Commanders kill off two narratives while also ending three game losing streak in Week 13 win over Titans
Well, that's certainly how you end a three-game losing streak.The Washington Commanders (8-5) stormed out of the gate against the Tennessee Titans (3-9) on Sunday, jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter that eventually grew to a 28-0 halftime lead. It was a slaughter during the first 30 minutes of the game. […]
Well, that's certainly how you end a three-game losing streak.
The Washington Commanders (8-5) stormed out of the gate against the Tennessee Titans (3-9) on Sunday, jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter that eventually grew to a 28-0 halftime lead.
It was a slaughter during the first 30 minutes of the game. The Commanders offense was on fire and so was the defense. Hell, even the special teams unit, the same unit that took a lot of heat after the Week 12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, forced a turnover. In all, it was about as perfect a half of football that a team could play.
The 21-points scored in the first quarter tied a franchise-best when it comes to the most points scored in the opening quarter. The Commanders' ground game led the way, rushing for 109-yards, as Jayden Daniels, Brian Robinson Jr., and Jeremy McNichols ran through open gaps and through Titans defenders with ease.
The first half was so lopsided, at one point the Titans had more turnovers (2) and penalties (8) than they had first downs (1). They even had more penalty yards (65) than they had total yards (37) and the Commanders' 28 points vastly outweighed the Titans' 13 offensive plays.
The offensive performance had to give fans a huge sigh of relief after the last three weeks. The Commanders offense just didn't look anything like what we've seen in the prior nine games and the "Kliff Cliff" narrative had really built steam. In case you're unfamiliar, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's offenses have a strong tendency to flame out over the back half of a season and that's certainly where it looked like things were heading.
That came to a screeching halt on Sunday, though. Washington finished with a season-high 268 net rushing yards and Daniels scored four total touchdowns in the rout. The offense also racked up 463 total net yards and averaged 6.0 yards per play on 77 plays.
The Commanders also had trouble closing out games over the last three weeks, on top of closing out games in the fourth quarter, in general. It looked like they were going to have some more struggles, but they quickly clamped down and eventually outscored the Titans, 14-6, in the final 15-minutes.
The defense also had a great day as it followed the offense's first-half eruption. The avalanche of points allowed Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr.'s unit to fire off on Will Levis and co. on a consistent basis and it was obvious the Titans offense couldn't handle the heat. The unit allowed just 19 points, sacked Levis twice, recorded 9 QB hits and three tackles for loss, and also logged two total turnovers.
So, not only did the Commanders end their three-game skid, they also had one of their best offensive performances of the season and they clamped down and finished a game strong. That's easily a way to kill off several narratives that had the team suddenly holding onto the final NFC Wildcard spot after leading the NFC East for most of the year.
Now, with the bye week approaching, the Commanders have a chance to reset and gear up for what should be a very interesting final four games of the season.
