Commanders Dominate with Victory In Arizona (9-30-24)

By: Jaden Golding

Headline Photo Credit: Emilee Fails-Washington Commanders

Glendale, AZ – The Washington Commanders continue to turn heads in the league with a flawless victory over the Arizona Cardinals 42-14 on Sunday afternoon. Rookie Jayden Daniels excelled once again completing 26 of 30 passes for 233 yards, throwing one touchdown, and one interception while running for 47 yards and one score on the ground. Daniels has been the NFC’s highest-graded quarterback for back-to-back weeks with a 94.1 rate and has the highest-rated completion percentage in a four-game span at 82.1 %. Daniels finally turned the ball over for the first time, throwing an interception on a correct read to Terry McLaurin up the seam on a two-safety set that was slightly overthrown, and the Commanders punted for the first time since week one. Washington (3-1) now extended their winning streak to three.

Sunday’s game was offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s return to Arizona since his departure in 2023, and Daniels’ first game back in Arizona since his time at Arizona State University (2019-2021 before transferring to LSU. Nice moment for both gentlemen in their homecomings. 

Arizona (1-3) struck first on a nine-play drive that was capped off by a 4th-and-one conversion to the end zone for a two-yard pass from quarterback Kyler Murray to first-rounder Marvin Harrison Jr. 

The Commanders immediately responded with a touchdown drive that had Brian Robinson Jr. rush for 38 yards and the score. Washington would go on to score 20 straight points to take a comfortable 27-7 lead in the third quarter, highlighted by rushing touchdowns by Jeremy McNichols and Daniels. The Cardinals scored its final points of the game in the third, with a key fourth-down conversion for a 19-yard gain to Harrison Jr. and running back James Conner rushing in for a six-yard touchdown run, cutting the lead down to 27-14.

Daniels and company made sure to close off any hope, finding McLaurin in the endzone for the second-straight week, and converting a two-point conversion to Zach Ertz in the back of the endzone. 

McNichols had an excellent day filling in for Austin Ekeler, going for 68 yards on eight carries, and two touchdowns. Robinson Jr. finished with 101 yards and a score. 

Free-agent acquisition wide-receiver Olamide Zaccheaus had his best day in a Commanders’ uniform catching six balls for 85 yards and making some key catches in big-time moments. 

Washington’s defense stepped up and had their best performance of the season, holding Murray to 142 passing yards and sacking him four times (Jonathan Allen 0.5, Daron Payne 0.5, Dorrance Armstrong 1.5, Frankie Luvu 0.5, and Bobby Wagner 0.5). 

The Commanders scored their most points since 2016 in a 41-21 victory against the Chicago Bears and now have scored 38+ points in back-to-back games for the first time since 1991. 

Washington outgained Arizona in total yards 449 to 296.

Up Next: The Commanders return to Northwest Stadium, hosting the Deshaun Watson-led Cleveland Browns.