Giants-Commanders Scouting Report: Daniels Back at Full Practice; Washington Allows TDs on 80% of Red-Zone Trips

The Washington Commanders, 1-3, host the Giants on Sunday with Jayden Daniels back at full practice and a defense that has allowed touchdowns on 12 of 15 red-zone trips. That 80% rate is the third-highest in the league, by our calculation from nflverse play-by-play data.

The Giants (3-1) arrive off a 36-24 win over Arizona with the league's lowest pressure rate. Kickoff at Northwest Stadium is 1 p.m. ET on Fox. Washington is favored by 3½ points, and the over-under is 42.5, according to FanDuel Research on Tuesday.

Who Washington is

Washington lost 24-22 at Philadelphia and 37-20 at Dallas, beat Seattle 33-31 at home and lost 30-13 to Indianapolis in London on Oct. 4. It has scored 88 points and allowed 122. The 30.5 points per game it allows rank 30th, according to Pro Football Reference. The offense has two turnovers in four games.

Washington won the last meeting 29-21 at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 14, 2025, its fourth straight win in the series. Marcus Mariota threw for 211 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for 96 yards on 18 carries. Mike Kafka was the Giants' interim coach that day, and Jaxson Dart threw for 246 yards. John Harbaugh now coaches the Giants, and Dart is out for the season. Washington finished 2025 at 5-12, kept coach Dan Quinn and replaced offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury with David Blough. Daronte Jones is the defensive coordinator. The Giants lead the all-time series 108-75-5, counting two playoff games.

On Washington's official injury report, Daniels (left elbow) was a full participant Wednesday and Thursday. Mariota (knee) did not practice either day. Washington had not posted its Friday report as of Friday morning. Game designations come with that final report Friday afternoon.

Daniels dislocated his non-throwing elbow at Dallas in Week 2 and missed the next two games. Quinn said Monday the goal was a full week of practice and a start Sunday, and that Mariota sprained the MCL in the knee he hurt in training camp, with no timetable. Daniels will wear a brace on the arm for the rest of the season, the team said. "We won't put him out there before he's ready," Quinn said.

Daniels has completed 29 of 51 passes for 260 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Mariota was hurt on a first-quarter sack against the Colts, and Athan Kaliakmanis finished his NFL debut 15 of 33 for 186 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Stefon Diggs (18 catches, 170 yards, three touchdowns) and McLaurin (10 catches, 141 yards) did not practice Wednesday or Thursday with hamstring injuries. Quinn said Monday that Jaylin Lane fractured and dislocated his ankle and is out for the year. Treylon Burks, who caught a 47-yard touchdown against the Colts, was a full participant both days.

Play video: Washington's team channel broke down the Giants' defense in its film show ahead of Sunday's game.

The Giants' pass rush against Washington's protection

The Giants have a 13.2% pressure rate, last in the league, and three sacks, the fewest. Two came against Arizona, when Jacoby Brissett was sacked twice for 19 yards. Brian Burns has been on injured reserve since Sept. 29. Our analysis last week found he had five of the team's first 11 pressures.

Washington has allowed five sacks, tied for second-fewest. Daniels has been sacked once in 53 dropbacks, by nflverse data, and pressured on 18.0% of his dropbacks, below the league average of 22.6%, according to Pro Football Reference's advanced passing data. Mariota was pressured on 36.8% of his dropbacks.

Daniels' average time to throw of 3.25 seconds is the third-longest of 38 qualifying passers on the Next Gen Stats leaderboard. Washington's protection has kept his pressure rate low anyway, with left tackle Brandon Coleman, left guard Chris Paul and right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. playing nearly every snap. His 3.25-second average gives the Giants' rush more time per dropback than it had against Brissett, whose season average is 2.6 seconds.

Right guard Sam Cosmi missed the last two games with a concussion and was a full participant Thursday. Center Nick Allegretti (hip, Achilles) played no offensive snaps against the Colts, when Matt Gulbin played every snap at center, and he did not practice Thursday.

Washington's run game against the Giants' run defense

The Giants have allowed 4.7 yards per carry, eighth-most in the league. Opponents have succeeded on 45.9% of designed runs against them, sixth-highest, by our nflverse calculation, which counts a run as successful when it has positive expected points added. The league rate is 40.8%. Arizona ran 26 times for 123 yards on Oct. 4, including Tyler Allgeier's 22-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

Washington averages 4.2 yards per carry but has one rushing touchdown. Its designed-run success rate of 37.3% ranks 22nd. With Cosmi in the lineup in Weeks 1 and 2, 26 of Washington's 54 designed runs succeeded (48.1%). Without him in Weeks 3 and 4, 12 of 48 did (25.0%), though other things changed too: Daniels started Weeks 1 and 2, Allegretti played no offensive snaps in Week 4 and the opponents were different. Croskey-Merritt has 157 yards on 56 carries.

Quinn said Monday he wanted more consistency in the run game. "I think adding Sam back to it would certainly be a shot in the right direction," he said. Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White were limited Wednesday and Thursday.

The Giants' designed runs have succeeded 36.3% of the time, 24th in the league and a point below Washington's rate, and they ran 28 times for 87 yards against Arizona. Washington allows 4.0 yards per carry.

The Giants' red-zone offense against Washington's red-zone defense

The Giants have scored touchdowns on six of 11 red-zone trips (54.5%), counting each possession that ran a play inside the opponent's 20 and excluding kneel-down possessions. They went four for four in Week 1 and none for four in Weeks 2 and 3, as our Week 4 preview noted. Against Arizona they went two for three. Jameis Winston threw a 12-yard touchdown to Malachi Fields and an 11-yarder to Theo Johnson. His third touchdown pass, 25 yards to Malik Nabers, came from outside the 20.

Seattle scored touchdowns on four of five red-zone trips in Washington's win, and Indianapolis went three for three.

Washington's defense has a 28.9% pressure rate, sixth in the league, and blitzes on 36.8% of dropbacks, second-most. Winston has been blitzed 20 times and pressured on 23.9% of his dropbacks, according to Pro Football Reference.

The teams meet again Thursday, Nov. 12, at MetLife Stadium.