A long-awaited win finally showed up for Washington, but it came with the kind of messy finish that still makes Dan Quinn sound like a coach who’s tired of teaching the same lesson.
After the Commanders nearly coughed up a huge cushion in a 29-21 win over the Giants, Quinn didn’t pretend it was pretty, admitting they “made it a lot harder than it needed to be” as late fumbles turned a cruise control afternoon into a white-knuckle ending.
That win also came with a quick round of roster housekeeping on Monday. The Commanders announced they placed wide receiver Noah Brown on the reserve/injured list, designated cornerback Darius Rush as practice squad injured, and made a few corresponding moves to patch the depth chart.
Washington also signed wide receiver Chris Moore from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, then added wide receiver River Cracraft and tight end Gee Scott Jr. to the practice squad.
With the season already off the rails in the standings, the bigger theme now is preservation, not urgency.
That’s why the other major decision hits the same note. Washington is shutting down quarterback Jayden Daniels for the rest of the 2025 season due to his elbow injury, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Daniels was reevaluated and still wasn’t cleared, and with the next game followed by a short week around Christmas, the Commanders opted to protect the long-term asset instead of forcing the issue in meaningless games.
Marcus Mariota will continue as the starter, and the coaching staff will use the final stretch to evaluate the roster, including the receiver room now reshuffled without Noah Brown.
The win over New York may have snapped the streak, but it didn’t erase the larger reality. Washington is playing out the string, trying to get to January with a healthier quarterback, a clearer depth chart, and fewer self-inflicted wounds than the ones that nearly turned a comfortable lead into another gut punch.
