Coming back down to earth was difficult after the Washington Commanders' miraculous victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 8. The scenes at Northwest Stadium when Noah Brown brought in Jayden Daniels' incredible Hail Mary will be hard to top this season. But that's exactly what head coach Dan Quinn and his players plan to do.
This cannot become Washington's crowning glory when this resurgent team has so much ahead of them. They are 6-2 with an opportunity to make the playoffs and potentially win the NFC East if the same trend continues. Players turned the page on Week 8 quickly, focusing their attention almost immediately on gaining a season sweep over the New York Giants.
Brian Daboll's men are propping up the division with serious concerns about the franchise's future. They've got a good record versus the Commanders at MetLife Stadium in recent years, but the Giants should be all too aware that this is not the same squad with Quinn leading the charge.
The pressure is on Washington, make no mistake about that. With this in mind, here are five Commanders players on the hot seat entering Week 9 at the Giants.
Commanders players on the hot seat entering Week 9 at NY Giants
Commanders interior OL
Being on the hot seat means a big performance is needed as well as spots potentially being under threat. That bears special significance for the Washington Commanders' interior offensive line this weekend at the New York Giants.
The trio of Nick Allegretti, Tyler Biadasz, and Sam Cosmi quickly emerged into a bright spot this season. They are a highly productive trio in all phases, providing a solid anchor for the Commanders to build their efficient offense. However, the task awaiting this group in Week 9 cannot be overstated.
This is thanks in no small part to the presence of Dexter Lawrence II. The Pro Bowl nose tackle would be in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year conversation if the Giants had a better record overall. He's already on nine sacks for the campaign, which is an astonishing number for a man his size.
Nullifying Lawrence's threat is an almost impossible task. Washington's interior must be up for the challenge and not back down an inch. If they can restrict the former Clemson star's influence, it will go a long way to determining the overall outcome.