After winning their third game of the season in Week 10, the Washington Commanders have all the confidence in the world.
The Commanders (3–5–1) suddenly have life in the NFC East race after coming back to beat the New York Giants 24–21. Washington won twice in three games and held an opponent below 22 points for a third straight game.
With New York at 5–3–1 and Dallas at 4–5, the Commanders are within striking distance in the NFC East. That’s a far cry for a Washington team that started the season 1–3–1.
“We had the right mindset,” Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs said during the Thursday Night Football postgame interview. “And we saw what kind of team we could be.”
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels led his team on a three-play, 71-yard scoring drive with a minute left to win, trailing 21–17.
Daniels hit Diggs for 32 yards with 57 seconds left to take the lead, following Commanders head coach Dan Quinn’s call to loosen up as a team amid recent struggles.
“The message for the whole week was just go out there and play football—play the same game since we were kids,” Daniels told the TNF crew afterward.
“Don’t overcomplicate it. Don’t think about it. Just go out there and have fun. You could kind of see it on display with everybody.
“And when those moments came to close the game for us, we went out there and closed it.”
Washington previously stumbled in the fourth quarter with two interceptions by Daniels, but the Commanders kept the Giants off the board both times following the picks. Daniels ultimately bounced back and owned it afterward.
“Yes, I threw two picks [and] got that out of my system,” he said afterward. “It just shows resilience and the belief that the team had in me. I’m super grateful to have these guys.”
In addition to the Commanders forcing punts after Daniels’ picks, Commanders cornerback Rasul Douglas sealed the game with an interception by beating Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers to the ball.
Douglas, who also deflected a pass, received a game ball from head coach Dan Quinn, as did Diggs.
Daniels stepped on a night that mirrored his season: up and down like Thursday’s game. Daniels hurt his elbow in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys and returned to action on Oct. 11 against the Giants.
In his six previous games, Daniels went over 200 yards only three times and never threw more than two touchdowns. He only threw multiple touchdowns twice, and the Commanders went 1–3–1 when he played substantial snaps this season.
Washington with Daniels still looked like the team that rode the former LSU star to the NFC Championship Game in 2024, but it was a shell of itself. Daniels told the TNF crew that he turns to his faith to get through difficult times.
“The hardships I’ve been through, trusting God and believing in Him — no matter what, that I’m always coming on the other side,” Daniels said.
“So one of the biggest things for me [there] was … a lot of hard times, a lot of dark times [and] a lot of adverse times. … But I always see the light at the end of the tunnel because I believe in God.”
Daniels dealt with injuries and regressed in 2025, missing 10 games. The Commanders sank to a 5–12 record, and this season looked almost no different until Thursday.
Daniels went 23–33 for 249 yards and three touchdowns on Thursday, and he rushed for 28 yards on 11 carries. Diggs had a solid game with six catches for 83 yards, and wide receiver Antonio Williams and tight end Ben Sinnott each caught 42 yards and scored a touchdown.
Daniels and company can carry that momentum into a mini bye week, with a chance to build on it in Week 11.
