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The Washington Commanders defeated the Atlanta Falcons during their Week 6 matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Commanders earned 151 receiving yards and 72 rushing yards in the 24-16 win on the road. Washington receiver Terry McLaurin led the squad with 81 receiving yards on six receptions. Linebacker Cody Barton and safety Kamren Curl recorded double-digit tackles. Curl and cornerback Kendall Fuller each added two pass deflections.
“I think one of the things that really stood out more so than anything else was protecting the football, and we took the football away,” Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said when asked about the biggest difference for the road win, via Commanders.com. “That gave us the opportunity more so than anything else. Some things that we still have to continue to work on and improve, some of the details.
“We weren't as good as we needed to be. We did our job, but we need to pay even more attention to details because we almost got ourselves in trouble.”
The Commanders will face off against the New York Giants in MetLife Stadium on Oct. 22. The Giants fell to the Buffalo Bills in a 14-9 loss at Highmark Stadium in Week 6. New York receivers Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson combined for 131 receiving yards on 12 receptions. Running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 93 yards on 24 carries.
What are some bold predictions for the Commanders when they face the Giants on Sunday?
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Sam Howell will record at least 240 passing yards
Howell ended Washington's win over the Falcons with 151 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. The former North Carolina quarterback completed 14 of his 23 pass attempts. Three Commanders, including receiver Curtis Samuel and running back Antonio Gibson, finished the game with one receiving touchdown.
“Oh, I thought Sam was very efficient,” Rivera said, via Commander Country. “That's probably the best way to put the way he played. His decision-making was for the most part, really good.
“There was a couple times, obviously, I'd like to see him get the ball out his hands a little bit quicker and not take the hits or sacks that he did. His quarterback rating was over a hundred, which was very good because his decision-making was good. He protected the football, delivered some very catchable balls. I thought he handled those very well.”
Howell has earned 1,500 passing yards during the 2023 NFL season so far. The figure placed him ahead of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder for ninth place in the NFL. Howell has thrown for 290 yards or more in three of the six games he has suited up for the Commanders during the 2023 NFL season. He earned a season-high 388 passing yards during a 40-20 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 5.
Brian Robinson Jr. will rush for at least 80 yards, one touchdown
Robinson rushed for 31 yards on 10 carries during the Commanders win in Week 6. He added 25 receiving yards and one touchdown on two receptions. He scored a touchdown off of a screen pass from Howell with 12:03 remaining in the third quarter.
“Honestly, that was a great play by him,” Howell said, via Commanders.com. “We had three offensive linemen that were able to get out in front of him and block for him. The screen game is something that has helped us out a lot this year and that was a great time to call it. Good job by EB (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bienemy). We were excited and B. Rob made them pay at the goal line.”
Robinson has notched 302 rushing yards on 77 carries during the six games he has played in this season. He garnered 87 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 18 carries in a 35-33 win over the Denver Broncos. The Giants have allowed 885 rushing yards this season, putting them just ahead of the Broncos for 31st place in the league, according to NFL.com. Bills running back James Cook rushed for 71 yards during Buffalo's win over the Giants last Sunday.
The Commanders will take a close victory over the Giants
The Commanders must find a way to carry over the momentum from a much-needed win over Atlanta. Washington went on a three-game slide after starting the season 2-0 with wins over the Broncos and Arizona Cardinals. Washington must tap into the potential of its receiving options and pass rush to take a potential victory over New York. If they can, they may move to 4-3 on the season before a key matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 29.
“We have an opportunity to go to 4-3, if we go out and play the football we're capable of and win a football game against the Giants,” Rivera said, via Fan Nation editor Jeremy Brener. “To get ahead of that, I don't want to do that.
“I want to make sure we stay focused on the one game at a time in town. Just understand it's the most important game we're going to play all year. Why? Because this is the game we will play, so we're going to keep that focus.”
