Commanders Collapse in Second Half, But Recover For Win Over Jaguars

The Commanders start the season on the right foot.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 11, 2022

In this story:

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are collectively breathing a sigh of relief after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 28-22 at FedEx Field Sunday.

The Commanders looked like they were about to cruise to victory after leading 14-3 at halftime, but the offense began to sputter in the second half as they fumbled the lead.

Quarterback Carson Wentz looked strong at the beginning, throwing for touchdowns on each of the team's first two drives, but in the second half, he couldn't get a first down in the third quarter and threw interceptions on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter. The Jaguars were able to score 10 points off of Wentz's turnovers to take a 22-14 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Washington wasn't ready to throw in the towel.

The Commanders responded on the next drive with Wentz's best throw of the day, a beautiful dart to wide receiver Terry McLaurin on the sideline that went 49 yards for a touchdown. Washington couldn't convert the two-point conversion, which kept the team trailing by two points.

The Commanders generated a stop on the ensuing drive, giving Wentz and the offense a chance to redeem themselves. Wentz led a 15-play, 90-yard drive that ended in a touchdown from rookie wide receiver Jahan Dotson.

Dotson showed out in his NFL debut, catching three passes for 40 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Dotson's second touchdown came with 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter, meaning the Jaguars had one last chance to steal a win, but safety Darrick Forrest (who started for the injured Kam Curl) intercepted Trevor Lawrence to clinch the victory.

The Commanders travel to the Motor City next week to face the Detroit Lions. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. next Sunday.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Commanders? Click Here.

Follow Commander Country on Twitter.

Published Sep 11, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.