Instant reactions to the Commanders thrilling win over the Packers

A winning streak for the Washington Commanders? Indeed, a winning streak for the 2022 Washington Commanders. As has become normal under Ron Rivera, when the Commanders are counted out they claw their way back into slight relevancy.

Two weeks ago, the Commanders were dead in the water at 1-4. Two weeks later, after two straight wins, they sit one game under .500, and they have amassed some form of momentum. The problems with the long-term vision and plan still remain, for now though, the Washington Commanders sit at 3-4.

And the season isn’t quite over yet. Here are some instant reactions to the Commanders’ win over the Aaron Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers.

Instant Reactions to the exciting Commanders’ win

The Offense

The Good 

• Terry McLaurin won consistently against Jaire Alexander all day. Whether it was on the 37-yard touchdown reception, winning over the middle, winning after the catch, or on the critical final catch on the third-and-long to essentially ice the game. McLaurin, steady as ever, was absolutely money for the Burgundy & Gold today.

• It may have taken three years but the Commanders have finally unlocked Antonio Gibson’s potential in his new role. They limit his carries but make it so his touches have the ability to produce a maximum explosion. Gibson totaled 155 all-purpose yards, with a touchdown reception, averaging 26-yards per kick return, and averaging nearly 6-yards a carry. Gibson was a chunk play machine for the Commanders against the Packers.
• Brian Robinson ground out the tough yards for Washington again today. His YPC (3.7/carry) may not be pretty but he fairly consistently got the most crucial yards for the Commanders.
• Fairly quietly, Curtis Samuel is putting together a solid season in his second season in the DMV. He remains a stable presence over the middle and provides juice after the catch.
• We’ll talk about the first half later but Taylor Heinicke was absolutely nails for Washington in the second half. He may not be the long-term answer but he sure has guts. He was poised, accurate, made timely decisions and was downright ballsy at times. His final completion to Terry McLaurin was right on the money.
• After a really rough start to the year, the Commanders’ offensive line has started to perform better. They still give up too much pressure at times but they have started to open up holes in the running game.

The Bad 

• Carson Wentz was known for his Jekyll and Hyde nature, but Taylor Heinicke did his best to one-up him today. He was great in the second half, yes, but that first-half performance was absolutely putrid. At one point he had a 0.0 quarterback rating, threw a pick-6, was lucky to not throw more, nearly had a fumble-six occur, and was inaccurate and indecisive. Heinicke was consistently late in the first half. To be frank, his putrid play kept the Packers in the game longer than they should have. Let’s hope that version of Heinicke never rears its head again.
• Andrew Norwell has been a really disappointing signing to date. He has been somewhat better but he still gets beat far too often in pass protection and offers next to nothing as a run blocker. He looks slow and like his best days are behind him.

The Defense

The Good 

• Benjamin St-Juste has quickly turned into Washington’s best corner. He can be a little bit grabby at times, but he is sticky in coverage, and generally plays with good eye discipline.

• Jamin Davis is also quietly beginning to improve too. He plays with more discipline against the run, is solid in coverage, and Washington is finally starting to see that 4.4 speed come to fruition on the field with two tackles for loss.
• The front four wasn’t as disruptive as they typically are rushing the passer, but they helped hold the Packers running game to 3.2 yards per carrying. The Packers also were heavy-handed in their quick passing game, as the front four clearly dictated the game plan.
• Rachad Wildgoose has been solid for Washington since being inserted into the lineup at nickel. He had two pass deflections on the day, and consistently had good coverage from the slot.
• Kam Curl is quickly becoming one of Washington’s best players on defense. He is sticky in coverage and has a keen ability to fight through traffic.

The Bad 

• On the Packers’ touchdown drive to cut the lead to 23-21, the Commanders had three killer penalties that helped the Packers move the ball down the field.

Overall, the Commanders thoroughly dominated the Packers today. They out-gained Green Bay by over 100 yards, won in the trenches, and played more disciplined. The better team won. The Commanders find themselves back in the thick of the playoff hunt. The ceiling of this team may not be high but Ron Rivera is proving again that he is at his best when his back is against the wall.