INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Dan Quinn believes his team is finally headed in the right direction.
After scuffling through a 2-2 start to the season that included losing his brilliant starting quarterback Jayden Daniels to a sprained knee for two games, the Washington Commanders finally looked like the team that advanced to the NFC Championship game in the LSU product’s first game back from injury – and his first time playing in Southern California as a pro.
“It means a lot,” Daniels said about playing back home. “I’ve dreamt of moments like this to play in front of my family in my hometown. Whether that was here or wherever else I was blessed enough to get drafted to.”
1. Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s big day
While Daniels was the headliner, rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt announced his presence to the rest of the league with 111 rushing yards and two touchdown – the first time he topped 100 yards in his pro career. Croskey-Merritt’s lone mistake was fumbling on the opening play of the fourth quarter with Chargers defensive lineman Teair Tart recovering. However, the Commanders still kept the Chargers out of the end zone when cornerback Mike Sainristil intercepted Justin Herbert at the goal line.
[Related: Jacory Croskey-Merritt Wins Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game]
After an impressive training camp, Washington traded Brian Robinson to the San Francisco 49ers to open up more playing time for Croskey-Merritt, a seventh-round pick out of Arizona whose nickname is Bill. But the win against the Chargers was the first time head coach Dan Quinn gave Croskey-Merritt the lion’s share of the carries.
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“I can make plays when my name is called,” Croskey-Merritt said when asked what his breakout performance showed the league. “Obviously, I’ve got a lot of work to do. But I feel like this is just the beginning, and I feel like I’ve got a lot more to show.”
Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Commanders RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt 🏆 Week 5 DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
2. Quentin Johnston’s fumble becomes the turning point
Down 10-0 with 8:58 in the second quarter and the Chargers driving, Johnston caught a pass over the middle of Washington’s defense and turned up to get more yards. However, Commanders safety Quan Martin delivered a big hit, knocking the ball loose with teammate Marshon Lattimore recovering at Washington’s 26-yard line.
The Commanders turned that miscue into a Croskey-Merritt 15-yard touchdown run and never looked back, scoring 27 unanswered points. Quinn called the play the turning point.
“I felt like the turnover was the big shift in the game,” Quinn said. “It was intentional for us to make sure that we wanted to come out and play with the right attitude, the right boldness about how we go through it.
“None of us were pleased with how we started last week. So, we wanted to make sure it was an attitude we would demonstrate right off the bat.”
3. Justin Herbert running for cover
The Chargers played with a makeshift offensive line that failed to protect their franchise quarterback.
Herbert entered Sunday’s contest being pressured a league-high 73 times. Against the Commanders, Herbert was sacked five times and hit nine times.
Los Angeles lost two more offensive linemen to injuries during the game: right tackle Trey Pipkins (knee) and right guard Mekhi Becton (hand), along with rookie running back Omarion Hampton, who was seen leaving the locker room with a walking boot protecting an injured left ankle.
The Bolts already had starting offensive tackles Rashawn Slater (out for the season) and Joe Alt unavailable due to injuries and struggled to protect Herbert. However, head coach Jim Harbaugh believes the offensive line woes are fixable.
“When things are happening outside the team’s character, we’ll focus on those issues,” Harbaugh said.
4. Omarion Hampton struggles after back-to-back productive efforts
Hampton had 294 scrimmage yards over the last two games entering Sunday’s contest against Washington. However, the North Carolina product was held to just 44 rushing yards on 12 carries and finished with another 26 receiving yards before leaving the game with an ankle injury.
Per Next Gen Stats, Hampton gained 81.8% of his rushing yards after forcing a missed tackle, the third-highest rate in a game this season (min. 10 carries).
With the Chargers struggling to protect Herbert, having Hampton out for an extended period could further limit the offense.
4 ½. Keenan Allen makes history
Keenan Allen is the 16th player in NFL history to surpass 1000 career receptions.
One of the lone bright spots for the Chargers was the play of Allen. The 33-year-old Cal product finished with five catches for 58 yards, surpassing Marvin Harrison Sr. to become the fastest player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions.
Allen is the 16th player in NFL history to surpass 1000 career receptions. Allen reached the mark in career game 159, eight fewer than the Hall of Famer Harrison (167).
“It was fun,” Allen said about reaching the milestone. “I’m just stacking, continuing to try and be consistent. Making sure I’m there when the quarterback looks my way and trying to come down with it.”
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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