Commanders 34-13 Browns (Oct. 6, 2024) Game Recap

LANDOVER, Md. — Jayden Daniels shook himself off by throwing an early interception at the goal line like it was his 50th NFL game, not his fifth.

“Stay the course,” he said. “Don’t go too high, go too low. Everything will be fine.”

It worked well enough to give Daniels and the Washington Commanders their fourth straight win, a 34-13 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The rookie quarterback had almost as many incompletions as he had in the previous three games combined, but overcame them with 82 yards rushing and the longest touchdown pass of his young career.

“I just missed a couple of throws,” said Daniels, who was 14 of 25 passing for 328 yards. “‘That’s it.’ I wish I had some throws back, but we were able to capitalize on some plays.”

Washington is 4-1 for the first time since 2008. Cleveland has lost three straight and is now 1-4.

“Nobody likes where we are,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “I don’t feel good about 1-4. It eats you up.”

Daniels, Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols ran for the Browns and combined for 211 yards on 31 carries. Robinson ran for two touchdowns and McNichols had one in a game so one-sided that the fans went wild with four minutes left in the third quarter.

The Commander’s defense played a big part in this, forcing Deshaun Watson to fumble, sacking him seven times and allowing 212 total yards. After Washington fielded the league’s worst third-down defense, Cleveland went 1 of 13 in a sloppy, disjointed attempt, with its only touchdown coming in garbage time.

“We carried it on our shoulders because a defense like this is the game for us to move forward,” said linebacker Frankie Luvu, who led the team with 2 1/2 sacks. “There is always room for improvement and we as a defense are just getting started.”

Watson was 15 of 28 for 125 yards and the late TD throw to tight end Jordan Akins. He has never thrown for 200 yards in a game this season, but Stefanski said that after taking over for Watson for Jameis Winston in the final minutes, the Browns “won’t be changing quarterbacks.”

“We have to play better,” Stefanski said. “This is not a one-person affair on offense.”

Daniels, the No. 2 pick who quickly became the favorite for offensive rookie of the year, didn’t complete nearly 82.5% of the passes he did in his first four professional games. But he made highlight-reel throws of 66 yards to Terry McLaurin and 41 for a touchdown to Dyami Brown, the latter after he begged offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury for a chance to go deep.

“He called the play and we did it,” said Daniels, who gave way to replacement Marcus Mariota with 12:50 minutes left and the outcome already determined.

McLaurin made four catches for a season-high 125 yards. Ekeler had a 57-yard run, which was Washington’s longest since Derrius Guice ran for 60 yards in 2019.

“We didn’t score on every single drive like we have in the past, which is the reality of football,” said Ekeler, who rushed 107 yards from the field after suffering a concussion. “For us it was just a different philosophy to win the game. We had big games, which obviously helped us. It was great to show that we can win this way too.”

JOK is A-OK

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was Cleveland’s most impactful player before he cramped in the third quarter, picking off Daniels at his team’s 1-yard line, sacking him once and forcing McLaurin to fumble. He was still annoyed that he hadn’t finished another bag of Daniels.

“That sticks with me a little bit,” he said.

Injuries

Browns cornerback Denzel Ward (hamstring) and long snapper Charley Hughlett (rib) were out early in the second half. … Safety Grant Delpit was evaluated for a head injury after a fall in the third quarter. … C Ethan Pocic went straight to the locker room after leaving the field in the fourth and Stefanski said it was a knee injury. … Tight end David Njoku had a 14-yard catch in his return from a three-game absence due to a high ankle sprain.

Next

Browns: Visit the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday.

Commanders: Visit the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday.

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