5 surprising standouts from Commanders' victory vs. NY Giants in Week 2
By Dean Jones
Zach Ertz - Commanders TE
Zach Ertz came into the Washington Commanders as an unknown quantity despite his outstanding production earlier in his career. The veteran tight end missed a lot of football last time around after his spell with the Arizona Cardinals came to an end. He left a positive impression throughout the offseason, but there was just no telling for sure how things would unfold in a competitive setting.
Ertz is confident there is some good football left before he walks away from the game entirely. The three-time Pro Bowler brought in all four of his targets for 62 receiving yards versus the New York Giants. These included a phenomenal play where he wrestled an interception from an opposing defensive back for an almost unbelievable completion.
Considering how fine the margins were between success and failure in this one, Ertz's contribution was a leading factor behind Washington's triumph. He's a driving force and leading by example. It's early days, but this signing looks like an exceptional piece of business by general manager Adam Peters.
Keeping this up and maintaining Ertz's freshness is the biggest stumbling block. It's so far, so good until proven otherwise.
Austin Seibert - Commanders K
Unlikely heroes emerge every week in the NFL. The Commanders got one such individual during their Week 2 win over the New York Giants - something that could potentially solve what was quickly becoming an ongoing frustration.
After Cade York fluffed his lines in Week 1, the Commanders cut him loose and got their seventh-rounder from the Cleveland Browns back in the process. Austin Seibert was the kicker chosen to fill this poisoned chalice. He turned in a debut for the ages to steer Washington to victory.
Seibert, who caught the Commanders' eye during a joint practice with the New York Jets, demonstrated poise under pressure to hit all seven of his field goal attempts. This was a franchise record. More importantly, it included a walk-off game-winner to send fans at Northwest Stadium home happy.
This was an unbelievable turn of events - one that almost nobody saw coming. Seibert can take great heart from his performance and will be brimming with confidence. However, it's a standard he must keep up when one considers how precarious the life of an NFL kicker is more often than not.
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