Commanders lineman praises 'will' of offense in Week 15 win

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – With winter weather weighing heavily on the Washington Commanders’ Week 15 matchup against the New York Giants, there wasn’t expected to be a lot of passing opportunities for either team.

Instead, both were expected to rely on their rushing attacks, an idea made a bit more complicated by the absence of Commanders’ starting running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., who was forced to miss the contest due to a groin injury.

Once the weather began to lift a bit at the start of the game, however, Washington and the Giants had better-than-anticipated throwing conditions. But that didn’t stop the Commanders from using running backs Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols a combined 27 times, rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown in the process.

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (22) runs against the Giants defense, Sunday, December 14, 2025. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

'Inflict Our Will'

"Trust me, I love running the ball,” offensive lineman Sam Cosmi said after the game. “So anytime we can inflict our will on the defenders, to me, I love that."

Getting the ground game going in Week 15 wasn’t just about the Commanders wanting to inflict their will as rushers, but also to set up the opportunity for quarterback Marcus Mariota to connect with his receivers off play-action, further dictating the course of the game.

“As you can see with [receiver] Terry [McLaurin] and [tight end] Ben [Sinnott], a couple of big plays, explosive plays that we had going on, that's what complementary football's all about."

Overall, Mariota completed just over half of his 19 pass attempts. Three of those went to McLaurin, who racked up 69 yards and a big touchdown on a 51-yard connection, while one other went to Sinnott for a 36-yard gain that, outside of an almost costly turnover, would have all but sealed the victory for Washington.

Dec 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Jaylin Lane (83) runs the ball for a punt return touchdown during the second quarter against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Rookies Steal the Show

And while it is always nice to see McLaurin finding the end zone, and it was great to see Sinnott flash as a receiver, the return to prominence of Croskey-Merritt also stood out thanks to his and the offensive line’s efforts, as the rookie rushed for 96 yards and one touchdown; his first since Week 5.

The effort up front helped set the tone for team dominance, especially during a critical 90 second stretch at the end of the first half where rookie receiver Jaylin Lane exploded for a 63-yard punt return touchdown, his second of the year, and second-year cornerback Mike Sainristil intercepted and returned a pass from New York quarterback Jaxson Dart that set kicker Jake Moody up for a 42-yard field goal at the end of the half.

"I just remember my rookie year, and I felt like my head was on backwards for most of the season... So being able to see that, develop young guys, I mean, we need that on this team to be able to develop young guys and have them be key pillars moving forward," Cosmi said.

Dec 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) runs the ball defended by New York Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo (21) to ultimately score a touchdown at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

A Dagger to McLaurin

McLaurin’s fourth-quarter touchdown catch came on a perfectly timed deep shot called by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury on a 1st and 20 play, where many might expect the play-caller to just try and get some yards back.

Instead, he dialed up a dagger, and Mariota delivered a perfectly placed ball between two defenders that McLaurin then put in a spin-cycle to find the end zone, giving the Commanders a two-score lead early in the fourth quarter.

The end of what was an otherwise dominant Washington performance was clouded by bad turnovers that gave the Giants a chance to get back into the game late, but the good is still there, and the physical ability displayed in their first win in two months is something worth building on.

As Cosmi put it, "Today wasn't easy, but we got it done... It's my first win since I've been back. So, it's nice."

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