5 surprising standouts from Commanders' victory vs. NY Giants in Week 2

Noah Brown - Commanders WR

The Washington Commanders moved swiftly to secure Noah Brown's services when he was released by the Houston Texans. His previous connection to head coach Dan Quinn from their time together on the Dallas Cowboys smoothed the transition. After getting a couple of weeks to adjust to his new surroundings, the streaky wide receiver was active for the first time in Week 2 against the New York Giants.

Brown offers the Commanders something they don't have opposite Terry McLaurin. He's a physical mismatch with enough explosiveness to get downfield quickly. It was a fleeting contribution, but that doesn't detract from how critical his three receptions for 56 receiving yards were to the overall outcome.

The fact rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels trusted Brown with a deep shot with the game on the line spoke volumes. He didn't let his signal-caller down, displaying assured hands to get the Commanders within field goal range. This got everyone fired up, the player included.

There's a lot to like about Brown's potential once he gets more familiar with Kliff Kingsbury's offensive concepts. He can drift in and out of form, but the initial signs are incredibly encouraging.

Benjamin St-Juste - Commanders CB

The Commanders had a hard time containing rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers. He was eager to make an impression against his former college quarterback Jayden Daniels for the first time in the pros, gaining 127 receiving yards and a touchdown from 10 targets. However, the secondary did a nice job of containing everyone else.

Benjamin St-Juste's contribution will probably go overlooked compared to others, but the former third-round selection took a big step in the right direction to help Washington stamp its mark within the NFC East at the first time of asking. The cornerback had a couple of difficult moments. Even so, it was a largely pleasing outing that can serve him well moving forward.

St-Juste made his tackles count and managed to come away with three pass breakups as a result of his efforts. Not many will be able to keep Nabers quiet once he gains more experience. That's why limiting others in the Giants' wide receiver room was integral.

The Minnesota product led from the front and came up with some crucial plays when needed. This should give St-Juste plenty of confidence before his Week 3 matchup against Cincinnati Bengals pass-catcher Ja'Marr Chase on Monday Night Football.