The Washington Commanders improved to 6-5 on the season with Sunday’s 23-10 victory over the Houston Texans.
The Commanders jumped ahead early when cornerback Kendall Fuller picked off Texans quarterback Davis Mills and returned the interception 37 yards for a touchdown. Washington never looked back.
The defensive line was all over Mills in the first half, sacking him multiple times, as Houston would end the first half with only five total yards. That’s an NFL low for one half this season.
Washington took its foot off the gas a bit in the second half, just happy to leave Houston with a win.
Here’s everything we know from Washington’s fifth win in six games.
Final score: Commanders 23, Texans 10
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
| Washington Commanders | 7 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| Houston Texans | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
Why the Commanders won
The Washington defense was phenomenal yet again. In the first half, the Texans managed just five total yards. That’s the lowest number in an NFL game this season for one half of football. The Commanders defensive line was all over Houston quarterback Davis Mills. When Mills tried to dump it short to his receivers, Washington’s secondary was all over it. The running game? Well, the Texans finished with 21 yards rushing for the day. Star rookie Dameon Pierce managed just eight yards on 10 attempts.
Washington’s offense didn’t need to do a lot in Sunday’s win. The defense carried the day for the Commanders.
It was over when....
Most Washington games come down to the line. Not this one, and it was evident early. When Commanders cornerback Kendall Fuller intercepted Houston quarterback Davis Mills and returned it 37 yards for the touchdown, the game was over. That was the second play from scrimmage for the Texans.
Washington’s defense set the tone early.
Commanders' top performers
- QB Taylor Heinicke: 15/27, 191 yards
- RB Antonio Gibson: 18 carries, 72 yards
- TE Logan Thomas: 5 receptions, 65 yards
- DE Montez Sweat: 3 tackles, 2 sacks
- DT Jonathan Allen: 3 tackles, 2 sacks
Game notes
- Heinicke didn’t need to do too much. His first pass of the game should have been intercepted. Fortunately for him, it was dropped. That was really his only bad throw of the day. He did miss throws to Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, that would have gone for first downs. He needs to hit those throws against better teams. But Heinicke wasn’t bad, he managed the game and that’s all that was asked of him.
- The Commanders stuck with the run despite a slow start. Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr. combined to rush for 129 yards. As a team, Washington rushed for 153 yards.
- Tight end Logan Thomas finally looks healthy. Thomas had a strong game. He looked faster and more comfortable on his knee.
- Darrick Forrest made another incredible defensive play with his fourth-quarter interception.
- Kicker Joey Slye made three more field goals. He’s quietly having a terrific season.
- Washington’s defensive line sacked Davis Mills five times and were all over him throughout the game.
Injuries
Cornerback Benjamin St-Juste left the game early in the fourth quarter after making an outstanding defensive play on a deep throw to Brandin Cooks. St-Juste knocked the ball away and safety Darrick Forrest made a tremendous play on the ball to come away with his third interception.
St-Juste was listed as questionable to return with an ankle injury. He was moving around but gingerly. He did not return, but that was expected so late in the game. The Commanders cannot afford to lose St-Juste with their defense playing so well.
What's next
The Commanders return home to FedEx Field next week to host the Atlanta Falcons [5-6]. Atlanta is playing good football. They like to run the football and are competitive every week. This will be another tough battle for Washington.
