Midway through Washington’s road game at Baltimore, broadcaster Tony Romo declared that the game featured two MVPs — Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time most valuable player, and his Commanders counterpart, Jayden Daniels, whom Romo labeled a future winner.
Daniels, the Commanders’ rookie sensation, threw for 269 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers Sunday, continuing one of the most prolific starts to a career by a rookie quarterback in history. He may very well be the league’s future. But in the present, it was Jackson, aided by running back Derrick Henry, who had enough to win one of the season’s most anticipated games, 30-23.
Jackson threw for 323 yards with one touchdown and one interception, with nearly half his completions going to Zay Flowers (nine catches, 132 yards). Henry added 132 yards and two touchdowns rushing to help Baltimore improve to 4-2, with four consecutive victories.
The loss was the first by Washington (4-2) since Week 1. Things began to unravel for the Commanders in the second quarter when they missed a field goal before halftime, and additional cracks began to form in their defense after they had limited Baltimore to just three points in the first quarter.
The Commanders’ defense has been one of the league’s worst, and allowing Baltimore 14 points in the second quarter and 10 more in the third pushed the Ravens’ lead to as high as 27-13 entering the fourth quarter. Playing from behind on the road, Daniels led two fourth-quarter scoring drives. But it just wasn’t enough to catch Baltimore.