Stock up for 3 Commanders despite primetime loss to Packers

Even though the Washington Commanders lost their Week 2 contest against the Green Bay Packers these three players are trending in the right direction.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5). / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders are 1-1, and with a long break before the next game in Week 3, we thought it would be a good time to take a step back and take stock of what’s gone down in the first two games. 

While there are certainly things the Commanders need to clean up, and players who need to clean up their acts, there are also plenty of good things to look at, and players who have shown they can be part of any solution to the problems that ail the team heading into the next contest.

Starting with quarterback Jayden Daniels, who has not been as accurate as we’d like but certainly has not been a problem, to a defender delivering in his second season with the team, and a rookie who is about to see a significant jump in work, we’ve got three players whose stock is pointing north coming out of Week 2.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5). / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

QB Jayden Daniels

There’s no question that quarterback is the most important position, and no doubt that Daniels has fulfilled everything an NFL team needs out of a guy entering the league. 

Two games into his second season, things haven’t gone as well as many hoped they would, but the quarterback has done two things he did well last season through it all: maintain his poise and protect the football.

In situations where many would put the ball in harm's way unnecessarily, hello Russell Wilson vs. the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2, Daniels makes sure that if the defense stops his offense, it won’t be because he recklessly gives the football to them, and that fact alone ensures Washington has a chance to right the ship.

“You guys have been around him enough to know that he has a rare focus about him, and the best players I've been around have had that through my years,” head coach Dan Quinn told us before the season. “The best of the best have that.”

Washington Commanders defensive end Dorance Armstrong (92). / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

DE Dorance Armstrong

Leading the team in sacks through two games, Armstrong is on pace to record 17 of them this season and double his previous career-high 8.5 in a single season.

Is it likely he’ll do it? Who knows? But with the departure of sack leader Dante Fowler Jr. this offseason, a big question was whether or not the defense would be able to replicate its pass rush or improve it in 2025. 

Armstrong was consistently in the backfield last season but struggled to finish enough to be noticed. Now that he is, there’s a potential trickle-down effect that could happen as offenses take notice.

Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. recently called Armstrong, “A complete football player, you know, he's not just a rusher. He is not a guy who can just play the run. He can do it all... He's one of the leaders on this defense.”

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (22). / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt

This one, of course, is bittersweet. 

Not only has Bill shown that he has the requisite skills to contribute to the offense, but he’s likely to get a major boost to his workload after the apparent season-ending injury suffered by veteran Austin Ekeler on Thursday night.

On a night when the Commanders struggled to get the ground game going, Croskey-Merritt was still the most successful, and if he can deliver on some of the hype around him, then it’ll go a long way toward easing some of the nerves being felt outside of the organization.

But don’t call him an underdog, because Quinn sure isn’t. “This guy is a true competitor, and he wants to prove [himself],” the coach says of his rookie back. “I like that hungry mindset, but he wouldn't be here if he didn't have the talent.”

While the way the Green Bay Packers beat Washington in Week 2 sent many reeling and challenged the confidence of its supporters, these three are just part of the reason there’s cause for patience and understanding that every week is a new one, and next week is another opportunity for the team to improve and put everyone’s stock on the rise heading into Week 4.

READ MORE: Rival Cowboys sign $97 million pass rusher to make Commanders path harder

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