The Washington Commanders could not have asked for a better start to the 2025 season. Behind a strong defensive effort and a confident performance from quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders defeated the New York Giants 21-6 in front of a fired-up home crowd. While it was not always perfect, Daniels looked like the best player on the field, showing why the franchise trusts him to lead them into the future.
Daniels kept his composure all game, finding ways to extend plays and attack the Giants’ defense. He connected with his new teammate Deebo Samuel Sr. and watched rookie running back Jacory ‘Bill’ Croskey-Merritt keep drives alive, while also leaning on the reliable Zach Ertz. Even when the offense stalled, Daniels never let the moment get too big. On the day, the second-year star threw 19 of 30 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown to go with 68 rushing yards. That was good enough to win Tom Brady’s first ‘LFG Player of the Game’ to start the 2025 season.
âWe were sloppy, but itâs always better to come out with a win than a loss, so weâll learn from that,â Daniels said after the game. The statement shows how the young quarterback is already maturing into a leader who can balance celebration with accountability.
Samuel provided a highlight when he broke through tackles for a touchdown, while Croskey-Merritt ran with purpose every time his number was called. Daniels praised both, saying, âThey showed up. They made plays on plays that needed to be made, and Iâm super pumped for them to have them on our team.â
Complementary Football Leads the Way
The Commanders’ defense deserves major credit as well. They kept the Giants out of the end zone and forced them into uncomfortable situations all night. Daniels made sure to acknowledge their performance, noting, âThey made stops when they needed to, when weâre stalling and Iâm being sloppy on the offensive side of the ball, so kudos to them.â
That kind of complementary football is what head coach Dan Quinn has preached since the spring. Daniels echoed that message, adding, âItâs good to know that the defense was flying around today, and they made plays, but we donât wanna rely on defense getting stops even though we play well off each other, but we wanna go out there and execute at a high level.â
Even with Pro Bowl wideout Terry McLaurin facing double coverage for most of the night, Daniels trusted his star wideout when it mattered most. On a key third down, McLaurin ran a crisp curl route and made the catch to keep the chains moving. âThe timing was there,â Daniels explained. âThey were doubling Terry a lot, rightfully so. Heâs earned that right in this league, so other guys stepped up and made plays, but when the plays were there for Terry to show up, like that third down on the little curl route, he made a play.â
Growth Mindset Moving Forward
Daniels knows the Commanders have more work to do, especially with a short week ahead before a trip to Green Bay. He refused to get overly excited about one win. âWeâre not gonna really be content with everything,â Daniels said. âWe won the game, but we have a short week now. We canât live off that high that we just did. You kind of got 24 hours to get over it, really, less than that, because weâre going to Green Bay.â
That attitude reflects a quarterback who already sees the bigger picture. For Washington, that is the most encouraging sign of all. Daniels was not just the best player on the field in Week 1; he was the clear leader of a team that believes its ceiling is far higher than one victory.
The Commanders are starting the year 1-0 in the division, with Daniels proving that he is not only the future of Washington football but also its present.
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