, since opening the season against Tampa Bay. Noah Igboginhe opened his day by allowing a touchdown to rookie sensation Marvin Harrison Jr., but since the secondary has been lockdown.
To make matters easier for them, they’ve sacked Kyler Murray twice. Joe Whitt Jr. ‘s scheme has seemed to hold Murray in check, so there’s no need for Washington to change the game plan.
