Things certainly started the way many expected they would at State Farm Stadium. Murray and the Cardinals (1-3) zoomed 55 yards downfield on nine plays, capping things off with a two-yard touchdown pass from Murray to Marvin Harrison Jr. From that point on, however, the Cardinals hit a wall, as they punted on three consecutive drives and were limited to just 39 yards in that stretch.
The Commanders, meanwhile, were rolling as they have done for most of the year. They matched the Cardinals’ touchdown with one of their own, marching 70 yards on nine plays, most of which were a credit to Brian Robinson Jr., who had his second 100-yard game of the season and punched in the six-yard score.
Next, it was game captain Jeremy McNichols who got in on the action. The veteran capped off a 93-yard drive following the first Cardinals punt with a 27-yard sprint to the end zone, tip-toeing the sideline for the final five yards. McNichols, who received more snaps because of Austin Ekeler being in the concussion protocol, had a career-high 68 yards on eight carries.
After Armstrong’s sack on Murray, Daniels, whose 82.1% completion rate is the highest in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 75 attempts in that span, put the Commanders and Austin Seibert in range for a 45-yard field goal that put the Washington up 17-7 at halftime.