Commanders takeaways: Jayden Daniels, Bill Croskey-Merritt show off their speed

New York Times

7 hours ago

LANDOVER, Md. — The second game was always going to be about the starters. Quarterback Jayden Daniels would get his first and only snaps of the preseason, receiver Deebo Samuel would make his Washington debut and most of the Commanders' remade defensive line would get some live reps.
But in the 48 hours or so before kickoff, attention shifted to two starters whose futures with the team are in limbo.
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Washington's one-time lead running back, Brian Robinson Jr., was held out of the game amid trade speculation. Coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters met with Robinson on Sunday afternoon to inform him of the plan, then Quinn addressed the team.
Quinn declined to share any specifics about that conversation and wouldn't say if it was related to Robinson's uncertain future with the team.
He joined 12 other Commanders starters who did not play Monday, including Terry McLaurin, the star receiver who is in a prolonged contract dispute with the team. McLaurin was activated off the physically unable to perform list on Saturday to begin his ramp-up for the season, but he's yet to agree to a new deal and has said he couldn't see getting back on the field without progress toward an extension.
Neither McLaurin nor Robinson attended Monday's 31-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Of course, the drama subsided when Daniels took the field and led the team on a scoring drive in less than two minutes.
Here's what we gleaned from Washington's second preseason loss:
No one actually thought Daniels would throw the ball much behind an offensive line missing three starters, right? Both of Washington's top guards are out with injuries — RG Sam Cosmi is on the PUP list as he continues to recover from an ACL injury, and LG Brandon Coleman has been dealing with a leg injury — and veteran left tackle Laremy Tunsil was among the starters who sat out. That almost ensured Daniels would let the run game lead the way Monday night.
Initially, Quinn said Daniels would get 'a few' series. It turned out to be only one — a four-play scoring drive that spanned a minute and 51 seconds.
Samuel kicked it off, turning a jet sweep into a 19-yard gain. Then running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., the 2023 sixth-round pick who had some big runs late last season, took a handoff 40 yards, breaking a couple tackles along the way. He reached a maximum speed of 20.37 mph on the play, according to TruMedia, the fastest of any offensive player for Washington in the preseason.
Rodriguez had another one-yard run before Daniels decided to keep it on a second-and-9 from the Bengals' 14. The collective gasp at Northwest Stadium turned into a roar as he found the end zone.
Confirmed: Jayden Daniels is still ELECTRIC ⚡️
Watch on ESPNStream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/oiFlJfX4XP
— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2025
'Yeah, I wanted to throw the corner route to C-Rod — it was man coverage — and I was late over the middle to Deebo,' Daniels said. 'And then after that, my instincts kind of just took over.'
When a reporter tried to ask if he considered sliding to avoid a hit, Daniels quickly cut him off.
'Not at all,' Daniels said.
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Quinn could only smile when asked about Daniels' decision.
'Yeah, you think those conversations haven't already been told?' Quinn said with a smile. 'It's part of his game, and it is what makes him a special player. … There's just an unusual play-making ability that takes place. Sometimes it's with his legs, other times it's with his arm, but it is part of who he is. But, it is one of the things we worked on to say: when you take your shots and when you go.'
Daniels said he had hoped for more reps, but Quinn wasn't going to risk injury for another celebratory play by his quarterback. Those four plays, with zero pass attempts, will be the entirety of Daniels' second NFL preseason.
Josh Johnson took over on the second series and alternated with Sam Hartman as they continued their supposed competition for the third QB role behind Daniels and Marcus Mariota.
So now everyone has formally met 'Bill,' the Commanders' seventh-round rookie whose play in camp and the preseason has helped shape the team's vision for its future at running back.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt had 46 of the Commanders' 185 rushing yards on Monday, including a statement 27-yard touchdown that validated the praise he's received.
Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has an array of GT Counter runs in his bag and pulled one out for Croskey-Merritt. Andrew Wylie, playing left tackle in place of Tunsil, and left guard Chris Paul pulled to the right side. Paul made a kick-out block on Shemar Stewart while Wylie took on safety Jordan Battle to clear out the right side. Tight end John Bates (more on him later) cleared out linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr.
Croskey-Merritt made one cut and burst through the hole for the score. His max speed on the run: 20.15 mph, per TruMedia.
Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt goes by "Bill"
Bill just went 27 yards to the 🏠
Watch on ESPNStream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/UD9tot9Iau
— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2025
The Commanders' RBs group is deep, possibly prompting the team to keep four backs on its initial 53-man roster. Croskey-Merritt will, of course, be one of them.
Quinn said earlier in camp that he believed the Commanders' deep group of safeties was among the team's strengths. That group proved it on Monday, especially on the opening series. What should have been a three-and-out by the Bengals turned into a score because of a pair of Commanders penalties. Washington showed an all-out blitz when the Bengals decided to go for it on fourth-and-3, but Joe Burrow used a hard count to pull Frankie Luvu offsides, giving Cincinnati a new set of downs. Then Noah Igbinoghene, who was starting at corner in place of Trey Amos, was flagged for pass interference in coverage against Ja'Marr Chase. The 25-yard penalty allowed the Bengals to move to the Commanders' 4-yard line.
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Despite those mistakes, the drive also featured two (almost three) impressive plays by Washington's safeties. First, Quan Martin had a textbook tackle of running back Chase Brown on a second down. Then, after the Bengals reached the 4-yard line, Will Harris played tight end Tanner Hudson tight in coverage to break up a pass at the goal line.
Martin nearly had another big stop on fourth-and-goal, but Brown barely crossed the goal line.
Later in the first quarter, on a Bengals' third-and-7, safety Jeremy Reaves brought down Hudson for a gain of only 4 yards. Of course, the Bengals went for it again and Burrow found a receiver for 13 yards and the conversion.
Quinn and Whitt praised Reaves last week for his play in camp and preseason, with both acknowledging that they need to find more time on defense for him.
'He's earned right now to be that third safety type of player where you'll see him in there more,' Whitt said. 'He's such a special teams ace that it's hard to just play him full time on defense because he's so important to special teams. But he just keeps making plays, making plays.'
There's a reason the Commanders gave Bates a three-year, $21 million extension after he had only eight catches last season. They believe he's the best blocking tight end in the game, and he showed why against the Bengals.
Bates and fellow tight end Ben Sinnott helped clear a big lane for Samuel on his opening run. On the next play, Bates blocked Cincinnati's 6-foot-3, 310-pound defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. to open a lane for Rodriguez on his 40-yard run. On the Commanders' next offensive series, Bates again stepped up on a counter.
Quinn said after the game that Bates had his best practice of training camp on Friday, when the Commanders were in full pads.
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'For as tall as he is, this guy can really play with good leverage,' Quinn said. 'If you can beat somebody to the punch, whether it's at tight end or any offensive line spot, tight hands and play it low, he's got real power. So that's the spot. There's been some, honestly, some great battles between him and [DE Deatrich] Wise and [DT Javon] Kinlaw out on the edge. So, I imagine there's some iron sharpening iron that's going on with that. I see John as one of the very best at what he does, so it's been cool to see that.'
The rookie corner experienced tightness in his hamstring in practice on Saturday and when he warmed up for Monday's game, he still felt it, though he was prepared to play, Quinn said.
The team decided to hold him out, but Quinn indicated that Amos probably would have pushed to play if it were the regular season.
He's no longer a Commander, and it's too easy to now say that Washington should've kept him last year. He didn't have the kind of performance then that warranted cutting any of the six receivers the Commanders kept on their initial 53-man roster: McLaurin, Dyami Brown, Luke McCaffrey, Olamide Zaccheaus, Jamison Crowder and Byron Pringle.
But Tinsley's play on Monday night for Cincinnati was notable enough to deserve a mention. And it appears he'll be on an active roster shortly.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound wideout had four impressive catches in the final minute and 19 seconds of the first half. The last two were touchdowns, scored 18 seconds apart. It started with a 23-yard catch-and-run on the left side. On the subsequent play, he caught a short pass up the middle that was thrown slightly behind him, tipping it before ultimately gaining possession. Three plays after that, Tinsley was in the end zone, on a fade over the head of cornerback Bobby Price in the left corner of the end zone.
Tinsley was back in the end zone seconds later after linebacker Barrett Carter picked off Hartman and ran it back to Washington's 21-yard line. Again, quarterback Jake Browning went to Tinsley, this time on a fade on the right side. Tinsley grabbed the ball two-handed over cornerback Car'lin Vigers
poetry in the end zone 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XQRBrIytbe
— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2025
When asked after the game if Tinsley made the 53, Burrow said, 'Sure hope so.'
As if he needs any more quality receivers.
Shoutout to the bird.
(Top photo of Jayden Daniels: Greg Fiume / Getty Images)
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