Wasn’t this past week fun? I know the Washington Commanders’ 30-23 loss Sunday in Baltimore wasn’t ideal, but didn’t the idea of playing a regular season game against a team less than 90 minutes (give or take a disaster “on the eights”) up the road add a bit of spice to a Week 6 regular season non-division game?
I’m surprised the NFL (which does not like to leave any money on the table), when it added the 17th game to the regular season didn’t designate a “local showdown” to fill the schedule.
So far, Washington has played Buffalo, Cleveland and Denver for its “17th game” and hosts Tennessee in that spot later this fall. Wouldn’t you rather see Commanders-Ravens than any of the four previous matchups?
The league has easy-to-create annual AFC-NFC matchups from teams that share cities (Jets-Giants), states (Eagles-Steelers) and even regions (Lions-Browns) that have history in other sports as well.
I don’t live in any of those locations, and I get excited for those games just reading them on this page. And for the few franchises that do not have a team close by (New England and Buffalo in the AFC, plus Minnesota and New Orleans in the NFC), you can rotate.
First Down: You have to stop people from scoring and the Commanders defense was unable to do so, as they allowed points on five of the Raven’s final six possessions (the exception being when Baltimore knelt to end the game in the fourth quarter).
The good news is they won’t face an offense as versatile or as productive as Baltimore the rest of the season. Jayden Daniels and the offense more than held their own on the afternoon, but Brian Robinson Jr.’s absence (Washington gained just 52 yards rushing on 18 attempts) created a void Sunday and now creates a sense of urgency regarding his recovery.
Second Down: Washington remains in first place of the NFC East thanks to Dallas’ 47-9 thumping by Detroit. So far this year the Cowboys have lost by 35 and 38 at home, while falling behind 22 points in the second half another loss.
Philadelphia may be 3-2, but four of their five games have been decided by fewer than six points. And the New York Giants looked pedestrian in their Sunday Night loss to Cincinnati. Meanwhile, what’s going on with the NFC North that boasts four winning teams and is a combined 16-6 after six weeks?
Third Down: Washington moved the chains on 4-12 attempts, going just 1-6 after halftime. The silver lining? Nine of their 12 third downs came on the Baltimore side of the field.
Jayden Daniels completed 3-9 passes for three conversions while getting sacked once. His two scrambles yielded one first down. Jayden’s top target? Noah Brown had three passes tossed his way (zero catches) while Terry McLaurin (one catch and one conversion) and Olamide Zaccheaus was thrown to twice (both incomplete).
Distance breakdown: 1-1 on short-yardage, 2-5 when needing four to six yards, 1-6 on third and long.
Flag on the Play: Six penalties for 46 yards, with three on offense (false start, holding, illegal formation) and three on defense (one hold and two pass interference). Two players were whistled more than once: Andrew Wyle for a false start and a hold while Benjamin St. Juste was ticketed twice for a pass interference.
The most costly? The PI in the third quarter that placed the ball on the fifty, as the Ravens would score and take a 27-13 lead three plays later.
Fourth Down: After playing in front of CBS’s No. 1 team Jim Nantz and Tony Romo, they’re going to stay on that network for their Week 7 game. And with this being a 4:05 p.m. game with Carolina, one would think the Burgundy and Gold would move down the food chain considerably, likely drawing the network’s fourth or fifth string.
Not so fast! The power of Jayden Daniels now brings the No. 2 team to town, in the form of Ian Eagle and Charles Davis. Isn’t it fun to have a winning team in town?
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
