Commanders fans learning to live with the chaos of a feast-or-famine star

Mike Sainristil has been a polarizing figure this season. And the Washington Commanders' cornerback further highlighted his feast-or-famine credentials with another rollercoaster outing against the New York Giants.

The victory ended Washington's eight-game losing skid and all but ensures they won't finish last in the division. The Commanders didn't play the perfect game by any means, but they got some crucial contributions from the young building blocks they're counting on.

Jaylin Lane returned a punt for a touchdown. Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for nearly 100 yards and scored. Ben Sinnott made a big play late. Then, there was Sainristil.

Commanders must take the rough with the smooth where Mike Sainristil is concerned

The Commanders' best stretch of action came in the final two minutes of the first half. The Giants had the ball trailing 13-7 and looking to score, but Washington forced a three-and-out before Lane returned the punt to the house. It got even better on New York's next series.

Jaxson Dart drove his across midfield and fired a pass in the direction of wide receiver Jalin Hyatt at the Washington 20-yard line. Sainristil jumped in front of it to not only secure the pick but also return it nearly all the way to the opposite red zone.

Sainristil's interception was his fourth of the season, more than the rest of the team has recorded in 2025 (three). He additionally leads the team in pass breakups with nine.

Of course, Sainristil's season has also had plenty of lowlights. He's been picked on in pass coverage and given up far too many big plays. The downside of the Michigan product was exposed again in Week 15, as Wan'Dale Robinson beat him for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Sainristil has been better, for the most part, since moving to the outside cornerback position following injuries to Marshon Lattimore and Trey Amos, but he's still prone to losing his man and giving up chunk plays. At this point, it's just a part of his profile that Commanders fans will need to make their peace with.

You can tolerate a player's flaws if their positive impact outweighs them. Sainristil is the only defensive back in Washington to generate any turnovers consistently. That's why he remains a crucial long-term piece for the Commanders.

Ideally, a new defensive coordinator next year will help Sainristil eliminate his negative plays. In the meantime, Washington has an elite ball hawk in its secondary.