The Washington Commanders kicked off week one of the 2025 NFL season in commanding fashion, securing a 21-6 victory over the New York Giants in front of a sold-out crowd at Northwest Stadium.
It was a statement win in a NFC East divisional showdown, marking the fourth straight year Washington has won its home opener, and this time, they did it with authority against a longtime rival.
“I mean, it’s always good to get a win versus a division rival,” said quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Sunday’s matchup featured two teams looking to reclaim different victories this season. Washington is coming off a strong 12-5 campaign in the first year of the Daniels and coach Dan Quinn era that headed to the NFC Championship. The Giants, on the other hand, are looking to rebound from a dismal 3-14 season in 2024.
Despite New York holding a history edge in the all-time series (108-73-5), Washington swept the Giants last year (2-0), and kept the momentum going with another convincing start to the 2025 season at 1-0.
“I would think we still got room to grow, but it’s always good to start 1-0, especially in the division too,” said Daniels.
Below are five takeaways from the Commanders’ dominant 21-6 win against the Giants to open the 2025 NFL Season:
Zach Ertz Redeems Early Mistakes with Opening Touchdown
Just two plays after Giants linebacker Micah McFadden was carted off the field with an injury in the first quarter, Daniels found tight end Zach Ertz for a 7-yard touchdown, putting the first set of points on the board for Washington, having a 7-0 lead.
This marked Ertz’s 54th career touchdown with coverage from McFadden’s replacement, rookie linebacker Darius Muasau, capping an effective eight-play, 89-yard drive on Washington’s second possession.
‘Bill’ Croskey-Merrit Lives up to the Hype with Impressive NFL Debut:
There was a buzz around the rookie running back Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt leading into week one. Despite the intrigue, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury remained tight on any insights on his plans for Croskey-Merritt.
By halftime, the rookie had already made his presence felt.
Croskey-Merritt carried the ball four times for 24-yards in the first half, including a 6-yard touchdown run, marking the first of his NFL career and the first by any Washington running back in his debut since Alfred Morris a week one of the 2012 season.
On his longest carry, an 11-yard gain, he displayed both patience and a burst of speed, hinting at what could be a breakout season ahead.
Croskey-Merritt finished as the team’s leading rusher, recording 10 carries for 82 yards and averaging 8.2 yards per carry.
Despite being placed on the debt chart fourth behind Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and Jeremy McNichols heading into week one, Croskey-Merritt made the most of every moment and is already turning heads ahead of the week two match up against the Green Bay Packers.
“This whole day was amazing, just being able to be on the field with my teammates,” said Croskey-Merritt. “I’ve waited a long time for this, and I just want to give these guys thanks for just pushing me and believing me.”
Deebo Samuel Revives the Offense in the End
After a sluggish start to the second half, Washington’s offense finally found its rhythm and wide receiver Deebo Samuel delivered the knockout blow.
Through three post-halftime possessions, the Commanders had managed only 49 total yards and two first downs, hunting each time. But on their fourth drive, they marched 80 yards downfield, capping it off with a highlight-worthy 19 yard touchdown run from Samuel that effectively put the game out of reach for the Giants.
“Yeah, he’s a lot of fun to coach too. He plays aggressive and downhill,” said Quinn. “We missed some[opportunities], so we’ll be wanting to look at those. But also the touchdown run, that was, to me, quintessential him. We’ve seen that movie, we know what that looks like… and so, I think that was part of the reasoning with [General Manager] Adam [Peters] and the trade and why it was such a good fit.”
Acquired by Washington and a blockbuster trade from San Francisco, Samuel made a huge impact in his Commanders debut. He led Washington in receiving, recording seven catches for 77 yards and scoring on his only rushing attempt.
The drive spark came on a key 15 yards spinning catch-and-run by Ekeler, which pushed Washington into the red zone. On the very next play, Samuel lined up wide left, positioned across the formation, then darted in the backfield, just as the ball was snapped.
He took a hand off from Daniels, reversing course back to the left following a stampede of blockers into the end zone.
Further, his touchdown sealed Washington’s 21-6 win over the New York Giants and gave fans a glimpse of how dangerous this offense can be when its playmakers pick up the momentum.
It was a site of vintage Samuel, indeed: versatility, physicality, and field vision all combined into one play.
Commanders Prevent Giants from a Touchdown All Game
Washington’s defense set the tone in its regular season home opener, holding the Giants to just six points and keeping them out of the end zone the entire game.
The Commanders limited quarterback Russell Wilson to just 168 passing yards and sacked him twice, resulting in a loss of 11 yards.
“The D-line did a great job,” said linebacker Bobby Wagner. “They were in the backfield making it easy on us. It really was a testament to them on how much they were just in the backfield causing havoc.”
Even more impressive was Washington’s control of the ground game. The Giants’ running backs were virtually shut down, combining for just 30 rushing yards.
Tryone Tracy Jr. led New York’s group with 24 yards, while Devin Singletary added nine, and Cam Skattebo was held to minus-three. Wilson, scrambling under pressure, ended the day as New York’s leading rusher with 44 yards on eight carries solidifying Washington’s dominant defensive performance.
“Whatever we can do, we stop the run and play good on defense,”said defensive tackle Daron Payne.
Daniels, a second-year quarterback, was also impressed with the defense’s performance.
“I mean you guys saw it,” said Daniels. “They made stops when they needed [to], when we’re stalling and I’m being sloppy on the offensive side of the ball, so kudos to them.”
Wagner, a veteran linebacker, anchored the unit with a team-high of 10 tackles, including five solo stops, and one for a loss.
Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw contributed two of the Commanders’ eight quarterback hits, while Payne and defensive end Dorance Armstrong each got a sack as Washington applied consistent pressure through the afternoon.
“I liked the intentionality of the work that I’ve seen from them,” said Quinn. “I know Daron was here and we got to coach him last year, but there was another space that he went to in practice and performance and I’d just spoken to him. It was better, it was different, it was higher, it was more elevated and he was just so locked in and JK [Javon Kinlaw] coming here with things to prove and back into this space, I was really pleased to see what they could do.”
Jayden Daniels Showcased His Dual-Threat Ability Under Center
Daniels once again showcased his dynamic playmaking ability, recording at least 200 passing yards and 60 rushing yards for the sixth time in his young career, joining Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson as the only three quarterbacks to rush for 65 plus yards multiple times in a season. Daniels just so happens to be the only quarterback to do so in back-to-back seasons.
The rookie quarterback completed 19-of-30 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown to veteran tight end Zach Ertz. He spread the ball efficiently, connecting with seven different receivers, with Deebo Samuek emerging as his top target throughout the game.
“We’re not gonna really be content with everything,” said Daniels. “We won the game, but we have a short week now. We can’t live off that high that we just did. You kind of got 24 hours to get over it, really less than that, because we’re going to Green Bay.”
The Washington Commanders are set to take on NFC rival Green Bay for a Thursday Night Football matchup on Sept. 11 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m.