Chig Okonkwo stepping up
The Washington Commanders are starting to get a little more from tight end Chig Okonkwo. With Terry McLaurin out, Jayden Daniels needed a safety valve to lean on, and the Maryland product looked assured as a pass-catcher for the second straight week.
Okonkwo made some difficult catches. He looked explosive and matched the San Francisco 49ers physically. It's a small step in the right direction, but at least the free-agent signing is stacking decent performances after an indifferent start.
If McLaurin is forced to miss time again, Okonkwo will need to keep this up, and there is no doubt this offense functions a lot better with a productive tight end to move the chains.
Jayden Daniels was dealing in the second half
Jayden Daniels didn't get much time in the first half as the Niners controlled the clock and racked up more than 300 yards of total offense. That all shifted after the break.
The Commanders had nothing to lose but to go for it. Daniels led the way, as he often does, carving up the Niners' defense in a highly impressive second half.
Daniels didn't look downfield much. Instead, he relied on quick releases to his playmakers, moving the chains methodically while also getting some help from penalties. The rhythm was on point, and the fluidity was night and day compared to the opening two quarters.
Washington may go down. But with Daniels, they go down swinging.
Commanders' defensive aggression returned late
Daronte Jones' defensive scheme is predicated on aggression. This got lost in the first half, which was bemusing, but once the Commanders made adjustments at the break, they returned to that mindset at the perfect time.
With wide receiver Mike Evans leaving the game, Brock Purdy found things much more difficult. The Commanders threw some exotic pressure packages that seemed to confuse the in-form signal-caller enough. And it propelled Washington right back into the contest as hope faded rapidly.
This is a far cry from Washington's second-half defensive woes in recent weeks. But it was the opposite way around in this one.
Poor first half. Very strong second.
Now, it's about finding the right balance.
Commanders fought until the end, but there was too much to do
The Commanders deserve credit for finding their way back into the contest. But in the end, they left themselves with too much to do.
It was a valiant second-half display that spoke to the resolve that remains in the locker room. That will probably be enough for Dan Quinn to get a reprieve, but the Commanders are still 1-4-1 at their bye week.
That's not good enough. But Quinn can point to the second-half performance as a reason why he should get more time to try and turn things around.
Josh Harris will extend that courtesy. But this is a results business when it's all said and done.
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