The Washington Commanders secured a 21-6 victory over the New York Giants in Week 1, giving them a 1-0 advantage in the NFC East. Here are five takeaways from the win.
1. The newcomers balled out.
Although the core of the Commanders' roster from last season is intact, there were several new faces on the field thanks to general manager Adam Peters' efforts to upgrade their personnel. He and head coach Dan Quinn spoke at length about what the Commanders could be in the second season of their tenure, and that vision became a reality on Sunday.
Peters and Quinn hoped the newcomers would elevate the team in 2025. Not only did that occur, but they were the stars of the afternoon. Deebo Samuel Sr. was a spark plug for the offense, providing 96 yards and a touchdown on eight touches. Jacory Croskey-Merritt averaged 8.2 yards per carry on Sunday, which ranked third among running backs with at least 10 carries. The Commanders gave up three sacks on Jayden Daniels, but left tackle Laremy Tunsil performed as expected by allowing just one pressure and earning the third highest pass-blocking grade among tackles by Pro Football Focus.
We'll go into the defensive line more extensively later, but Javon Kinlaw set the tone early by stuffing Tyrone Tracy Jr. for a loss on the first play as part of a four-tackle performance. The secondary, which featured several new additions, kept Russell Wilson's pass-catchers in check and limited Malik Nabers to a quiet 71 yards on five catches. Cornerback Trey Amos handled himself well with a pass breakup on Nabers that would have been an explosive play.
It's only Week 1, but the Commanders' new players showed they were a perfect fit for the team's culture and scheme.