Jayden Daniels got the wind knocked out of him, missed a snap and came back like nothing went wrong. He led the Washington Commanders down the field over and over without a touchdown to show for it and made sure they still put points on the board.
When it mattered most, Daniels got the job done and picked up his first win as an NFL quarterback, beating the New York Giants 21-18 on Sunday thanks to a franchise-record seven field goals from new kicker Austin Seibert.
“I feel blessed," Daniels said. “Can’t really complain. It wasn’t the prettiest game, but a win is a win.”
Daniels engineered the go-ahead, 65-yard drive in the final minutes to get the ball into the red zone, setting up Seibert's 30-yard field goal that won it as the clock expired. Seibert's 7-for-7 performance came days after he replaced Cade York, who missed each of his two attempts in the season opener.
“I guess that’s a great way to kind of welcome myself to the team and win a football game, so I’m happy with it,” said Seibert, who was good from 27, 45, 26, 27, 29 and 30 yards out. “No reason to make it bigger than it is. Just go out there and do what I do.”
The Commanders (1-1) came back to win an ugly game after the Giants lost kicker Graham Gano to an injury on the opening kickoff. Not having Gano forced New York (0-2) to go for it on several fourth-down situations after punter Jamie Gillan missed an extra point attempt early.
Gano, who said it was unrelated to the sore groin that landed him on the injury report, said his hamstring “doesn’t feel good.”
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Daniels was 23 of 29 for 226 yards and rushed for 44 in his second professional start, beating former LSU teammate and fellow top-10 pick Malik Nabers in their first matchup in the league. Nabers was the Giants' best player with 10 catches for 127 yards and his first career TD reception.
“He did his thing, which I kind of expected just knowing him,” Daniels said after swapping jerseys with Nabers. “He got my first win jersey and I got his first 100-yard game. That’s going to mean a lot to both of us.”
Nabers was targeted 18 times by Daniel Jones, who after a rough Week 1 was a respectable 16 of 28 for 178 yards and two touchdown passes. Nabers dropped a fourth-down pass from Jones, which turned the ball over on downs.
“I’m disappointed,” Nabers said. “No matter how good of a game you can play, that last play came down to me. I’m hurt that I let those veterans down.”
The Commanders overcame going 0 for 6 in the red zone with seven trips inside the New York 25 and multiple false start penalties that derailed drives.
“You can’t have that,” left guard Nick Allegretti said. “But with such a new team, those things will happen. We’ve got to cut them down."
Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. carried the ball 17 times for a career-high 133 yards. He also made the two longest runs of his pro career: 32 yards in the first half and 40 in the second.
“Great start for me so I can gain the momentum that I need,” Robinson said. "I’m thankful for the opportunities. It’s been a while since I got 17 (carries) in one game, too, so I appreciate all that love from my coaches, and I expect to keep building off of that."
Ertz's Milestone
Washington’s Zach Ertz became the 12th tight end in NFL history to surpass 7,500 yards receiving. The 33-year-old veteran made four catches for 62 yards as one of Daniels’ most popular targets.
Injuries
Nabers was cleared after being checked for a concussion late in the first quarter following a big hit from Washington’s Frankie Luvu. ... Cornerback Dru Phillips was also evaluated for a concussion and cleared late in the game.
Up Next
Giants: Visit Cleveland next Sunday.
Commanders: Visit Cincinnati on Monday, Sept. 23.
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