Commanders key numbers, Week 9: Giants sweep keeps Washington on top

The Washington Commanders' win against the New York Giants in Week 9 wasn't as heartstopping as the last-second Hail Mary versus the Chicago Bears. But it was just as, if not more, meaningful.

It's been 28 years since Washington started 7-2, back when Gus Frerotte, Terry Allen, and Henry Ellard were leading the offense. That same year, Bill Clinton was re-elected for a second term and the D.C. area got the infamous Blizzard of 1996.

So, it's been a while. Not only that, but Washington swept the Giants for the first time since 2021, and has continued to show that the team is greater than its parts.

With general manager Adam Peters at the helm, the Commanders didn't make major splashes in the offseason, but many of those additions were key contributors on Sunday. Noah Brown, Austin Ekeler, Jeremy Chinn, Bobby Wagner, and Dante Fowler Jr. were among the standouts in the game.

Jayden Daniels is continuing to perform as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The No. 2 pick became the first rookie to start and win two games against the Giants. No wonder there are reports that players are asking their agents to get traded to the Commanders. It's a new era in Washington, and it feels so good.

Let's get into the key numbers from Washington's 27-22 win at MetLife Stadium to improve to 7-2.

Commanders' key numbers from Week 9 win at the NY Giants

0: In a major testament to the offensive line, Washington gave up 0 sacks to the Giants' defense, which came into the game leading the league with 35 quarterback takedowns. The Commanders also dropped the Giants to 0-5 at home this season as their woeful campaign continues.

Daniel Jones had 0 passing yards at half-time, despite going 4-for-6 and having a passing score. It was his first passing touchdown in 672 days, with the last coming in a 38-10 win against the Indianapolis Colts on New Year's Day in 2023.

$28,491,200: That is the combined cap number for Montez Sweat and Chase Young in 2024. Many were upset when both were traded. But Dante Fowler Jr., who is making a mere $3.25 million this season, has outplayed both.

Fowler Jr. added two sacks and a forced fumble to his season total on Sunday. He now has more sacks than Sweat and Young combined (6.5 vs. 5.5).

11/11: The Commanders remain automatic on fourth-down, moving to 11-for-11 on the season after converting two more at the Giants. This is the first time since at least 1980 (when the metric started being tracked), that Washington has started in this manner.

60: Coming off his Hail-Mary winning grab against the Bears, Noah Brown continued to prove he is a valuable WR2, leading Washington with five receptions for 60 yards, including a 31-yarder and an acrobatic grab for 16 yards. Additionally, the former seventh-round pick drew a 22-yard pass interference penalty early in the game, giving Washington the ball at the one-yard-line.

50: Washington came into the game with the ninth-worst red zone percentage (touchdowns only) at 51.43. After the opening drive, the Commanders had three straight scoring drives, before falling short in the second half despite getting three shots from inside the 20. The Commanders' 50% red-zone percentage in the game was worse than the Giants' 66.66%.

11: The big play counter is back. The defense gave up 11 big plays (passes over 15 yards, runs over 10 yards) on Sunday. The defense conceded runs of 10 (x2), 11, 12, 15, and 24 yards and passes of 15 (x2), 16, 23, and 35 yards. The Commanders' run-stopping struggled, with the team giving up 5.3 yards per carry after coming into the game with the fourth-worst defense for rush yards per attempt.

119.7: Daniel Jones loves playing Washington. He elevates to a top-tier quarterback two times per year. After a slow start, with no passing yards at half-time, the signal-caller finished with a 119.7 passer rating thanks to 174 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 54 rushing yards, and a humiliating rushing score when he trucked a defender en route to a score.

11: Kudos to the Commanders for maintaining a strong rushing attack despite missing Brian Robinson Jr. The combination of Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols, and Chris Rodriguez Jr. combined for 114 yards on some hard-fought runs. Overall, the offense finished with 11 rushing first downs in the game.

1: What a difference a consistent quarterback makes. Terry McLaurin had two receptions for two scores in this game and is 1 touchdown away from tying his career-high with eight contests left in the season. The former third-round pick became just the 10th player in franchise history to have 30 touchdowns. His connection with Daniels continues to grow. The throw before half-time to put the Commanders up 21-7 could not have been put into a better spot.

The Commanders are approaching a tough two-game stretch with two games in five days against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, who are a combined 12-4 this year. With Washington having only played two teams thus far with a winning record - the Baltimore Ravens and Bears - this stretch will go a long way towards providing if they can compete against the top-tier teams.

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